Only about 400 of the 1,200 registered accommodation establishments here have resumed operations since the city opened to tourists in September last year.

In an interview Thursday, City Tourism Operations Officer Aloysius Mapalo said there are still more than 800 accommodation establishments remaining closed.

He said the “close-open” situation added to the difficult situation faced by the business establishments, apart from the strict regulations before an establishment is allowed to operate amid the pandemic.

Most of the establishments that remain closed are the small, tourism-related businesses heavily impacted by the lockdown in March last year at the start of the pandemic, he added.

Those permitted to operate accommodate tourists that come to the city especially with the local government unit again allowing entry of fully vaccinated non-essential travelers starting October 25.

Mapalo hoped to see more visitors arriving despite the limit of 2,000 tourists allowed entry per day.

Travel to the city will continue to pass through the established registration platform, visita.baguio.gov.ph, complete with the attached vaccination document to get the QR (quick response) tourist pass (QTP) to be allowed entry.

Apart from registration, tourists are required to undergo triaging at the central triage area based at the Baguio Convention Center to check on their documents before being allowed to roam the city.

To prevent long queues, Mapalo said the local government also accredited three hotels that are allowed to conduct triaging of guests such as the Baguio Country Club, the Camp John Hay Manor, and the Forest Lodge.

Since the city started allowing the entry of visitors, Mapalo noted that there are around 5,000 requests for the issuance of QTP in the registration platform daily.

Because of this, prospective visitors are forced to transfer the dates of their visit to a later available date because only 2,000 travelers are allowed based on existing guidelines.

Mapalo expressed hope that the gradual revival of the local tourism industry would gain ground in the coming weeks with the significant drop in Covid-19 cases. (PNA)