ZAMBOANGA CITY – The city government has recorded an increase of 3,507 visitors both domestic and foreign tourists at the Greater Sta. Cruz Island for the first four months of this year compared to the same period last year.
This as the number of visitors to the island from January to April this year have reached 7,797 compared to the record of the same period of last year of 4,290.
City Tourism Officer Sarita Hernandez said Thursday this came about after the city government has made the Greater Sta. Cruz Island as banner destination both for local and foreign tourists.
The Greater Sta. Cruz Island is a small inhabited island 2.49 miles south of City Hall. The island is famous for its pink sand beach.
“The local government is really pushing the promotion of the Greater Sta. Cruz Island as the banner destination of this city,” Hernandez said.
She said based on records the number of visitors who visited the island for the first four months of this year are as follows: January, 1,876; February, 664; March, 1,711; and, April, 3,546.
She disclosed that 211 of the 7,797 who visited the Greater Sta. Island from January to April this year are foreign tourists. The others are domestic tourists.
She said tourists who wish to visit the Greater Sta. Cruz Island can make the necessary arrangements with her office at the Paseo del Mar.
She said the city government regulates the entry of visitors to the Greater Sta. Cruz as well as to the Little Sta. Cruz Island since the two islands are declared as protected landscape and seascape per proclamation No. 271.
Meanwhile, the city government is undertaking some improvement in the island for the preservation, protection, conservation and rehabilitation of the island’s ecosystem.
The improvement works also involve developing Greater Sta. Cruz Island for ecotourism.