Boracay named best Asian beach for 2013

MANILA, Philippines – With its glistening white, powdery sand, the Philippines’ Boracay Island has been named best beach in Asia for 2013.

Participants in a poll on popular online travel guide Trip-Advisor described Boracay as “a stunningly beautiful white powder sand beach (with) crystal clear, warm water that you can laze on for days on end.”

The Department of Tourism (DOT) yesterday reported that Boracay captured the No. 1 spot in the “Best Beaches in Asia 2013” survey conducted by TripAdvisor. It was the third time that Boracay was voted No. 1 on the website.

TripAdvisor holds regular polls of favorite destinations and properties through its Travelers’ Choice Awards.

Apart from Boracay, two other destinations in the Philippines – the Secret Lagoon of El Nido, Palawan and Boracay’s Yapak Beach – made it to the list of 25 great beaches in Asia.

The Secret Lagoon ranked No. 9 for its wonderful view while Yapak Beach was at No. 10 for its big waves, according to the DOT.
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In 2012, the same travel website named Boracay as the second best beach in the world.

It was also cited by Travel + Leisure magazine in its World’s Best Awards as the best island destination and one of the Top 10 best beach party destinations by Cheapflights.com in 2012.

Tourism Secretary Ramon Jimenez said Boracay’s preservation is a main concern that is being addressed by both national and local authorities and stakeholders.

“In order for us to continue reaping the benefits of development and great publicity, we ought to seriously address challenges of the environment. We call on all stakeholders to come as one in preserving our country’s jewels,” Jimenez said.

The Philippines recently made it to the Lonely Planet Traveler’s Choice 2013 and was rated as one of the Top 10 popular destinations for meeting locals (ranked 6th) and value for money (ranked 8th).

“We are so thrilled that these accolades keep coming, proof that our marketing efforts are paying off, and more and more satisfied travelers are proudly spreading the word about their many fun experiences in our beautiful country,” Jimenez said. –Mayen Jaymalin (The Philippine Star)