Cebu voted as 2nd best island on Earth

CEBU, Philippines — Cebu placed second in the “Top 30 Best Islands in the World,” based on a survey conducted by an international travel magazine.

And as if that was not enough, the top three islands on the list were all from the Philippines – Boracay, Cebu, and Palawan, respectively.

The results were based on a survey conducted by Conde Nast Traveler (CNT), a luxury and lifestyle travel magazine which won twenty-five National Magazine Awards.

“More than 300,000 travellers took part in our 30th annual Readers' Choice Awards survey — setting yet another new record — submitting millions of ratings and more than 100,000 comments to help us create a list of winning favorites,” read CNT’s review on its website.

Cebu was hailed for being famous for its beaches on the mainland as well as across many of its surrounding islands.

Last year, Cebu landed 5th place.

“Not as wild as Phuket in Thailand, Cebu City is more personal, with plenty of up-and-coming restaurants and shopping,” the CNT article further reads.

Boracay took the top spot.

CNT described the island as an “itty-bitty island (just under four square miles) in the Western Philippines.”  The island’s “gentle coastlines and transportative sunsets” as well as its “thriving nightlife scene” were also highlighted.

Palawan, which took the third spot, was lauded for being the home of the five-mile long underground river, which was one of the Seven Wonders of the World.

Some other islands that made it to the list are Mallorca in Spain, Bali in Indonesia, Crete in Greece, Ibiza in Spain, Vancouver Island in Canada, and Madeira in Portugal.

“Most notably, you declared a passion for the authentic, the personalized, the unexpected—finding all three in both newcomers and stalwarts around the world,” stated in the site, laying down the basic criteria in the top picks of the travellers.

Cebu Governor Hilario Davide III was grateful to those who voted for Cebu.

“We are really making waves as a premier tourist destination,” he said.

The governor added that Cebu has been enriching its tourism industry especially in the fields of community-based tourism and MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions) tourism.

Meanwhile, the Mactan Cebu International Airport (MCIA) also moved a notch higher in the Best Airports in Asia 2017, based on the survey of the sleepinginairport.net website.

GMR-Megawide Cebu Airport Corporation President Louie Ferrer said MCIA’s rise from 14th place last year to 13th this year as Best Airports in Asia was a great compliment.

Ferrer, in a statement, said that this is a good indicator that they are on the right track as a developer.

"We can expect even more excitement around MCIA next year when we open Terminal 2 in June," he said.

Ferrer said that they are currently focused on maximizing Cebu’s connectivity and ensuring that the airport is capable of handling the increasing traffic.

This October alone, they are launching three new flights to China and bringing in two new international carriers.

"We are also looking forward to launching new domestic flights later in the year. We are also targeting to promote Cebu to other untapped markets in North Asia, the Middle East, North America, and Europe," he said.

As tourism in the region grows, Ferrer said GMCAC is working with the Department of Transportation, the Mactan Cebu International Airport Authority, the airlines, the travel and tourism industry and the Cebu community to ensure that MCIA can be a world-class gateway for Cebu Province and Central Visayas.

Aside from MCIA, other Philippine airports that were recognized are the Iloilo International Airport (12th place); Davao Francisco Bangoy International Airport (17th place) and Clark International Airport (22nd place).

The website said they asked travelers to rate airports in Asia based on their overall airport experience that include Comfort (Gate seating & availability of rest zones); Services, facilities & things to do; Food options; Immigration/Security; Customer service; Cleanliness; Navigation and ease of transit and Sleepability. (FREEMAN)