Oil price hike blamed as few tourists attend La Trinidad strawberry fest

There was a notable decrease in the number of tourists in La Trinidad, Benguet compared to previous years in attendance during the activities of the popular Strawberry Festival.

Some locals blamed the mega fuel price hike, especially as diesel prices were nearing P100 per liter at certain gas stations in the municipality.

According to Ian Cruz's Thursday report on "24 Oras," the Strawberry Festival in La Trinidad is celebrated from March 4 to April 1 and usually draws many visitors.

However, residents said only a few tourists were visiting the strawberry fields, while guides shared that it used to be common to have three visitors before noon, but now they are lucky to get even one.

A guide said they were forced to sell the strawberries at wet markets for a lower price since there are no visitors in the fields.

The provincial government has yet to determine the percentage of tourists lost due to the oil price hike, but it was observed that there were fewer vehicles in La Trinidad.

“Sa tourism siguradong tatamaan ’yan kasi siyempre isa-isa nag-aano sa taas ng fuel, lahat naman affected ’yan e. So titingnan natin ito kasi ngayon nasa Strawberry Festival tayo sa La Trinidad. Nakita ko ang mga kalsada natin. Hindi ganoon karami ang sasakyan,” Benguet Governor Melchor Diclas said.

(Tourism will definitely be affected because everyone is affected by the rising fuel prices. We’ll monitor the situation. Right now, despite the Strawberry Festival, I’ve noticed that our roads aren’t as busy as usual.)

Diesel price ranges from P87 to P89 per liter in some gasoline stations in La Trinidad, but one motorist paid P99 per liter in one gasoline station since his place was far.

The Benguet local government, together with the police and the Department of Trade and Industry, continue to monitor the situation to ensure no one is profiteering.

Tourism workers hoped that more visitors would come this weekend so they could recover some of their losses. — Mariel Celine Serquiña/BAP, GMA Integrated News