Tourism Secretary Wanda Corazon Tulfo-Teo on Thursday said she was thrilled over the inclusion of Great Sta. Cruz Island, also called Isla de Sta. Cruz, in Zamboanga City in the “21 Best Beaches in the World” list by international publication National Geographic.
“We are so proud about this citation and happy about its very timely announcement, which comes right after our visit there in December, when I had pushed for the island’s immediate improvement and development as an ecotourism destination,” Teo said.
The Great Sta. Cruz Island used to be under the supervision of the Philippine Tourism Authority, the Department of Tourism’s infrastructure arm. PTA is now called the Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority.
In 2011, the island was turned over to Zamboanga’s local government under the City Tourism Office’s Protected Management Unit.
Teo has instructed DoT Region 9 Director Antonio Blanco to coordinate with TIEZA to assist Zamboanga in upgrading the island’s facilities, building additional cottages, and offering more nature-based recreational activities.
“The planned development will highlight its conservation and preservation, it being a protected area. Nonetheless, the outcome should enable locals and foreign visitors alike to enjoy the island’s beauty, but still strictly maintaining it as a day destination. We would like to attract genuine ecotourists as they take responsible, ethical and sustainable tourism to heart,” Teo said.
On its website, National Geographic was quoted as saying: “Hardly lacking in gorgeous beaches, the Philippines claims a pink-sand variety, too. The blush color comes from billions of pieces of crushed red organ-pipe coral, seen in every handful of sand. The number of visitors to the island is regulated, and advance arrangements should be made through the tourist office in Zamboanga.”
The other beaches cited in the “NatGeo” list are: Playa del Amor in Marietas Islands in Mexico; Cathedrals Beach in Ribadeo, Spain; Anse Source d’Argent in La Digue, Seychelles; One Foot Island in Aitutaki, Cook Islands; Sunset Beach in Brunswick Islands, North Carolina; Lazy Beach in Koh Rong Island, Cambodia; Bowman’s Beach in Sanibel Island, Florida;
Shell Beach in Shark Bay, Western Australia; Lyme Regis in England; Cannon Beach in Oregon; Carmel City Beach in Carmel-by-the-Sea, California; Noordwjk Beach in The Netherlands; Papakolea Beach in Hawaii; Reynisfjara Beach in Iceland; Pelican Beach in South Water Caye, Belize; Blue Bay in Mauritius; Cas Abao Beach in Curacao; Sleeping Bear Point in Sleeping Bear Dunes, Michigan; Piscinas Beach in Arbus, Sardinia; and Corniche Beach in La Teste-De-Buch, France.
The Philippines was also part of NatGeo’s List of Top Destinations for 2016.