BAGUIO CITY (PIA) – – Aside from tourists, students are a big contributor to Baguio’s economy bringing in an estimated P9 billion in annual gross receipts during the pre – pandemic time.
City Tourism Officer Aloysius “Alec” Mapalo bared this during the American Chamber of Commerce (AmCham) North Luzon’s Education – Tourism Roadshow with the theme, “Synergizing Education and Tourism as Economic Drivers of the Country” at the Forest Lodge Hotel, Baguio City on Friday (January 6).
Mapalo shared that as an educational center in the north, Baguio City has 19 private colleges and universities, two government tertiary institutions and 103 Technical – Vocational schools that have an average of 155,000 enrollees per year contributing an estimated P6.2 billion in annual gross receipts.
City Tourism Officer Alec Mapalo talks about the contribution of students to the the Baguio’s tourism and the industry’s way forward towards economic recovery. (CCD/PIA CAR)
During the pre – pandemic time and boom of ESL(English as a Second Language), there were 62 language schools in the city with an average of 18,000 foreign student enrollees per year that also contributed an estimated P2.7 B annual gross receipts, he added.
On Baguio’s tourism industry before the pandemic, Mapalo reported annual increasing trend in number of tourist arrivals in the city since 2011 wherein in 2018, it reached around 1.76 million.
Baguio City is fifth in the country, next only to Cebu City, Davao City, Boracay and Lapu-lapu City in terms of tourist arrivals, and third in terms of domestic tourists only, Mapalo stressed.
The number does not reflect the actual Baguio visitors as the data is based only on the submitted guest arrivals of accredited establishments. Those staying with residents and one- day tourists are not included, he added.
With the re – opening of the economy and return of face to face classes, Mapalo is optimistic that education and tourism will once again be among the key drivers of progress in the city.
American Chamber of Commerce North Luzon President Goeran Solber welcomes their invited guests and participants to the Education – Tourism Roadshow. (CCD/PIA CAR)
The AmCham North Luzon roadshow aims to help bridge the gap between the industry and the academe, and to raise awareness on strategies to sustain competitiveness and economic growth through the collaboration of educational and tourism institutions and private and public leaders.
The Baguio leg, the second of the AmCham North Luzon roadshow after Bataan, was led by its President Goeran Soelber. It was also graced by Baguio City Congressman Mark Go. (JDP/CCD-PIA CAR)
