Premiere travel magazine Condé Nast Traveler has hailed the country's top tourist destination, Boracay Island, the Top Island in Asia, in the magazine's 35th edition of Traveler Readers' Choice Awards.

Besides Boracay, Palawan was also cited by Condé Nast, ranking 8th, while the Philippines was also awarded one of the Top Countries for tourism in the world ranking 30th.

"We are extremely grateful for these international awards for the Philippines based on the opinion and experience of travelers from all over the world. As we usher in this new era of travel post-pandemic, our focus is to continue building confidence towards travel to the country by ensuring improvement in ease of access, prioritizing tourist safety and convenience, and encouraging sustainable tourism practices," Tourism Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco said, reacting to the recent citation.

Frasco added that recognitions such as that of Condé Nast, affirm the DoT's efforts to herald not only the country's natural wonders but also its readiness to become the preferred tourist destination in Asia.

"The Department is one with all our tourism stakeholders, from the local government units, private sector partners, and our fellowmen in celebrating these victories for the Philippines from Condé Nast Traveler.

"We are confident that the acclaim for our flagship destinations will help garner more international interest for our country. With President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr.'s thrust to expand and equalize tourism opportunities nationwide, the development and promotion of our other emerging destinations will follow suit soon," the tourism chief added.