The year 2023 is another milestone for the tourism industry in South Cotabato as 2,059,625 visitors trooped the province’s lone city and 10 towns, the Arts, Culture, Tourism and Museum Unit (ACTMU) reported.
Topping the list is the municipality of Lake Sebu with 952,527 composed of 843,643 Same Day Visitors and 109,064 Guest Nights. The town is the perennial topnotcher as the summer capital and eco-cultural destination of the province.
Placing second is Tupi. the fruit and vegetable basket of the province with 230,312; Banga. the resort capital of the province, landed third with 221,726; Surallah which is famous for its Tri-People Monument is fourth with 180,725; and, City of Koronadal at fifth with 169,095.
Other towns registered the following: Norala – 123,048, Tampakan – 109,679, T’boli – 45,474 Polomolok – 17,014, Sto. Nino – 6,419, Tantangan – 3,606.
Richie Matunding, ACTMU Statistician disclosed that the 2023 Same Day Visitors increased by 1.05% from 1,836,221 to 1,855,557, while the 2023 Overnight Guest increased from 177,640 to 220,984 or 24.4%.