The Philippines continues to enjoy recognition as one of the world’s premier diving destinations, this time bagging back-to-back diving accolades at the World Travel Awards (WTA) Grand Final Gala Ceremony held recently in Oman.
Winning WTA’s 2019 World’s Leading Dive Destination award for the first time, the Philippines bested eight other global dive destinations also nominated under the same category, namely the Azores, Bora Bora in French Polynesia, the Cayman Islands, Fiji, Galapagos, the Great Barrier Reef in Australia, the Maldives, and Mexico.
“Dubbed by marine experts and scientists as the heart of marine biodiversity in the world, our country is home to the highest concentration of coral reef life and astounding variety of marine species. This latest recognition is a validation that the Philippines is truly a premier dive destination,” said Philippine Department of Tourism (PDOT) Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat at the event, which was held at the Royal Opera House in Muscat.
Meanwhile, Palawan’s prestigious Amanpulo Resort also emerged victorious as the World’s Leading Dive Resort at the gala event.
Last October, WTA held its gala event for Asia and Oceania in Vietnam, where the Philippines earned its first Asia’s Leading Dive Destination award after multiple nominations since 2006 (as reported by Scuba Diver). Conversely, the PDOT was also recognised as Asia’s Leading Tourism Board for its efforts to increase visitor arrivals for the Philippines in the previous year.
Identifying dive tourism as one of the key product portfolios under the National Tourism Development Plan (NTDP) 2016-2022, the PDOT has hosted a number of dive-centric events, including the Anilao Underwater Shootout photography competition, and the Travel Trade Support through Dive Travel Exchange (TRAVEX) business-to-business (B2B) meetings.
Recently, the PDOT hosted the first Philippine International Dive Expo (PHIDEX) exposition, the only event in the world with the Dive Travel Exchange or business-to-business (B2B) meetings. The exposition gave foreign buyers the opportunity to see and experience first-hand Philippine dive products and knowledge of the country’s dive destinations, and stressed the Philippines’ competitive advantage in the region, not only as a diving destination, but also as a business hub.
“Through the Philippine Commission on Sports Scuba Diving (PCSSD), we also ensure that diving safety and operating standards in the country are at par with the rest of the world,” added Romulo-Puyat.
