Even if actually travelling to
someplace else anywhere around the world is an iffy proposition, for obvious
reasons, that is no reason to stop promoting this spot or other as a great
destination to check out, someday. And the Philippines is proud to have a wide
selection of scenic place for tourists both local and international. Being a
tropical archipelago, that certainly means islands with beach resorts galore.
There are plenty of those to be found, such as Boracay. But for a beach spot
catering to a specific clientele, like surfers, it has to be Siargao. And TIME magazine agrees.
Yes, that TIME magazine has recently released a travelogue feature entitled “The
World’s Greatest Places of 2021” this past July 20. That lists one hundred cities
and places around the world which are great places to go to for touristy
travel, but also for having local businesses and industries that were able to
adapt as best as could be done in the middle of the global COVID pandemic. The
island of Siargao, Surigao Del Norte is the only destination from the
Philippines to make it on this list, so TIME
must have found something awesome about our country’s surfing paradise.
And it sounds like they did. They
mentioned how in the past, Siargao was pretty much a surfing haven that only
dedicated surfers go to, while more “mass market” tourists would go to resorts
in Boracay, or maybe even Palawan or Cebu. Now however, Siargao has been
steadily growing into a mass market destination itself. There is mention of the
Inara Siargao Resort, a beachfront accommodation with five suites that offers
online booking on Instagram. Such convenience with pandemic considerations might
be what TIME was considering. Another
point for them was how the island managed to get more cellular towers erected
before the COVID wave, the better for internet connectivity.
By Thursday, July 22, the
Department of Tourism has gotten wind of this splendid recommendation and, as CNN Philippines tells it, DOT Secretary Bernadette
Romulo-Puyat thanked TIME for in an
official statement for adding Siargao among the World’s Greatest Places of
2021. "We are doubling our efforts to create a future of Philippine travel
that is safe, more fun, and provides travelers with an authentic and meaningful
experience throughout their journey," says Sec. Romulo-Puyat, who adds
that the DOT will continue to work on keeping tourism not just safe but viable
during the COVID pandemic.
TIME magazine was not the only publication impressed by Siargao this
year. Earlier this month, Vogue Paris
also added it to its “Top Islands to go on Vacation this Summer.” And that list
is only 10 islands, including Bali, Indonesia, Italy’s Ponza, and Virgin Gorda
in the British Virgin Islands.
Image courtesy of Manila Bulletin
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