Cebu and the Visayas Islands have been named the Top Island in Asia in Condé Nast Traveler’s 2020 Readers’ Choice Awards.

“Located in the center of the Philippines, Cebu draws nearly 2 million travelers annually for its pristine beaches and diving off the island’s northern coast. Spanish and Roman Catholic influences permeate Cebu City; Basilica Minore del Santo Niño houses a small statue of Christ that was presented by Ferdinand Magellan,” the international luxury and lifestyle travel magazine wrote on Tuesday, October 6.

Palawan, Siargao, and Boracay also nabbed spots on the Top 10 in Asia list, placing fourth, fifth, and sixth, respectively.

Condé Nast Traveler invited 600,000 travelers to weigh in on the survey for the Top Islands in Asia, Australia and the South Pacific, the Caribbean and the Atlantic, Africa and the Indian Ocean, Europe, and North America.

Cebu and the Visayas Islands were lumped as one entry, while Boracay was a separate entry.

“The Philippines is indeed blessed with the best of nature, as exhibited by the consecutive accolades we are receiving from reputable and prestigious publications for our islands and beaches,” Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo Puyat said in response to the accolade.

“This latest citation from CNT gives us in the Department of Tourism (DOT) a boost of confidence, as we continuously carry out our strategies to gradually reopen domestic tourism, to once again welcome travelers from other countries when things become better,” she added.

Puyat noted that the challenge for DOT is to continue advocating for more sustainable and responsible tourism practices to help preserve the destinations.

“With over 7,641 islands in our archipelago, there are still so many left for nature-loving travelers to discover. In our journey towards tourism revival, sustainable and responsible tourism development shall continue to be one of the DOT’s core principles, just like how it has always been in the past few years,” she said.

Last year, Boracay was crowned as the best island in Asia, followed by Cebu and Visayas. Palawan, meanwhile, ranked fourth.