BORACAY Island landed on TIME magazine’s World’s Greatest Places for 2022, and only one of two Southeast Asian destinations that made the list.
In a piece written by Charlie Campbell, he recalled the time former President Rodrigo Duterte called the island a “cesspool” after years of unabated sewage problems plagued the island, and closed it for six months in 2018.
“The once brilliant white sand and clear waters of Boracay Island were choking on the trash and traffic that comes from 2 million annual visitors,” he said. Then when Covid-19 wreaked havoc across the globe, closing down international borders, while community quarantines halted domestic tourism as well, the island’s economy suffered once more.
“[But] the silver lining was this 4-sq-mi. speck in the Visayas island chain had proper time to truly recover. As of February 2022, international visitors can finally revel in this revamped, recuperated, natural playground after what was effectively a three-year convalescence. Locals report the return of flora and fauna, like sea turtles, and hospitality has come back just as spectacularly,” noted Campbell.
Data from the Department of Tourism (DOT)-Region 6 showed tourist arrivals in Boracay reached 849,047 in the first half of 2022, a dramatic surge of over 1,000 percent from the same period in 2021, and 176.2 percent higher than the same period in 2020. The first half arrivals this year was just 25.88 percent less than the 1.15 million that arrived from January to June 2019, prior to the pandemic.
Of the total arrivals this year, foreign tourists accounted for 18,845 while overseas Filipinos were 12,987. Of domestic travelers, the largest numbers came from the National Capital Region at 298,932; Western Visayas at 173,116; and Calabarzon at 155,335.
‘Our pride and honor’
IN a news statement, the DOT applauded the inclusion of Boracay Island in the TIME list. “We affirm our pride and honor as Boracay Island once again proved its allure as a tourist haven. Such recognition will surely help us attain our goal of regaining our position in the global market,” said Tourism Secretary-designate Christina Garcia Frasco.
She added, “Surely, the Philippines has a multitude of sites and tourism activities that we can offer to the world. In addition to natural resources, we look forward as well to developing and promoting the talents of our people, and the products that have potential for national and global marketability.”
Boracay has also reaped similar distinctions in the past from international travel publications and news sites, like Conde Nast and CNN Traveler.
Other than Boracay, another beach destination, Bali, was the other Southeast Asian destination that landed on the prestigious TIME list. The list likewise included Asian destinations like Kerala and Ahmedabad in India, Setouchu and Kyushu islands in Japan, and Seoul in South Korea.
According to TIME, the list of 50 world’s greatest destinations was drawn up after nominations were solicited “from our international network of correspondents and contributions, with an eye toward those offering new and exciting experiences.”
Frasco underscored, “Through collaboration between the DOT central and regional offices, relevant national government agencies, the local government units, and the private sector, we will exert all efforts to put in the limelight not only on the country’s premier tourist destinations like Boracay, but also other places of interest in the country which may not have been given equal focus and attention in the past.”
Image credits: Jackmalipan | Dreamstime.com