Boracay, El Nido Hit Condé Nast Top Beach List
2020 was a tough year for the country’s tourism industry, especially when the pandemic hit us last summer. Fortunately, things are turning around this year as two of our most popular beaches in the country landed in a global media company’s top beach list.
Condé Nast, an international and renowned travel magazine, released the 25 Best Island Beaches in the World: 2020 Readers’ Choice Awards list, in which Boracay and El Nido, Palawan bagged the 2nd and 9th place, respectively.
The Department of Tourism (DOT) celebrates a milestone saying that the inclusion of those beaches in the prestigious travel publication’s annual Readers’ Choice Awards, is sheer recognition of their unparalleled beauty and uniquely diverse resources.
Boracay’s sunset/IMAGE from the Department of Tourism’s Instagram account
“We would like to thank the travelers who voted for our destinations. We draw inspiration from this warm reception and solid vote of confidence from our satisfied patrons. As our destinations gradually reopen with health and safety measures in place, we will continue our conservation and protection efforts of these areas,” remarked Tourism secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat.
“Boracay is a screensaver brought to life, with dazzling white sand, so-clear-you-can-see-your-toes water, and a lush jungle backdrop, available to anyone willing to make the journey. The island used to fly under the radar with one of the most beautiful beaches in the world—but the secret’s out. Now the three-mile White Beach, with its grottos and beachside dining (and nightlife), is its busiest swath of sand,” wrote Conde Nast’s Caitlin Morton.
On El Nido, Morton gushed, “Shockingly, Palawan remains steadily under the radar, even though it continues to rank highly in our Readers’ Choice Awards. El Nido alone is home to around 50 white sand beaches—it’s impossible to choose just one—all of which are set around dramatic limestone formations and have the finest and whitest sand you’ll ever see. The water is so blindingly blue it makes the Caribbean Sea look murky in comparison. And the sunsets? Well, they’ll ruin you for life. Consider yourself warned.”
Twin Lagoon, Coron, Palawan/IMAGE from the Department of Tourism
Both Boracay and El Nido are now open to domestic tourists coming from general community quarantine (GCQ) and modified GCQ localities with health and safety protocols
Meanwhile, Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat and the Tourism Promotions Board (TPB) offer domestic tourists reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) tests for half the price at the Philippine Children’s Medical Center (PCMC) to revitalize the tourism industry.
Also read: DOT Offers Php 750 RT-PCR For Tourists at PCMC
Source: Department of Tourism
Written by Cedie Salido
