BAGUIO CITY — Tourist arrivals in Baguio City dropped sharply in early August as torrential monsoon rains and tropical storms Luis and Maymay battered the region, disrupting travel and forcing the cancellation of outdoor activities.

Continuous downpours and poor visibility prompted travelers to cancel trips, resulting in significantly lower foot traffic across the summer capital.

The Baguio City government temporarily closed public parks and issued warnings amid heightened risks of landslides and flooding across Benguet. Major access routes, including Kennon Road, also experienced temporary closures and rockslides that made travel to the city difficult.

Outdoor activities at major tourist destinations were suspended as authorities prioritized public safety.

The latest decline comes amid an already challenging year for Baguio's tourism sector.

Earlier this year, tourism stakeholders reported visitor arrivals falling by as much as 40 to 50 percent as rising fuel prices pushed up transportation costs and discouraged travel from the lowlands.

Accommodation establishments and tourism stakeholders reported particularly weak weekday demand, with some hotels and lodging facilities recording no bookings on certain non-weekend days.

City officials also monitored the slowdown through traffic data, with the congestion normally associated with large numbers of visitors becoming less frequent compared with previous periods.

Visitor numbers had begun showing signs of recovery before the severe weather in August again disrupted travel.

With weather conditions improving by mid-August and road-clearing operations progressing, tourist arrivals are expected to gradually recover.

The successive disruptions, however, underscore Baguio's tourism sector's vulnerability to both higher travel costs and severe weather, particularly for businesses heavily dependent on visitors from other parts of Luzon.