Aside from tourists, students are a big contributor to Baguio’s economy, bringing in an estimated P9 billion in annual gross receipts pre-pandemic, according to the city government.
During the American Chamber of Commerce (AmCham) North Luzon’s Education-Tourism Roadshow on Jan. 6, City Tourism Officer Aloysius Mapalo said as an educational center in the north, Baguio has 19 private colleges and universities, two government tertiary institutions, and 103 technical-vocational schools that have an average of 155,000 enrollees per year, contributing an estimated P6.2 billion in annual gross receipts.
During pre-pandemic and boom of English as a Second Language schools, there were 62 language schools in the city with an average of 18,000 foreign student enrollees per year that also contributed an estimated P2.7B annual gross receipts, he added.
Mapalo reported an increasing trend annually in the number of tourist arrivals in the city since 2011, with 2018 reaching around 1.76 million tourists.
Baguio City is fifth in the country, next to Cebu City, Davao City, Boracay, and Lapu-lapu City in terms of tourist arrivals, and third in terms of domestic tourists, Mapalo said.
The number does not reflect actual Baguio visitors, as the data is based only on the submitted guest arrivals of accredited establishments. Those staying with residents and one- day tourists are not included, he added.
With the reopening of the economy and return of face-to-face classes, Mapalo is optimistic education and tourism will once again be among the key drivers of progress in the city.
The AmCham North Luzon roadshow with the theme, “Synergizing education and tourism as economic drivers of the country” held at the Forest Lodge Hotel, aimed to help bridge the gap between the industry and the academe, and to raise awareness on strategies to sustain competitiveness and economic growth through the collaboration of educational and tourism institutions and private and public leaders.
The Baguio leg, the second of the AmCham North Luzon roadshow after Bataan, was led by its President Goeran Soelber. It was also graced by Rep. Mark Go. – Carlito Dar
