After a six-month closure, Boracay is once again open for business.
The island was shut in April 2018, after the Philippine government decided to close it to tourists temporarily. The closure decision was to allow time for the island’s infrastructure to be improved, and for a more appropriate wastewater facility to be put in place.
According to DiveGurus Boracay’s Ga Arboleda:
“Residents, business owners and government helped hand-in-hand to address the issues of Boracay. During the closure, we voluntarily did underwater cleanups around the island. The garbage, traffic, roads, rain drainage and wastewater disposal issues have been addressed. A rapid marine assessment was done by government marine biologists to ensure that marine biodiversity in Boracay will stay rich and abundant.”
The closure and how the island evolves in the future is seen by many as a test case on how locations that attract lots of tourists but have poor infrastructure can improve. One unforeseen side effect of the closure was that it encourages other tourists destinations around the country to start improving their infrastructure themselves.
