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READERS of popular travel publication Conde Nast Traveler, voted Cebu and the Visayas as the best islands in Asia this year.
CNT’s 2020 Readers’ Choice Awards also ranked Palawan, Siargao, and Boracay Island fourth, fifth, respectively, on the list of Asia’s Top 10 Islands.
El Nido Resorts’ Apulit Island and Lagen also ranked 18th and 23rd among the top 30 resorts in Asia.
In response to the country’s latest tourism awards amid the Covid-19 pandemic, Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo Puyat said in a press release: “The Philippines is truly blessed with the best of nature, such as what demonstrate the consecutive accolades we are receiving from prestigious publications for our islands and beaches ”.
He said that the last appointment of the CNT “gives us in the Department of Tourism (DOT) a boost of confidence, as we continue to carry out our strategies to gradually reopen domestic tourism, and once again receive travelers from other countries when things get better. . “
In its 33rd edition of the Readers’ Choice Awards, CNT invited 600,000 travelers to vote online for the main islands in six areas: Asia, Australia and the South Pacific, the Caribbean and the Atlantic, Africa and the Indian Ocean, Europe and North America.
CNT’s Caitlin Morton wrote: “Cebu attracts nearly 2 million travelers a year for its pristine beaches and diving off the island’s north shore. Spanish and Roman Catholic influences permeate the city of Cebu; The Basilica Minore del Santo Niño houses a small statue of Christ that was presented by Fernando de Magallanes ”.
He also recommended Kawasan Falls, “a swimming hole and a series of three waterfalls near the southwestern coast of Cebu, popular with locals and tourists alike. Really popular – avoid visiting on the weekends and walk past the first of the falls to find a quieter spot. “
He said Palawan, a regular on CNT’s list of the best islands in the world, is home to the “supernatural underground river of Puerto Princesa, a Unesco World Heritage site worth the trip alone,” but noted that many tourists They prefer El Nido further north to explore Bacuit Bay. and its surroundings.
The river has “guided boat tours that take visitors along a part of the canal, where karsts (natural rock formations created by dissolving limestone) loom in all directions.”
Morton compares Siargao to Bali “a few decades ago”, and given its smaller population, the island popular with surfers, “it has remained unspoiled, remote and relatively under the radar, despite an influx of development in recent years. You are likely to fall in love with the pristine white sand beaches, coconut groves and emerald mangrove forest as soon as you land, as well as the clearest water you have ever seen. “
In last year’s Condé Nast rankings, the Philippines ranked three top islands in Asia, with Boracay leading, followed by Cebu and Visayas, and Palawan ranked fourth.
With more island destinations in the Philippines gaining traction around the world, Romulo Puyat said the challenge for DOT is to continue advocating for sustainable and responsible tourism practices that will help preserve these destinations.
“With more than 7,641 islands in our archipelago, there are still many to discover for nature-loving travelers,” he said. “On our journey towards reactivating tourism, the development of sustainable and responsible tourism will continue to be one of the core principles of DOT, as it has always been in recent years,” he said.
The DOT has been encouraging local destinations to reopen in an attempt to boost the economy through domestic tourism.
