Luzon, Cebu named World’s Trending Destinations

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippines continues to attract attention from the international travel community after two of its islands were named among World’s Trending Destinations by online travel platform TripAdvisor.

In the platform’s 2020 Traveler’s Choice Awards, Luzon and Cebu ranked second and 24th, respectively, in the World’s Trending Destination category.

The award is based on tourist destinations that obtained the largest spikes in top reviews and ratings last year.

“Travelers are flocking to the island of Luzon, the largest island in the Philippines, to experience one of the more unique locations in the world,”  TripAdvisor said.

“This is where the dynamic capital city of Manila is located, but more than that, it’s home to some of the most exquisite natural landscapes and biodiversity on the planet – from vast mountains and dense rainforests to endless beaches and coral reefs,” it added.

TripAdvisor cited the National Museum, Fort Santiago and Mt. Pulag National Park as among the sites to check out in Luzon.

Meanwhile, the island of Cebu in the Visayas was cited for its sun and beach offerings.

“From the cosmopolitan metropolis of Cebu City and the white sand beaches of Mactan to the electric blue waters of Kawasan Falls and the whale sharks of Oslob, it’s easy to see why Cebu Island is one of the Philippines’ top destinations,” the TripAdvisor said.

The global online travel platform named Casa Gorordo Museum, Tumalog Falls and Sugbo Mercado as among the sites to visit in Cebu.

Luzon and Cebu joined other destinations on the list such as Kochi in India, Porto in Portugal, Porto Seguro in Brazil and Krakow in Poland, among others.

Last year, four Philippine beaches were named among the best beaches in Asia in TripAdvisor’s 2019 Traveler’s Awards.

Boracay’s White Beach, described as the island’s most popular for its amazing sunset and white sand, ranked 9th among the 25 best beaches in Asia.

Yapak Beach, the second largest beach on Boracay named after the white puka seashells that are prevalent in the area, ranked 25th on the list.

Two more beaches in El Nido, Palawan – Nacpan Beach and Las Cabanas Beach – were also included in the list, ranking 13th and 22nd, respectively.