500k tourists expected in Baguio for the long weekend

While all eyes were on Metro Manila for the arrival of Pope Francis, Baguio City is gearing for the arrival of at least half a million tourists who want to spend the five-day long weekend there.

As of Thursday, Baguio City’s major hotel chains were already 90 percent to 100 percent booked, city tourism officer Benedicto Alhambra said.

“My conservative but reasonable estimate would be half a million tourists [will arrive in Baguio]. Among them are those who avoided the traffic jam last time or were unable to come due to several reasons,” he said in a text message.

Malacañang has declared January 15, 16, and 19 as special non-working days in Metro Manila in connection with the five-day papal visit.

The traffic flow along various portions of the North Luzon Expressway remained light as of 6:11 p.m., as shown in a photo collage of traffic camera shots tweeted by the @nlextraffic.

NLEX as of 6:11PM. pic.twitter.com/BKCvWBB1E4

— NLEX Traffic (@nlextraffic) January 15, 2015

Purificacion Molintas, Department of Tourism Regional Director for the Cordillera Administrative Region, said Baguio City usually experiences a surge in tourist arrivals during long weekends.

For December 2014, the city drew a total of 215,462 tourists, up from 107,731 from the same month the previous year.

“We’ve seen an increase in the arrival of tourists during long weekends, especially after Tarlac-Pangasinan-La Union Expressway (TPLEx) opened,” she said over the phone.

More tourists are expected to flock to the City of Pines even after the papal visit, with the grand alumni homecoming of the Philippine Military Academy (PMA) and Panagbenga Festival happening in February until early March. —KBK, GMA News