MANILA, Philippines — Palawan and Boracay were recognized as one of the top island destinations in Asia, an India-based travel website showed.
In its report, it described Palawan as “the last frontier of the Philippines due to its unspoiled natural beauty,” where “stunning limestone cliffs and turquoise waters of El Nido and Coron” can be found.
The island landed third in the publication’s ranking.
Boracay Island shortly came in next, where the travel website said the island “offers various water sports and activities, vibrant nightlife, and numerous dining options.”
Placing fourth, the report tagged the island’s White Beach as the “most popular spot” because of its powdery white sand.
The August issue of the report said Bali, Indonesia, was ranked first, and Phuket, Thailand, was second.
This is not the first time Boracay and Palawan have made it to the top of the best islands index. The two islands also landed in “Best Islands in Asia Pacific” last March, according to Singapore-based travel magazine DestinAsian.
Data from the Department of Tourism showed a total of 5,450,557 international visitors in 2023, well above the 4.8 million target arrivals of the tourism department in the country.
Of this number, 91.80 percent, or 5,003,475, are foreigners, while the remaining 447,082 are overseas Filipinos.
Out of the total number of tourists in the Philippines, Boracay Island recorded 2.15 million tourists, bringing in 452,201 foreign visitors last year.
Palawan also reported a total of 1,527,159 tourists in 2023.
