PUGO, La Union – The Tourism industry in Pugo has gradually bounced back from the Pandemic after travel restrictions have been lifted. After more than 2 years of being restricted to travel caused by the COVID-19 Pandemic, tourists have started to influx in the tourist attractions of the Municipality.
From the Database of the Pugo Information and Tourism Office, Tourist Arrivals from the year 2019 before the lockdowns were peg at 256,298, however in 2020 when the Nationwide Lockdowns were declared in the middle of March 2020, people were deprived to Travel which cause the decline of Tourist Arrivals.
In 2020, Tourist Arrivals only tallied 66,143 due to the strict implementation of Travel Restrictions. For 2021, Tourism Arrivals slightly improved to 81,935 due to the lifting of some travel restrictions and also the implementation of the Vaccination Program of the Government.
In 2022, after Travel Restrictions were lifted and the enhanced implementation of the Vaccination program of the Government including the Booster Vaccines, arrivals drastically went up to 209,361. It was almost 140 percent improvement from the tourist arrivals in 2021.
The Statistics came from 3 Major Tourist Destinations here in Pugo, namely Pugo Adventure (PUGAD), Kultura Splash Wave Resort and Tapuakan River. PUGAD and Kultura Splash Wave Resort are privately owned while Tapuakan River is operated and maintained by the LGU.
The significant increase in the Tourist Arrivals has contributed to the rise of Economic Activities within the Municipality. Jobs lost during the pandemic are slowly getting back and income in the Market are getting higher. Also, the income of Tricycle drivers have also increased with the influx of Tourists who do not have their own vehicle to visit the Tourist Attractions.
With the Bouncing Back of the Tourism Industry in Pugo, the Local Government Unit of Pugo under the Leadership of Mayor Kurt Walter M. Martin is hoping that the numbers will be maintained and will still increase in the coming years.
The Administration of Mayor Kurt is always in support of the Tourism Industry and is also finding ways to explore and develop other Potential Tourism Destinations within the Municipality. By Teodoro A. Buma-a Jr.