Location
Boracay is a topical island located at the northwestern tip of the province of Aklan. It is a coral island with a total land area of 1,083 hectares. It is 7 kilometers long, 0.5 km. at its narrowest and 2.0 kilometers at its widest. It has a beautiful stretch of beach 4 km long that is known for its powdery white sand unequalled not only in the Philippines but anywhere else in the world.
Boracay is composed of 3 barangays of the Municipality of Malay. It has a local population of about 13,000 whose main source of livelihood is tourism. The island was declared a tourist zone in 1978 and tourism development has expanded rapidly since then.
The island is accessible by plane or boat from Manila and Cebu. There are more frequent flights of smaller planes to Caticlan airport, with as many as 50 flights a day during peak season. There are larger aircrafts that fly to Kalibo, the capital of Aklan province, but these require land travel to Caticlan port. There are plans to up-grade the Kalibo airport to receive international flights. Travel by sea is also available with vessels that dock in Dumaguit Port near Kalibo and in Caticlan. A short boat ride is necessary to reach the island.
Arrivals
Boracay is the Philippines major tourist destination. Tourist arrivals in 2006 reached 556,000. The average yearly increase from 1998 to 2006 was about 20%. Local tourists accounted for 65% while foreign tourists consisted of 35% of arrivals. This proportion of foreign tourist declined from the 42% level recorded in 1994/95 but showed an increasing trend since 2003. Koreans account for the single largest nationality that visited the island, accounting for 65% of foreign tourists.
There is less seasonal fluctuation in the number of foreign tourists as compared to local tourists. High season is for 8 months, from November to June when the ocean is calm and there is no rain. Low season is from July to October during the rainy season or habagat when the wind direction shift towards the island resulting in heavy seas.
Tourist Accommodations
There are 220 resorts in the island providing 5,452 rooms. The number of resorts is increasing rapidly. There is a wide variety of offerings catering to the low budget tourist as well as to the more discriminating visitors. Rooms are classified as AAA, AA, A and SIR. Only 20% of the rooms are classified and the rest are of low quality catering to the low budget tourists.
There are about 200 restaurants in the island offering Filipino and foreign dishes. There are 55 dive shops, several spas, a riding stable and an 18-hole golf course. The island offers a vibrant nightlife with several bars and restaurants. A mall offers a large number of stores where guests can purchase both local locally produced and imported items.
