Gov. Salceda says tourism in Albay will not be affected

Mayon Volcano (Tomas Tam / Wikipedia)

MANILA — Gov. Joey Salceda of Albay believes that banning the activities near the volcano will not affect the tourism in the province.

The Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (PDRRMC) recently sent an advisory that prohibits the several activities near the permanent danger zone and extended danger zone of Mayon Volcano. These activities include ban on ATV (all-terrain vehicle) tours, trekking, golfing at Doña Pepita Golf Course and others.

For tourists in Albay, the council recommends the following areas where they can view the volcano from afar: Ligñon Hill, Cagsawa Ruins Park, Daraga Church, Legazpi Boulevard, Taysan Hills, and Quintuinan Hills.

“In the 2009 eruption, Albay reached the target growth and now we are expecting to hit our target (similar to 2009),” Salceda said.

When the volcano started to spew out lava on December 14, 2009, the tourists in Legazpi increased from 200 to more than 2,000 daily. By the end of the month, when the volcano starts to calm down, the city had 75,000 tourists. The said figure is more than the number of tourists that they had for that year.