Philippines' Boracay island hit heavily by virus scare

Tourist arrivals on Boracay island in the Philippines have dwindled since the start of the Covid-19 outbreak in China in January. - Bloomberg

ILOILO CITY, Iloilo (Philippine Daily Inquirer/ANN): Tourist arrivals on Boracay Island, the country’s prime tourist destination, have plunged amid travel restrictions and concerns over the new coronavirus (Covid-19) outbreak.

From 167,070 in January, the number of tourists dropped to 103,834, or 37.85 per cent lower in February. Last month’s figure is also lower than last year (172,695) and in 2018 (189,100).