Where tourists can view glowing lava

Mount Mayon. AFP FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines–Albay Gov. Joey Salceda believes the activity on Mayon Volcano would not affect tourism in the province despite an advisory issued by the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (PDRRMC) prohibiting activities near the volcano. These include a ban on ATV (all-terrain vehicle) tours, trekking, playing golf at Doña Pepita Golf Course and all other recreational activities within the permanent danger zone and extended danger zone.

The PDRRMC, however, recommended areas where tourists could view the volcano from a distance, such as Ligñon Hill, Cagsawa Ruins Park, Daraga Church, Legazpi City Boulevard, Taysan Hills and Quintuinan Hills.

“In the 2009 eruption, Albay reached the target growth and now we are expecting to hit our target (similar to 2009),” Salceda said.

When Mayon started oozing lava that glowed at night on Dec. 14, 2009, the number of tourists arriving in Legazpi grew from about 200 to over 2,000 a day. By the end of December, when the famously active volcano calmed down, tourist arrivals in the city hit 75,000, surpassing the whole year tourism figure of the previous year.

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