Iloilo overtakes Bacolod as most affordable Philippine tourist destination

MANILA, Philippines — Online travel agency Agoda found that in the Philippines, Iloilo is the most affordable tourist destination during the summer months of April and May.

The agency looked at its internal data last March and analyzed the average room rates of tourist destinations for April and May of this year, and Iloilo was the Philippine destination that figured in the Top 8 across the Asia-Pacific region.

According to Agoda, the average rate for rooms in Iloilo is P2,814, which landed the Visayas province in the fifth spot in the released rankings.

Last year, Bacolod City in Negros Occidental, was the only Philippine destination in the rankings. The rooms in the said city cost an average of P2,650 last year. 

Other Asian destinations were comparably more affordable than Iloilo. These cities are Udon Thani in Thailand, Surabaya in Indonesia, Hue in Vietnam and Kuching in Malaysia. Iloilo rooms, however, are cheaper than those in Bengalaru in India, Narita in Japan and Kaohsiung in Taiwan.

The average rate for rooms in Udon Thani is P1,576 (based on the US dollar to Philippine peso exchange rate last March 27).

Agoda tagged Iloilo as "The Heart of the Philippines" and highlighted some of its notable destinations and features, including Islas de Gigantes, beaches, hidden lagoons, fresh seafood and historical landmarks.

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