Philippines named Most Desirable Island Country at 2026 Wanderlust awards
The country took Gold in the reader-voted awards of the United Kingdom's longest-running travel magazine, with Palawan also climbing in the worldwide island rankings.
The Philippines has won Gold for Most Desirable Island Country at the 2026 Wanderlust Reader Travel Awards in London, according to Mindanao Times. Winners are chosen by public vote, and this year more than 251,000 readers cast over 8.2 million votes.
The country finished ahead of Barbados, which took Silver, and The Bahamas, which received Bronze. Ireland, Malta, the Maldives, Iceland, Fiji, Indonesia and Jamaica completed the top 10. The Philippines, Japan and Thailand were the only Asian countries to win Gold in any category.
Palawan also rose to fifth place in the Most Desirable Island (Worldwide) category, up from seventh in 2025.
Tourism Promotions Board (TPB) Philippines chief operating officer Maria Margarita Montemayor Nograles accepted the award on Nov. 4, 2026. She was joined by Department of Tourism London tourism attaché Jerome Diaz and TPB staff. The ceremony was held at the Painted Hall of the Old Royal Naval College in Greenwich, and Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, was among those in attendance.
Nograles said the award was especially meaningful because it came "directly from travelers themselves." She added that the TPB and the Department of Tourism would keep promoting the country while creating opportunities for local communities.
At the ceremony, Wanderlust chief executive officer George Kipouros urged the industry to judge tourism by more than arrivals and revenue. "How much value is being derived to locals and local communities?" he asked. He also raised environmental protection and the preservation of destinations for future generations.
The awards coincided with World Travel Market London 2026, held Nov. 3 to 5 at ExCeL London. A Philippine delegation of 28 tourism exhibitors took part, including destination management companies, tour operators, hotels and resorts. According to the report, the reader-voted award is expected to support the country's promotion efforts in the United Kingdom and other European markets.
Wanderlust was founded in 1993, and its Reader Travel Awards are marking their 25th anniversary this year.
This article was written by the DavaoNews desk with AI assistance, using reporting by Mindanao Times. Facts come from the original report, which we credit and link below. Our editorial policy
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