By Tara Yap Two months after the sea tragedy, the island province of Guimaras is seeking to revive its tourism industry. Domestic tourists pose for a selfie and souvenir shot in front of the Guimaras Provincial Capitol. The island province is still reeling from the August 3 sea tragedy that killed 31 boat passengers. (Tara Yap/Manila Bulletin/File) “Guimaras tourism has deteriorated because travelers think it’s not safe and not easy to go there anymore. But we want to move forward,” said Atty. Helen Catalbas, Department of Tourism (DOT) regional director for Western Visayas. “We need to assure travelers that Guimaras is still a safe destination,” Catalbas said. Catalabas and Gov. Samuel Gumarin led a Thursday dialogue to find solutions and reverse the tourism slump that has negatively affected the island’s socio-economy. Tourism Officer Liberty Ferrer said the number of visitors dropped as much as 73 percent. For instance, only 19,439 same day tourists visited Guimaras in August while 16,908 visitors came in September. In comparison, there were 49,295 visitors in August 2018 while 31,856 visitors in September 2018. Known for having one of the sweetest mangoes, Guimaras is also an alternative to far-flung Boracay Island as a beach destination while its inland resorts and monastery are equally popular. Its rolling terrain is also favored by Ilonggo mountain bikers during the weekends. But the nearness of Guimaras to Iloilo City with what used to be a hassle-free 15-minute boat ride changed when 31 people died after three passenger boats capsized last August 3. The Maritime Industry Authority (MARINA) has put in place new rules including sunrise to sunset trips of wooden-hulled passenger boats while no tarpaulin roofs are allowed. While there are now steel-hulled ferry boats, these are more expensive and trips are also limited. Catalbas said they are trying to reach an agreement for ferry boats to charter trips for tourists in and out of Guimaras at a fair price.