Back-to-back wins for the Philippines

CEBU - The Department of Tourism (DOT) celebrated the Philippines’ back-to-back wins in the Condé Nast Traveler (CNT) 2022 Readers’ Choice Awards.

It said the world-renowned Island of Boracay was awarded the “Top Island in Asia.” Of the Top Ten Islands, Palawan ranked eighth. The Philippines was also awarded one of the Top Countries in the World ranking 30th.

Other citations of the country in the CNT Readers’ Choice Awards, ranked by almost a quarter of a million voters, include Top Resort in Asia awards for Shangri-La’s Boracay Resort (5th), El Nido Resort – Pangulasian Island (8th), and Shangri-La’s Mactan Resort and Spa, Cebu (20th).

“We are extremely grateful for these international awards for the Philippines based on the opinion and experience of travelers from all over the world. As we usher in this new era of travel post-pandemic, our focus is to continue building confidence towards travel to the country by ensuring improvement in ease of access, prioritizing tourist safety and convenience, and encouraging sustainable tourism practices,” Tourism Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco said.

She said recognitions such as these affirm the efforts to herald not only the country’s natural wonders but also the readiness to become the premier tourist destination in Asia.

“The Department of Tourism is one with all our tourism stakeholders, from the local government units, private sector partners, and our fellowmen in celebrating these victories for the Philippines from Condé Nast Traveler.”

“We are confident that the acclaim for our flagship destinations will help garner more international interest for our country. With President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr.’s thrust to expand and equalize tourism opportunities nationwide, the development and promotion of our other emerging destinations will follow suit soon,” Frasco said.

Palawan, which garnered an 88.99 rating, is joined by equally heralded island destinations from Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam, Sri Lanka, and Japan in the CNT Asia list.

“With the relaxation of the Philippines’ mask mandate and our efforts towards the continuous review and recalibration of the country’s existing health and safety protocols, taking into consideration the current health situation, and benchmarking on the best practices of ASEAN countries, our tourists can now all the more enjoy our nature-based tourism destinations like Boracay and Palawan all over the archipelago while still being assured that their health and well-being remain our priority,” Frasco said. (Cebu Examiner)