FOR the second time, the Philippines was awarded the World’s Leading Dive Destination while Intramuros was recognized as the World’s Leading Tourist Attraction in 2020.
“We are incredibly grateful for the recognitions given to the Philippines’ magnificent dive sites and the beautifully-restored heritage site of Intramuros at the 27th World Travel Awards. We will continue to promote sustainable, inclusive, and world-class tourism, especially now as we slowly reopen our attractions to more domestic tourists,” said Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat.
The Philippines bested eight different dive destinations such as Azores Islands, Bora Bora, French Polynesia, Cayman Islands, Fiji, Galapagos Islands, Great Barrier Reef, Australia, Maldives, and Mexico.
Meanwhile, it is Intramuros’s first time to win World’s Leading Tourist Attraction, beating fifteen different attractions such as Acropolis of Greece, Burj Khalifa of Dubai, the Grand Canyon National Park of USA, Mount Kilimanjaro of Tanzania, and Taj Mahal of India, among others.
DOT has also recognized dive tourism as one of the key areas for positive industry growth, including increased visitor count, extended length of stay, and higher tourism revenue.
The Philippines is home to the highest concentration of coral reef life and a variety of marine species in its world-renowned dive sites such as the Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park in Palawan, Apo Reef Natural Park in Mindoro, and Apo Island in Dumaguete, among others.
Batangas recently reopened its dive sites establishments in Anilao for Recreational Diving, subject to a negative COVID test result before travel and other minimum health and safety standards.
In Manila, on the other hand, Intramuros Administration (IA) restores the walled city with extensive renovations such as bright capiz lamps installed in monuments and trees, colorful murals, and new sites, such as the dungeon and cleaned-up and fortified military structures, as a tribute to the country’s historic Hispanic period. Through its programs, IA ensures Intramuros remains an iconic tourism site that honors the Philippines’ glorious past.
Founded in 1993, the World Travel Awards has been recognizing brands and organizations worldwide from the travel, tourism, and hospitality industries through its annual Grand Tour, a series of six regional gala ceremonies held in each continent. Each year is capped off with a Grand Final Gala.
