Boracay's Evolving Tide: How Local Tourism Is Reshaping The Lind's Story

Boracay Island, located off the coast of Aklan in Western Visayas, is one of the world's top beach destinations. Ask any tourist, whether a foreigner or a balikbayan, on what spot they're looking forward to visiting in the Philippines, and chances are that they mention Boracay and its white-sand beaches. This has always been true since the '70s and '80s, when the island saw an influx of tourism. But recent trends, especially post-pandemic, are changing. At the forefront of this shift is The Lind Boracay, a luxury resort at Station 1 that has not only adapted but thrived amid the evolving dynamic that now leans toward local tourism.

"Prior to the pandemic, we had lots of Chinese guests, Korean guests, Filipino guests, and international guests. We were quite popular amongst international guests, more than Filipino guests," The Lind Boracay General Manager Zsolt Siket tells us over lunch during a press visit in May.

The Lind Boracay at Station 1

"The pandemic was extremely challenging, but it had one positive outcome. In 2022, for Filipino travelers, it was not that easy to go abroad. [There were] lots of restrictions, tests, and it was a lot of hassle. So they come to Boracay once, twice, they stay at their usual spots, and then after [their stay], they're like, 'We heard about The Lind, let's try that.' Which they did. And luckily, it became their new favorite spot. Since then, our number one partner now are Filipino guests, which—as a Filipino brand—we are particularly proud of and very happy about."

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The Lind Boracay's infinity pool

Tourist Arrivals in Boracay

In 2024, Boracay welcomed 2,077,977 tourists, which is two percent lower than the 2,120,419 arrivals in 2023. Numbers for foreign (412,803) and domestic arrivals (1.641 million) and overseas Filipinos (24,096) dwindled as well, versus 2023 data when there were 422,201 foreigners, 1.659 million locals, and 39,196 overseas Filipinos.

Among the foreign arrivals, the most notable decline in numbers came from the ASEAN (20 percent), the Middle East (12 percent), and East Asia (nine percent). Specific countries within the East Asian region, however, saw an increase in visitors: 12 percent for China, 16.96 percent for Japan, and 22.94 percent for Taiwan.

Other regions are seeing a different story. Arrivals from South Asia increased by 6.44 percent, North America by 10.11 percent, and South America by 24.18 percent.

Given this change in demographics, The Lind Boracay still had one of its strongest years in the industry since it opened in 2015, said Siket.

"Boracay has its own strange rhythm depending on the travel agents, options on the island, time of the year, and their special interests. It has a little bit of shifting dynamics in it," he adds. In the last six months, according to him, there's a noticeable increase in interest among Swiss guests, which they didn't have a lot of before. Most of them are FITs (Fully Independent Travelers), who just got wind of Boracay without the assistance of travel agencies.

"We have many international guests, we are still very popular with Australia and Europe. The Middle East is picking up because there are now better flights; it all depends a little bit on the flights. We would love to have more Korean guests, but we noticed that they [are now exploring] other places in the Philippines."

But the GM, feeling proud about the property he runs, said: "But none of these places have this view to offer," pointing to the white-sand beach that leads to crystal-clear waters just outside the all-day dining restaurant, Crust.

The Vibe and the View at The Lind Boracay

And Siket was right. The Lind Boracay's location along White Beach is like no other. It sits right next to the cliffside walkway (Lambros Point) that leads to Diniwid Beach, giving guests not only direct access to a stunning sunset view (with the famous Mushroom Rock to frame your photo) but also the privacy that resorts at Stations 2 and 3 can't offer. One morning, I walked the 1.5-kilometer stretch from The Lind Boracay to D'Mall, and it's easy to see the quick buildup of the crowd from Station 1 to Station 2.

Mushroom Rock, walk further for Diniwid Beach

While plenty of resorts had to remove their lounge chairs when the 25-meter plus 5-meter beach easement rule was implemented after the 2018 Boracay closure, The Lind Boracay did not have to change a thing in their beachfront area, except maybe sprucing it up a bit to keep up with the times—including recreational beachfront activities, like cornhole and tic-tac-toe.

"Our building, 10 years ago when we built it, we pulled it a little bit back," explains Siket about the side of The Lind Boracay that houses the Beach Rooms above Crust. The Beach Room, obviously, boasts coastal views from its balcony.

The Beach Room has a bathtub, a king-sized bed, and a balcony with a view of the beach.

"So, we [already] had this beachfront, which is amazing because throughout your stay, you will see how this transitions as well. We could do a cocktail party, a wedding, we could do a dinner. We are extremely lucky with that because it's technically our land. We don't need to make a special permit, so we can play around with it. We have nice evening lights, sometimes a mixed night, barbecue night, or evening Asian night," the GM adds.

Only half of the private beachfront is used for events, with the other half open for guests who still want to lounge around or play a game or two of cornhole.

One could say that the beachfront property was able to future-proof itself for the unexpected rehabilitation. And now, it is exactly this private area of lounge chairs, umbrellas, and even a volleyball net that has become its claim-to-fame. This foresight extends beyond the property line; it's also evident in The Lind Boracay's commitment to maintaining its modern design and facilities, which I didn't expect to be actually a decade old already.

"What we are proud of is the maintenance. Basically, the engineering team [keeps] a continuous and ongoing preventive maintenance list. Every single room goes through preventive maintenance every year. Of course, [we have] the sun, sand, the sea, the wind—so that's kind of like a never-ending job. We are literally, every year, repainting, refixing. All these must happen in order to keep it like this."

This is best appreciated when standing in the middle of the property, which has the three swimming pools: a lap pool right beside Crust, another pool with a hot tub, and a children's pool.

The Garden Rooms face the...well, the garden.

On one side, you have the Crust, the Beach Rooms, and the infinity pool on top. Notice the birdcage-like staircase that also leads to the roof deck.

Tartine Restaurant, which serves international dishes, is located near the beach-level pools.

Surrounding it are the rooms named after the view they offer: Garden Room and Garden Premier for a view of the garden; Garden Room With Pool and Garden Premier With Pool, which obviously comes with a small splash pool; and Sea Premier and Sea Premier With Pool, which are located in the topmost floors, offering an obstructed view of the sea.

Garden Premier With Pool

Sea Room

The Lind's Presidential Suite, the resort's most expensive room, has a bedroom, dining and living areas, and a balcony with a day couch, sunbeds, and a 14-square-meter dipping pool.

Presidential Suite

The buildings seem to form an irregular four-sided shape, which feels like a labyrinth when walking through from one side to another. But get the lay of the land, find that staircase that leads to the roof (hint: it's just above The Spa), and be rewarded with a view of the iconic infinity pool and the famous Boracay sunset in the background. 

"I hope that [they] will see it's a travel worth to make," Siket says, referring to the Manila-Caticlan-Boracay transit that foreign and domestic tourists had to go through to reach the island. And they should. Because, while Boracay can be a bit overrated, it's still a trip worth making.