Condé Nast Traveler names Cebu, Visayan Islands best in Asia

Condé Nast Traveler has named Cebu and Visayan Islands the best in Asia in its 2020 Readers’ Choice Awards.

The luxury and lifestyle travel magazine released the results of its survey on Tuesday, ranking its top hotels, islands, destinations, and airports by region: Asia, Australia and the South Pacific, Caribbean and the Atlantic, Europe, North America, and the rest of the world.

“Located in the center of the Philippines, Cebu draws nearly 2 million travelers annually for its pristine beaches and diving off the island’s northern coast. Spanish and Roman Catholic influences permeate Cebu City; Basilica Minore del Santo Niño houses a small statue of Christ that was presented by Ferdinand Magellan,” said the magazine’s entry for Cebu and Visayas as the best island in Asia.

The other Philippine islands that made it to the list for Asia are Palawan at No. 4 and Siargao at No. 5.

Thailand’s Ko Pha Ngan (No. 3) and Sri Lanka (No. 2) round up the top 5 list for the region.

The best islands in other regions, according to Condé Nast Traveler’s survey, are as follows: Jersey for UK, St. Barths for The Caribbean and the Atlantic, Tasmania for Australia and South Pacific, Bazaruto Archipelago, Mozambique for Africa and the Indian Ocean, Galapagos Island for Central and South America, and Hilton Head Island, US, for North America.

According to Condé Nast Traveler, “a record 600,000 registered voters weighed in” on the survey, which is now on its 33rd year.

In a statement posted on the Department of Tourism’s Facebook page, Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo Puyat said the Condé Nast Traveler award gave the DOT “a boost of confidence” as they continued to gradually reopen domestic tourism.

“The Philippines is indeed blessed with the best of nature, as exhibited by the consecutive accolades we are receiving from reputable and prestigious publications for our islands and beaches. This latest citation from CNT gives us in the Department of Tourism (DOT) a boost of confidence, as we continuously carry out our strategies to gradually reopen domestic tourism, to once again welcome travelers from other countries when things become better,” Puyat said.

The DOT statement said that Cebu and Visayas were sent as one entry, while Boracay was filed as a separate submission.

According to Puyat, as destinations in the Philippines gain more traction, the challenge for DOT is to advocate more sustainable and responsible tourism practices to help preserve the destinations.

“With over 7,641 islands in our archipelago, there are still so many left for nature-loving travelers to discover. In our journey towards tourism revival, sustainable and responsible tourism development shall continue to be one of the DOT’s core principles, just like how it has always been in the past few years,” she said in the statement.

Last year, the Philippines also took three spots on Condé Nast Traveler’s best islands in Asia, with Boracay at No. 1, Cebu and Visayas at No. 2, and Palawan at No. 4. The other countries that broke into the Top 5 are Malaysia, with Penang at No. 3, and Indonesia, with Bali at No.5. – Jannielyn Ann Bigtas/RC, GMA News