By Katrina Gracia Consebido
Philippines’ popular island of Boracay was named as the top island in Asia while tourist spot Palawan ranked eighth best in the 2022 Condé Nast Traveler Readers’ Choice Awards.
Boracay scored 95.13, followed by Indonesia’s Bali with 93.9 points, Thailand’s Koh Samui with 92.13, Malaysia’s Langkawi with 90.97, Thailand’s Phuket with 90.88, Vietnam’s Phú Quốc with 89.77, and Sri Lanka with 89.17.
Palawan had 88.99 points, higher than Okinawa and Ryuku Islands’ 83, and Phi Phi Islands’ 76.41.
In a statement, Department of Tourism (DOT) Christina Frasco expressed gratitude for all the recognitions the Philippines received from award-giving bodies internationally.
“We are extremely grateful for these international awards for the Philippines based on the opinion and experience of travelers from all over the world,” she said.
She said the DOT will “continue building confidence” for the travelers as the country “ushers 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,” she added.
The tourism chief said she is joining all tourism stakeholders and the nation in celebrating the victory.
She assured that the health and well-being of the guests and tourists are their priority while they continue to enjoy exploring Philippine destinations amid the relaxation of the mask mandate in the country. –ag