Aurora tourist count crosses 650K

The province of Aurora has surpassed 650,000 in the number of visitors in the first half of 2022.

This is the first indication that the tourism industry of the province is recuperating after the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, as a total of 653,054 tourists came to visit the province between January and June of this year, according to data from the Aurora Tourism Office.

Dipaculao, Baler, Dingalan, and Maria Aurora of the town are the most visited and highlighted tourist destinations in the province.

The data for the report was provided by the municipal tourism offices of eight towns, namely Baler, Casiguran, Dilasag, Dinalungan, Dingalan, Dipaculao, Maria Aurora, and San Luis, in the province.

On Thursday (21 July), Chriselle May Yambao, the Supervising Tourism Operations Officer, said that diving, surfing, trekking and wellness sites will be added by the Department of Tourism in Central Luzon (DOT-3) to rebrand Aurora and reel in more visitors.

During a radio interview, Yambao said, “This is a unique type of product development wherein we pair up activities and not only concentrate on only one activity. Aurora is very rich in natural resources with its mountains and seas,”

the Barangay Dibutunan Marine Protected Area (MPA), Digisit MPA, and Dicasalarin in the province are the dive sites which have been nominated as ideal locations for freediving so far, she states.

Once the local government unit (LGU) sets proper guidelines, other diving sites will also be opened to the public.

Yambao said, to ensure the safety and security of any tourist interested in diving activities, the locals will be trained to be certified freediving guides.

For its beautiful and calm natural scenery, Aurora is an ideal place for meditation and yoga, which serves the purpose of wellness activities, according to her.

She has also added, “We are hoping that this going to be alternative activities in Aurora, aside from surfing, which the province is known for”.