May 12, 2026 — Tourist arrivals in the Summer Capital have started to improve over the past two weeks, but the local economy continues to feel the effects of reduced visitor numbers due to the ongoing Middle East conflict that has caused the sudden increase in the prices of petroleum products.
Mayor Benjamin Magalong, May 11, said tourism remains significantly lower compared to previous levels, with weekday arrivals still particularly weak.
“Tourist arrivals have been picking up for almost two weeks now, but the numbers are still low. If we previously experienced a decline of as much as 50 percent, I would say we are still down by around 35 to 40 percent,” he explained.
The Mayor said discussions with accommodation facilities and members of the Tourism Council revealed that many hotels and lodging establishments continue to experience very low occupancy rates during weekdays, with some even reporting zero occupancy.
Magalong noted that tourist activity improves only during weekends.
“Before the war in Iran, you could already feel the increase in visitors by Friday because traffic would immediately build up in the city,” he said.
The Mayor said the city government monitors tourist activity through traffic indicators that use a color-coded system where green indicates smooth traffic flow or lower congestion, orange reflects moderate congestion, while red signals heavy traffic conditions usually associated with high tourist arrivals.
“Before, when tourist arrivals were high, red indicators would dominate our traffic reports. Now, red rarely appears, and if it does, it only lasts for a few hours,” he said.
Magalong pointed out that at present, green and orange indicators remain dominant, suggesting that road conditions are still manageable and visitor volume remains below normal levels.
He added that the continued decline in tourist arrivals is still having a considerable impact on Baguio’s economy, particularly on businesses dependent on tourism.**Gaby B. Keith
