BAGUIO CITY — Tourist arrivals here dropped sharply in early August after torrential monsoon rains and tropical storms dumped a month’s worth of rainfall across the region in just 10 days.

Continuous downpours and zero-visibility conditions triggered widespread trip cancellations and steep declines in foot traffic throughout the summer capital.

The Baguio City government temporarily closed public parks and issued strict warnings due to heightened landslide and flood risks across Benguet province.

Major access routes, including Kennon Road, faced temporary closures and rockslides that hindered travel for leisure visitors, while outdoor activities at key tourist spots were suspended for safety.

The sudden plunge in visitor numbers follows an already challenging year for the city’s tourism sector.

Earlier this year, Baguio experienced a major slump when tourist arrivals dropped by 40 to 50 percent, largely driven by global economic pressures and a surge in petroleum prices linked to Middle East conflicts.

Rising transportation costs heavily discouraged travel from lowland Luzon, the primary market for Baguio tourism.

During that period, local accommodation establishments and tourism council members reported extraordinarily weak weekday demand, with several hotels recording zero bookings on non-weekend days.

City officials tracked the downturn through traffic monitoring systems, observing that heavy traffic indicators typically associated with peak tourist activity rarely appeared.

Although visitor numbers had shown signs of a slight rebound leading into August, the combined impact of elevated fuel costs and recent severe weather continues to burden local commercial activity.

Clear skies returned briefly to the area by mid-month, enabling a gradual recovery in visitor arrivals as road-clearing operations concluded. However, local officials noted that the consecutive disruptions underscore how both international economic shocks and localized weather events directly affect regional travel.