ZAMBOANGA CITY —- The Department of Tourism regional office for the Zamboanga Peninsula (DoT–9) has named Zamboanga City as the Peninsula’s top travel destination for both domestic and foreign tourists for the year 2024 and Sta. Cruz Island, or the pink sand beach island in this city, was the top tourist attraction in Region 9 last year.

DoT-9 Director Dara May Cataluña presented the certificates to City Tourism Officer Sarita Sebastian and extended her warmest congratulations to the city government of Zamboanga under the administration of Mayor John Dalipe on Monday.

Cataluña said Zamboanga City is the “most visited city by domestic and foreign travelers and has achieved the highest tourist inflow data from among the cities in the Zamboanga Peninsula region submitted from January to December 2023.”

DoT-9 also recognized “the exemplary efforts of the city in promoting tourism and providing exceptional experiences to domestic and foreign travelers.”