Philippine capital city Manila has the distinction of being the only Asian destination to place among the top five international travel searches in a study conducted by Yahoo! Travel. Actually a conglomerate of 11 cities and five municipalities in the Central and Southern Luzon regions of Northern Philippines, Metro Manila is a the cosmopolitan gateway to the 7,107 tropical islands of the country.

Based on the most popular searches entered on Yahoo! FareChase, the top five also includes London, Cancun, Frankfurt and San Juan.

“We are very pleased to receive this recognition,” said Emma Ruth Yulo, Director of the Philippine Department of Tourism in New York. “Findings from annual visitor surveys indicate that the warm, welcoming and kind nature of Filipinos, combined with our upscale, yet reasonably-priced deluxe hotel and beach resort accommodations, beautiful scenery, invigorating climate and good food help the Philippines compete for tourism on a global level.

“Of course, many U.S. travelers specifically cite ‘shopping’ as their number one reason for visiting the Philippines, where the value one is afforded for their dollar is unparalleled,” Yulo added.

Yahoo! Travel Senior Editor Katherine Tom noted that “Manila attracts budget travelers looking for beaches and nightlife.”