Boracay, El Nido beaches among Asia's best

The world-famous White Beach of Boracay and Nacpan Beach in El Nido, Palawan have been recognized as among Asia's best beaches based on the rankings of TripAdvisor Travelers' Choice 2021.

Boracay's White Beach ranked 12th while El Nido's Nacpan Beach landed on the 18th spot on the travel website's latest list of the top 25 best beaches in Asia. Department of Tourism (DoT) Secretary Bernadette RomuloPuyat lauded the inclusion of the two Philippine beaches on the list, adding that the country's sun and beach have always been "our best tourism products".

"The TripAdvisor recognition is all the more heartwarming as sun and beach have always been the country’s best tourism products. Boracay, well known for its White Beach and El Nido, Palawan, home of Nacpan Beach, are among the first destinations we opened up," Puyat said on Monday, March 1.

"Filipinos miss going to the beach. In fact, it is one of the top choices of outdoor activities now according to the recent Philippine travel survey," she added.

Puyat was referring to the latest online survey conducted by the DoT with the Asian Institute of Management (AIM) – Dr. Andrew L. Tan Center for Tourism, and Guide to the Philippines which showed that outdoor activities such as going to the beach, hiking, and biking were among the preferred activities of tourists in the "new normal."

"While we celebrate our beaches being named among the best in Asia, please be responsible tourists when traveling. Follow all the health and safety protocols for a safe and fun beach trip," the tourism chief emphasized.