This one comes rather belatedly in this corner as a piece of news. On a tip from Wysgal, as cited in the online Wall Street Journal: Boracay gets the attention of travel industry bigwigs as one of the world’s next travel hotspot.
The roll call (with corresponding descriptions and an interactive map) put together by WSJ writer Candace Jackson:
Boracay, Philippines – a regional vacation spot reinvented for luxury seekers
Sanya, Hainan Island, China – the “Hawaii of China,” popular with China’s leisure class
Almaty, Kazakhstan – a luxury hub awash in new oil money (“but groups like the Al Qaeda remain active in neighboring countries like Uzbekistan”)
Mauritius– a culturally-diverse beach haven
Seychelles – an Indian Ocean alternative to the Maldives
Rwanda – a view of Africa few tourists have discovered
Saadiyat Island, Abu Dhabi – The flash of Dubai, with an eye toward culture
Montenegro – a newly-independent country where Sophia Loren used to vacation
Istanbul, Turkey – Hip boutique hotels and nightlife invade this old-world city
Nicaragua – Cheap beachfront properties for second homes
Honduras – A cutting edge Costa Rica
Providence, Rhode Island – A cultural center with more than $500 million revitalization projects under way
Minneapolis, Minnesota – An architectural and arts boom is drawing high-design hotels and growing tourism
Newfoundland, Canada – A Canadian island drawing second home owners.
This is certainly good news for Philippine tourism. Boracay’s timeless reputation as an “it” place can be gleaned from the number of high-end resorts that continue to be built in the area ( Shang-ri La, for instance).
Just a few notes on Bora:
– Boracay is way too overcrowded. The world-class resorts will surely be far from the main beach, where all the action is. Or else, they will have to reinvent the action elsewhere
– The “world-class” tag has become too expensive for vacationers. I’d really like to go on a food trip here but it will probably cost me cheaper to eat in Greenbelt.
– Koreans everywhere. It might as well be called Bora-K (short for BoraKorea :P.)
– Environmental problems like garbage disposal need to be addressed. And doesn’t it freak anyone out that there isn’t a fully-equipped hospital or medical center within driving distance?
– The major airlines need to make direct flights to Caticlan. A few of my friends are kinda afraid of the rickety old planes of Asian Spirit (the running joke being “fly by Asian and come back as a spirit)
Or maybe it is just them.
Bora-K … hahaha that’s pretty funny. A little politically incorrect (they pump money into our economy after all) but funny nonetheless. =)
Palawan’s not included? Hmmm 😀
“The “world-class†tag has become too expensive for vacationers” —
i totally agree. how do they expect Filipinos to visit the many beautiful places around the Philippines when doing so will cost you an arm and a leg. it’s sad because the prices are geared towards rich balikbayans and foreigners.
this past summer, i was dying to see Bohol but the price tag for 4D3N was $800USD (air and 4-star hotel) for 2 people whereas 6D5N for 2 people to Bangkok on a 5-star hotel air inclusive was cheaper? guess where we ended up going? you betcha: Bangkok!
Yes Purplegirl, something should be done about how they are pricing tourist establishments, including restaurants (!!!) in the country. It’s not competitive with other Asian countries. It got a little better because airline companies are now offering fare promos..but generally, expensive still 🙁
Yeah Boracay is soooo overcrowded with Koreans. Sayang, I love it so much pa naman. The way the beach makes me feel. ( drama hehe )
BORA-K? Wow,nice!
NIce post. Keep it up.:-)
Yes Boracay must be promoted as international hotspot. i dont agree that bora had become too expensive for the local tourist. In fact it had been more accessible because of the RORO. there are a lot of choices for cheaper resorts as long as you opt for a place off the beach. i can name so many cheap restaurants but of course it’s not fine dining. if you want a grand vacaton then you have to pay the price for it. or settle for something less but at the same time enjoy the beach. really, the choice is yours, dear tourist.