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Tourists landed on Friday aboard a loaded boat on the island of Boracay, Philippines, which reopened after a string of new rules after a six-month shutdown aimed at mitigating the consequences of ## 147 ## 39, years of love so many times by millions of holidaymakers.
President Rodrigo Duterte cordoned off the tiny island of white sand in April, calling it a "cesspool" where companies dump untreated sewage into the once pristine turquoise waters and dirty waste on the beaches.
Among the first to land after the government opened the doors of dawn, there were beginners attracted by the prospect of a less populated and more refreshed island.
"When I saw pictures of tourists in Boracay lying like sardines in a tin can, I did not want to come here," told AFP Josef Fuchs, a German visitor. "Now, I think I have some good days here."
Tourists like him have been greeted by new restrictions that limit the number of visitors, a ban on drinking beer on the seashore and efforts to strengthen island infrastructure.
Once a peaceful haven favored by backpackers, overdevelopment has transformed the tiny island into a mass destination welcoming about two million visitors a year.
Under the new regime, the waterfront is rid of masseuses, vendors, bonfires and even builders of its famous sandcastles at the photo shoots that once occupied it.
All water sports, with the exception of swimming, are also prohibited, while the three casinos in Boracay have been permanently closed, in accordance with Duterte's wishes.
The buildings were bulldozed and companies were forced to create a 30 meter (98 feet) buffer zone from the waterline.
Far from the water, machine noise and hammer blows echoed through the air as stations upgraded their facilities to meet the new requirements and crews struggled on an extended main road.
Boracay, which the main tourist magazines regularly rank among the best beaches in the world, measures only 1,000 hectares.
Yet, he has seen up to 40,000 sun worshipers at rush hour, tourists spending $ 1 billion a year, but also leaving mountains of garbage and an overflowing sewer system.
– End of the "ghost town" of Boracay –
Under the new rules, 19,200 tourists will be allowed to visit the island at any time, the government wishing to enforce it by controlling the number of hotel rooms available.
A large number of hotels and restaurants had to close because they did not meet the standards, while just under 160 tourism-related businesses were allowed to reopen.
Drinking and smoking is forbidden and the huge, multi-day beach parties called "LaBoracay" attracted tens of thousands of tourists during the Labor Day weekend.
The Boracay Foundation, the island's largest industrial group, said the sector supported new regulations to clean up the station.
"The rules and the ordinances are really perfect … it's just a matter of implementation," said its executive director, Pia Miraflores, to AFP.
"We have long been asking for the political will to apply the rules and regulations," she added.
Tens of thousands of workers were left unemployed when the island's tourism machine was deprived of visitors. They applauded when the guests started arriving.
"Life will return to normal, we will have money and work again," said Jorge Flores, 45, a hotel worker. "In the last six months, the hotels here were like … a ghost town."
