PHL tops Q1 Google searches for 'resorts'

The Philippines bested other countries in the world in Google searches related to the keyword “resort," according to the summer-time results of the search engine’s Zeitgeist measurement tool. The Southeast Asian nation also ranked among the Top 10 countries around the globe in searches related to the keywords “vacation," “summer," and “beach," Google said in a statement released Monday by the search engine’s Manila-based publicist, TeamAsia. Zeitgeist measures the most-searched terms on Google.com. The German word means “spirit of the times." The search engine said the Philippines’ rankings came as no surprise “in our tropical country where vacations in beaches or resorts can be pursued all-year round and weekend trips to nearby pools or beaches is the local norm." In searches related to resorts, the Philippines was followed by Fiji, South Africa, India, Singapore, United States, Trinidad and Tobago, Iraq, Canada, and Namibia. The Philippines meanwhile placed sixth on the list of searches related to the keyword “summer," ninth in relation to “vacation," and fifth in relation to “beach." In all categories, the Philippines topped other Asian countries. The Department of Tourism earlier said it wants to "go beyond" the Philippines’ reputation as the go-to place for beaches and resorts. “We want to highlight our cultural and heritage sites as well as health and wellness destinations," Tourism Secretary Alberto Lim said in an interview in January. Coron gains momentum In terms of specific areas in the Philippines, the Google results showed that Coron, Palawan took the top spot as the fastest-growing local destination searched on Google. Featuring pristine white-sand beaches while remaining largely undeveloped compared to Boracay, Coron “is popular for being a great shipwreck dive spot as well as… its therapeutic Maquinit Health Springs." About 275 kilometers north of Manila, the town of Sagada in the Mountain Province followed Coron. The list of fastest-rising local destinations also included Laguna, Pagudpud, Boracay, Bohol, Puerto Princesa, Tagaytay, Camarines Sur and Baguio. “Compared with the 2010 Summer Zeitgeist, which was dominated by beaches, this year’s list shows Filipinos seeking destinations other than sand and sea," according to the Google statement. Fewer ‘beach,’ ‘resorts’ searches Google however noted a drop in the searches for the keywords “beach" and “resorts" in the first quarter of 2011 compared to the same 2011 period. The search engine noted that the Philippines experienced an “unusually hot" summer in 2010, with temperatures hitting 39 degrees Celsius, “prompting Pinoys to seek the water in unusually high numbers." For 2011, on the other hand, state forecasters predict a wet summer. The government targets doubling the number of tourists to the Philippines from over three million in 2010 to six million by 2016. In a recent review, however, a popular travel website ranks the prime gateway to the Philippines – the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) – as the fifth worst airport in the world for 2010. Called “The Guide to Sleeping in Airports," the website also describes NAIA as the worst in Asia. — VS, GMA News