Harder times ahead, but

tourism dad, optimistic

TAGBILARAN CITY, Bohol (PIA)—If the tourism stakeholders are now grimacing with the huge reduction in tourism arrivals, cancelled bookings and forced increase in rates, Bohol is still on to harder times.

When the first quarter of 2026 showed outstanding tourist arrivals which exceed the 2025 figures for January to March,

However, Bohol Provincial Tourism Council (PTC) co-chair and resort owner Atty. Lucas Nunag still feels optimistic things will rebound like then.

Speaking at the weekly Kapihan sa PIA, the tourism official said “Threats to the tourism industry is nothing news, in fact, Bohol is one of the areas where we had the worst experiences: 2013 earthquake, the Abu Sayyaf incursion, floods, devastating storms and even the nearly two years of the pandemic, Bohol always finds a way to get up and rebound.”

Facing an entirely different threat with the crisis in the Middle East, the choking of the oil supply affected by the transit of oil supplies has pushed local gasoline pump prices sky-high, which consequently affected the prices of local goods.

“There is a big reduction in arrivals,” the lawyer official who operates Amarela boutique Boholano resort confessed.

Behind the apprehension of the tourism officials are: sudden rise in airfares, sea travel and even land travel costs, plus more expensive goods, that travel has become a less prioritized activity.

“If there is a way to postpone travel, tourists would usually postpone,” he said adding that travel has recently become least priority.

Middle east hosts the major transport hubs of international travel that in the gulf countries are transit points for flights from Europe.

Citing data from International Aviation, Atty Nunag said 14 percent of transit travel (especially from Europe) go to gulf countries, and when these flights are disrupted, that figure is 30 percent of the Europeans arriving in Bohol.

While admitting that there are still the residual guests who booked earlier, or from tourists who did not go through the middle east hubs and domestic tourists, the number is still way below and recovery might not be anytime soon.

In the interim, the tourism official told industry workers to remain steadfast, as this challenge will ultimately come to an end.

“We will not stop preparing for that time, cleaning up, improving and retraining our staff while we wait for the market to re-open,” he instructed his members and the stakeholders in the lull.

The pandemic also had this tourism moment of slowdown but this was also the perfect time for establishments to recalibrate and strengthen their processes.

“Bohol is one of the most resilient provinces, we have to trust Bohol because we still have our assets intact, we are one of the most attractive destinations in the whole country and in the whole world,” Atty. Nunag reminds Boholanos.

To this, he said Bohol can not afford to be just simply wait, because apart from its tourism assets that have remained here, the official said the inherent hospitality, warmth and friendship of the people are still the most effective marketing tools that Bohol has. (PIAbohol)