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Time to go beyond Palawan and Boracay as these destinations in the Philippines are about to have their moment this 2024.
Bohol emerged at the top of "Philippines' New Horizons," a new list of fast-growing tourist spots by Agoda based year-on-year search data from both domestic and international travelers. The province in Central Visayas, known for its Chocolate Hills and pristine beaches, had an impressive 72% increase in searches on the travel platform.
At second place is Siargao, dubbed the Philippines' surfing capital, with a 32% rise in searches. This is followed by Davao -- the country's third largest city -- with 23%, with Iloilo and Cagayan de Oro completing the list.
"While the Philippines' well-loved destinations continue to attract their fair share of travelers, we have seen spikes in searches in lesser known tourist destinations as people expand their horizons and more people are explore these locales," Enric Casals, associate vice president at Agoda, said in a statement.
Agoda noticed something common about the destinations that made the cut: they have multiple attractions and activities for travelers. Bohol, for instance, also has dive spots and rainforests on top of its aforementioned tourist draws. Davao, known as the gateway to Mindanao, offers both greenery and the sea, with many of its attractions accessible by public transport.
"The Philippines New Horizons list opens travelers up to new experiences, as well as to new opportunities to travel sustainably -- with new destinations to explore while at the same time alleviating some pressure on the most popular destinations," said Casals.