Melo Villareal
Boracay, the country’s premier resort destination famed for its white sand beaches in Central Philippines, was named the world’s best island by a leading travel magazine.
Boracay is the World’s Best Overall Island
At the Travel+Leisure Magazine’s World’s Best Awards 2012 last July 19 in New York City, Boracay bagged the event’s three major awards, namely World’s Best Overall Island, Asia’s Top Island, and Asia’s Top Hotel Spa for Discovery Shores, Boracay.
Now on its 17th year, the World’s Best Awards is an annual tribute to world destinations, hotels, resorts, tour operators, cruise lines, airlines, and other major tourist services which have been voted by readers of the publication as being the best in the world.
Travel+Leisure Magazine Editor in Chief Novogrod said an unprecedented number of its readers cast their votes for their favorite travel destinations for this year’s awards.
She noted the awards for Boracay and Discovery Shores were “both well-deserved and speak volumes about the lasting positive impressions made by these Philippine destinations.”
Garnering a score of 93.10, Boracay bested 10 other destinations such as Bali in Indonesia, Galapagos Islands of Ecuador, the Hawaiian islands of Maui, Kauai, and Big Island, the Great Barrier Reef Islands in Australia, Santorini in Greece, Sicily in Italy, and Vancouver Island in British Columbia.
Other major winners included Red Mountain Resort, Ivins, Utah (Top Destination Spa), Singita Grumeti Reserves, Serengeti National Park, Tanzania (Top Hotel), Bangkok (Top City), Singapore Airlines (Top International Airline), and Virgin America (Top Domestic Airline).
Novogrod and Jean-Paul Kyrillos, Vice President/Publisher of T+L handed the awards.
The winners were featured on the popular American morning show “Today,” which was aired on NBC channel.
Travel+Leisure Magazine is based in New York City and is published 12 times a year by the American Express Publishing Corporation.
It has 4.8 million readers worldwide. Its sister publications include Food & Wine, Travel+Leisure Family, and Departures. (Source : PNA)
