Baltrum

How did Boracay Island in the Philippines became so famous to both local and foreign tourists?

I mean, how did Boracay community progressed by itself when it was just a virgin island before? and how did it sustain itself towards being a famous getaway?

Public Comments

1. When something naturally beautiful has been "discovered" word about it spreads like wild fire which hastens its development. Filipinos are enterprising businessmen and can easily smell a good opportunity when they see one. They saw that Boracay can bring in the tourists so they were quick to put up the businesses (hotels, eateries, etc.) that would entice people (locals & foreign visitors) to flock to the place. The rest, as they say, is history.
2. Because local and foreign investor, establish different type of businesses in Boracay. Europeans like Germans got the number of foreigners who had resorts and other businesses in Boracay. They had a good market all over Europe. For local tourists, Boracay is attractive and affordable. And its a big story to tell after your vacation from a world class beach resort.
3. very nice place.. also a lot of investor make it real to the whole world.
4. After it was shown on Leonardo De Caprio's movie ( The Beach) a lot of foreign people got interested to go to this magnificent place, and then businessman took advantage of the situation now the local community is on the ghetto.
5. Boracay Island was a virgin island, but it wasn't uninhabited. There were a lot of people living there already, and some rich people from the cities own vacation houses there. They would rent or lend these to other people and soon the word was out about the great beaches. The resorts on the famous white beach and other private and public beaches were more recent developments. Even so, the beauty of the place is undeniable and tourists where already visiting the place way before the "advancements". Resorts and hotels from local and foreign owners sprouted everywhere in the recent years, adding to the popularity of the place. The funny thing is, before, it was mostly rich and foreign tourists who went there, as the air fare is expensive. But starting last year (or was it the year before?), the domestic air fares dropped and the RORO (roll-on-roll-off) transportation allowed more local budget-conscious people to visit Boracay and other islands in the country. I've been to other beaches, but Boracay is the best in terms of the water, the sun, the sand, the night life, shopping, accomodation, food and relaxation choices. It has everything for everybody, the party seeker, the hermit, the budget-conscious to the more affluent types. This is why Boracay is thriving until now and is one of the ultimate summer spots in the country, even during off-peak seasons!
6. In the 1970's, Boracay was only known to the well-off locals of Aklan. During the Martial Law traveling to foreign destinations was discouraged, and even banned that's why more people fled to numerous travel destinations within the country. That's when news about Boracay started spreading among the people of Aklan and it reached their networks from different parts of the Philippines. And of course, why wouldn't it be known as a great getaway? The fine white sand and clear water, together with other marine resources are better than other places in the country. (Im not saying that it's the best! Palawan's still number one in my book!) The government made numerous attempts to preserve it as is. They set up councils so that, if ever there were to be developments in the island, the growth will still be sustainable. They had laws that prohibited the construction of concrete infrastructures but then the attempts of the councils were futile. Infrastructures started sprouting all around.Of course, the oligarchs of Aklan knew it would be profitable to invest there so they,together with non-Aklanons, put up resorts, etc. Nowadays, it's super cheap to go to Boracay already. It's really accessible now because of the Ro-Ro and also through budget airlines. This is a reason why the tourism industry in the area is booming! However, Boracay's actually developing too rapidly and it's progress is still a controversial issue. That is why the government and other oprganizations are fighting for the sustainable development of the island. The dilemma here is ensuring that profit-making is not the only fixation of the sectors involved. Also, I think if we want to preserve it, we should all play our part as responsible tourists, by not littering (don't throw beer bottles in the water), etc.