White beach festival opens in Boracay

BORACAY Island, Malay Aklan—The Malay Tourism Office has officially unveiled Monday its three-week-long white beach festival, which signals a super peak season in this resort island.

Malay Mayor Frolibar Bautista said Monday that the activities highlighting the festival started last October 11.

The White Beach festival is expected to culminate on November 2 this year. The month of October-May of succeeding years is being dubbed as the super peak season for Boracay, with rates of hotels and restaurants at their prime. At least 11 sand castle makers showcased their craft in the sand castle building at the front beach on October 14.

Aside from the sand castle building competition, other events include a food bazaar, an international dragon boat race, Zumba, beach volleyball international, and a and a Boracay full moon beach party, among others.

Bautista said that he is encouraging more sea sports activities in Boracay as he hopes to make this resort island a sea sports capital destination in the country. Though the series of activities has been ongoing in Boracay, this is the first time the Malay Tourism Office has brand it under the white sand beach festival.

Based on the Malay Tourism Office reports, from January 1 to September 30 this year, Boracay registered 1,579,828 foreign and local tourists.

“I am confident that Boracay will be able to reach its target of P2.3 million tourists this year,” said Bautista.