SAN FERNANDO CITY, La Union, Feb. 22 (PIA) – Visitors both foreign and local spent a total of P1,038,200,244.57 in 2023, government figures showed.
 
According to a report by the Provincial Government of La Union (PGLU), the resurgence of tourism following the easing of quarantine restrictions imposed during the Covid-19 pandemic resulted in an unprecedented surge in visitors who were after the “sea, sand and surf” that the province offers.
 
Last year’s tourism receipts far exceeded the P897 million posted in 2022.
 
The month of April showed the most tourist arrivals with 68,567, closely followed by June with 55,131 and May with 53,921. 
 
Total tourist arrivals for 2023 also increased to 550,359, a significant boost from 494,387 in 2022.
 
Of the total number, 543,909 were local tourists while 6,450 were foreigners. 
 
Data also shows that 49 percent of domestic tourists came from Metro Manila followed by Central Luzon (14 percent), Calabarzon (13 percent) and Cordillera (10 percent). 

San Juan town was the top destination in La Union with 215,645 visitors, followed by Bauang with 100,762, and San Fernando City with 97,726. 
 
Among the province’s attractions in La Union are: the Urbiztondo beach in San Juan, the Tangadan Falls in San Gabriel town, the Poro Point Lighthouse, the Ma-Cho Temple in San Fernando City, the Immuki Island in Balaoan, the Baluarte Watch Tower and Namacpacan Church in Luna town, the grape farms of Bauang, among others. 
 
While elated with the feat, La Union Governor Raphaelle Veronica Ortega-David reminded residents and business owners to be mindful of the impact of the surge in visitors to the environment.
 
She said environmental protection – preserving the province’s natural beauty – should always remain a priority.

“La Union is more than just a surfing capital, it is a place where we can experience nature's calmness and tranquility. I'd also like to encourage our tourists to keep our surroundings clean. We must remember that we are a part of nature and we must take good care of it,” Ortega-David said. 
 
Aside from the increase in total tourism receipts and tourist arrivals, the 2023 report also showed that tourists have been staying in the province longer than last year, with the average length of stay increasing to 1.33 days in 2023 from a figure of 1.28 days in 2022. 
 
Room occupancy rate also jumped to a figure of 22.01 percent in 2023, a figure higher than the 2022 rate of 19.49 percent.
 
The provincial government also hopes to sustain the momentum of the tourism accomplishments of the province this year, with its focus on providing more opportunities for local businesses to thrive through the continued influx of tourists visiting the province, further strengthening the local economy as a result.
 
"We thank our visitors for their love and support for the province of La Union. We are truly delighted and grateful for the continuous growth and development in our tourism sector. This will certainly bring more opportunities to our local businesses and strengthen our local economy as we gear towards positioning La Union to be the Heart of Agri-Tourism in Northern Luzon by 2025," Ortega-David added. 
 
La Union’s location is accessible to tourists coming from the south, with the province located approximately 270 kilometers away from the capital of Manila but with land travel cut short by the North Luzon Expressway (NLEX), the Subic-Clark-Tarlac-Expressway (SCTEX), and the Tarlac-Pangasinan-La Union Expressway (TPLEX) to just around three to four hours. (JCR/MJTAB/CCMT, PIA La Union)