BORACAY AS LUXURY DESTINATION

By Gil delos Santos

Recognized as the World's Leading Luxury Island Destination again in 2025, Boracay can take advantage to gain in solidifying its share in the "luxury" market. Marketing efforts must target the niche luxury slow travellers.

Boracay does need Tiktok vloggers in contrast to most people's exaggerated regard for influencers. Here's why:

1) Vloggers are not spenders (in general). They always demand xdeals and sponsorships if not paid.

2) The viewing Tiktok community are mostly validation seeking which the influencers take advantage of in giving affirmations and "pa-inggit" through their contents focused to trigger emotions.

3) The wealthy and the professionals don't have time and interest on Tiktok. They have life standards most people can't afford. They don't seek approval nor validation.

These are the people we want to attract to come to Boracay. They are spenders that don't care about the price tags—people with value and good taste in life.

Not that Boracay is just for everyone.

Making Boracay not easily accessible for the masses and low spenders will elevate its status as truly a leading luxury destination in the world. We don't need too many tourist in Boracay that crowds the beach to catch sunset photo ops than to enjoy nature.

In Palawan, Amanpulo is a private island that can only be reached through chartered flights, yet the business is good, the reputation is good. It only means that there's a market for luxury and slow travellers. We can position Boracay as such after all the recognition as luxury island.

Tiktokers are the cause why budgetarian travellers flock in Boracay. They must understand that contents promoting cheap options only targets budgetarian travellers who just crowd the island. Bigheaded Tiktokers think that their big following entitles them to sound experts on tourism. Big arrival numbers alone does not equally equate competitive revenues.

Boracay needs to rebrand and recreate a new marketing plan and to set a strategic target market in order to synergize all marketing efforts.

Let's make Boracay a Dream Destination — na pinaghahandaan, na pinag iipunan, at pinag gagastusan.

Comments

Understanding Low Foreign Arrival

By Gil delos Santos While the western world now combats against over tourism, the Philippines in other hand struggles to get a good share on foreign arrivals: https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1Q44TeFswV/ The latest Seasia stats report placed the Philippines at the bottom with 3m arrivals from January to August 2025 versus the top: Malaysia and Thailand with over 20m respectively, Vietnam with 13m. Pre-pandemic (in 2019), Thailand records 30m+, Vietnam 18m, The Philippines with 8m. It has always been a struggle for the Philippines. But 2025 is looking the worst so far. We always read reports on statistics but we don't often see the reasons why we're behind—except for the usual complains how bad our Department of Tourism is being run. I have followed the tourist arrival stats and trends in the past years. I research and collect tourist impressions over time. Here's what I found out: FACTORS AFFECTING LOW FOREIGN ARRIVAL 1) 𝗚𝗲𝗼𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗽𝗵𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗜𝘀𝗼𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗶...

Local's Perspective on The Proposed Boracay Bridge

By: Gil delos Santos WHAT HOPE IS LEFT FOR BORACAY? Boracay is its people. Boracay is its community. Boracay is its natural treasures. It's dark how the future of sustainability and community for Boracay look like. Let's be part of the light for hope. THEN As a kid born and raised in Manocmanoc, the Manocmanoc Beach was our everyday playground. Great memories! The sense of ownership that we have for our playgrounds gives us the privilege of entitlement that we feel it is our home. It was a pride each time to warmly welcome visitors to share our space with them. NOW We feel strangers to our old playgrounds. We cannot access them anymore 40 years later. We have not imagined that it wasn't owned by the community. The provincial government installed a cargo port in the Western side of Manocmanoc Beach preventing the natural sand movements and we lost the sandbar that is being formed every habagat season — which we used to call "Recudo". Recudo is gone forever!! We a...

WALKING THE IGBARAS CIRCUIT FOR 3-DAYS + 1

By Gil delos Santos IGBARAS is a third class municipality in the South-western part of Iloilo province known to be one of the hiker's favorite destinations as they are blessed with waterfalls, caves, climbing rocks, beautiful mountain ridges which the popular Mount Napulak belongs to, and locals with notable genuine hospitality. We initiated the hike from Barangay Igcabugao which we had to pass through a community of mountain residents as we ascend to our first Mountain, Napulak. I had absorbed a good load of happy innocent vibe connecting to the children before starting the proper mountain journey. These kids have physically grown from the time I last saw them in my previous visits. At the same time, the reconnection naturally streamed down and effortlessly grown too. That's a good "pabaon" - their innocent smiles and timid but genuine thank you for the little present I have for them. Getting to Mount Napulak once again is a mix of happy and little concer...

The Boracaynon

Search This Blog