Boracay named 2nd top beach destination
ILOILO CITY – Boracay Island was named the second top beach destination in the world for 2011 by travel website TripAdvisor.
Boracay came in second only to Providenciales Island among 10 top beaches named in the 2011 Traveller’s Choice Beaches Awards. Providenciales is located in the Turks and Caicos group of islands, a territory in the Norh Atlantic Ocean.
“At only 4.5 miles long, Boracay is small enough to navigate by rented bicycle or motorbike. But don’t let its small size fool you – you’ll have several excellent beaches to choose from. Yapak Beach is known for beautiful white shells; White Beach has picture-perfect sunsets; and Balinghai Beach is a secluded spot, perfect for honeymooners,” according to TripAdvisor.
“As long as you visit during dry season, you’ll agree this is one of the best beach destinations in the world,” read the entry on Boracay Island posted on the TripAdvisor’s website (https://www.tripadvisor.com/TCBeaches).
The winners were chosen from the most highly rated beach destinations based on millions of reviews and opinions from travelers around the world, according to TripAdvisor in a statement dated April 5.
“It’s that time of year when travelers are dreaming of getaways to warm beach destinations. To provide inspiration on where to go, we’ve named some amazing hot spots around the world, based on millions of real and unbiased reviews and opinions from TripAdvisor travelers,” said Barbara Messing, chief marketing officer for TripAdvisor, in the statement.
“In addition to the outstanding beaches, these destinations also feature top-rated options for hotels, vacation rentals, attractions, and restaurants,” Messing said.
The Travelers’ Choice Beaches Award-winning World Beach Destinations include: 1. Providenciales, Turks and Caicos; 2. Boracay, Philippines; 3. Palm/Eagle Beach, Aruba; 4. Negril, Jamaica; 5. Tulum, Mexico; 6. Myrtle Beach, South Carolina; 7. Seven Mile Beach, Grand Cayman; 8. Punta Cana, Dominican Republic; 9. Cape May, New Jersey, and 10. Santa Teresa, Costa Rica.
Tourist arrivals have consistently grown over the years reaching 779,666 last year, up by 20 percent compared to 649,559 in 2009.
Domestic tourists accounted for the bulk of the tourists reaching 474,097 followed by foreign tourists with 278,531 and overseas Filipinos with 27,038.
Tourist earnings have also grown from P11,941,102,920 in 2009 to P14,332,911,944 last year.
