MANILA – The Department of Tourism (DOT) applauds the consistent ranking of the country’s tourist destinations at the Condé Nast Traveler (CNT) 2018 Readers’ Choice Awards.
Siargao, Boracay, and Palawan lorded over the Top 5 Best Islands in Asia category voted by the 429,000 readers of the luxury and lifestyle travel magazine.
“It is an honor for our destinations to be voted once again in the Condé Nast Traveler Readers’ Choice Awards. This serves as an invitation to the tourists in time for the winter vacation,” DOT secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat said.
CNT Editors noted that their readers have caught on the popularity of the teardrop-shaped island, electing Siargao, a newcomer of the list, as the 2018 Top Island in Asia.
Boracay, which is currently undergoing rehabilitation and is set for its soft opening on October 26, was voted as second and described as “close to a tropical idyll as you’ll find in Southeast Asia with gentle coastlines and made-for-Instagram sunsets.”
“We would like to take this opportunity to tell our tourists to manage their expectations on Boracay’s soft opening. We also encourage them to be mindful and responsible tourists of the island,” Secretary Romulo-Puyat added.
Condé Nast also named Palawan as Asia’s third top island stating “Palawan is home to the otherworldly Puerto Princesa Subterranean River, a UNESCO World Heritage Site worth the trip alone.”
This year’s ranking was broken down into regions compared to the previous years where only the top 30 islands outside the United States were cited. In 2017, the Philippines topped the said list with Boracay, Cebu, and Palawan, respectively.
Langkawi, Malaysia and Bali, Indonesia complete the 2018 Top 5 in Asia listing./PN
