Boracay has made it to TIME magazine’s list of “The World’s Greatest Places of 2022: 50 extraordinary places to explore.”

The American news magazine published the list on its website on Tuesday, where it labeled Boracay as a “paradise reborn.” The magazine noted how the famous tourist destination had undergone closure to make way for rehabilitation after it’s been dramatically affected by over-tourism.

“The once brilliant white sand and clear waters of Boracay Island were choking on the trash and traffic that comes from 2 million annual visitors. It reached a nadir in 2018 when Duterte closed down all tourism on the island for six months—an emergency Band-Aid for decades of ecological abuse,” Charlie Campbell of TIME wrote in its feature article.

While the pandemic halted domestic tourism in Boracay, it did, however, give the island time to recover as the people allowed were the locals alone until its reopening last February 2022.

“As of February 2022, international visitors can finally revel in this revamped, recuperated, natural playground after what was effectively a three-year convalescence. Locals report the return of flora and fauna, like sea turtles, and hospitality has come back just as spectacularly,” the magazine reported.

Boracay Island, found in Aklan, is one of the top tourist destinations famous for its white sand beaches, clear waters, and night parties.

Some places that made it to the list are the city of Seoul in South Korea, the Great Barrier Reef of Australia, Doha in Qatar, the Arctic, the Trans Bhutan Trail of Bhutan, and Bali in Indonesia.

All 50 spots that entered the list were based on solicited nominations from the international network of correspondents and contributors. The compiled list aims to provide a good recommendation of top spots to visit for people planning to go on travel again after the pandemic halted their plans.

“With much of the global population now vaccinated against COVID-19, world travelers are again hitting the road—and the skies. The hospitality industry is reopening and excited to safely welcome them and revitalize local communities,” TIME wrote.

Meanwhile, the Department of Tourism lauds the inclusion of Boracay on the list created by TIME Magazine.

”The DOT affirms its pride and honor as Boracay Island once again proved its allure as a tourist haven. Such recognition will surely help us attain our goal of regaining our position in the global market,” Tourism Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco said in a statement on the organization’s official website.

The DOT secretary also promised that they would exert more effort to put into the limelight other places of interest in the country that haven’t received that much focus in the past.

Source: https://time.com/collection/worlds-greatest-places-2022/6194604/boracay-philippines/, https://time.com/collection/worlds-greatest-places-2022/, https://beta.tourism.gov.ph/news_and_updates/dot-lauds-boracays-inclusion-in-times-50-worlds-greatest-places-of-2022/