July 13, 2022
MANILA, Philippines — Boracay has made it to a Time list titled “The world’s greatest places of 2022: 50 extraordinary destinations to explore,” which was posted on its website on Tuesday.
Boracay — already a popular tourist destination for its white-sand beaches — was one of eight destinations in Asia on the list. An aerial photo of a beach on the island has this caption: “Paradise reborn.”
The seven other Asian destinations, along with their descriptions are:
- Seoul: The smartest city
- Kerala, India: Ecotourism hot spot
- Ahmedabad, India: Higher Learning
- Trans Bhutan Trail in Bhutan: Breathtaking pilgrimage
- Bali, Indonesia: Resortapalooza!
- Kyushu Island, Japan: Volcanic Beauty
- Setouchi Islands, Japan: Immersed in art
For the full list of destinations, click this link: “The world’s greatest places of 2022.”
According to Time, it came up with the list — in which the places were not ranked — by asking its correspondents and contributors worldwide for their nominations, “with an eye toward those offering new and exciting experiences.”
The Time feature notes: “Many of the destinations are charting a path to economic recovery; this year paradise reopens on The Philippines’ Boracay Island, which had been closed for years due to overtourism and then the COVID-19 pandemic. Others are thriving, growing, and changing, like the luxe city of Doha, Qatar, which is opening 100 new hotels to accommodate 2022 World Cup spectators.”
In April 2018, then-President Rodrigo Duterte ordered Boracay Island — which he described as “a cesspool” — closed to tourists, local and foreign, for rehabilitation.
It partially reopened in October of the same year.
But when the COVID-19 pandemic was declared in 2020, the island was again closed to tourism starting in March due to various restrictions.
Then-Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat announced its reopening to tourists later in Ocober. But visitors were still subject to restrictions before being allowed entry — mainly, COVID-19 testing — and there was a limit to the number of visitors.