The Philippines was named once again as Asia’s leading beach destination in the 2022 World Travel Awards (WTA) in Vietnam yesterday (7 Sept).
Once again, the Philippines has reclaimed the title of Asia’s leading beach destination. It also won the best dive destination, too. Plus, Intramuros also kept the title of Asia’s leading tourist attraction as one of the best places to visit in Southeast Asia.
Tourism secretary Christina Frasco welcomed the back-to-back wins, saying that it confirms the beauty of the Philippines.
Asia’s leading beach destination – the Philippines takes the win
WTA has awarded the Philippines as the leading beach destination in Asia for the sixth time running. This stunning country bested India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Thailand, and Vietnam.
At the same time, the organisation awarded the Philippines as Asia’s Leading Dive Destination for the fourth year in a row, edging ahead of Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand.
Christina Frasco said, “The Philippines is a beautiful country and you (WTA) having given these awards is such an affirmation to all of our tourism stakeholders and workers who have greatly sacrificed throughout the pandemic.
“We look to the future with hope that through our combined efforts under the Marcos administration that has identified tourism to become a major pillar for economic recovery that not only will we survive the pandemic but we will thrive.”
The Philippine International Dive Expo – confirmed the country’s abilities
Frasco went on to say the dive win, in particular, has cemented the premise of the tourism board of the Philippines in hosting the Philippine International Dive Expo (PHIDEX) 2022.
This is considered to be the country’s biggest platform for networking and promoting the dive industry.
As an added bonus, the Philippine Commission on Sports Scuba Diving has recently taken on a budget of 9.53 million PHP ($167,000) for the first time by the national government to intensify the promotion and development of dive tourism promotion.
The Philippines took home a lot this year – three prestigious awards
Along with the two big dive and beach wins, Intramuros held the title of Asia’s biggest tourist attraction. This destination won over the likes of the Angkor Temples in Cambodia, The Taj Mahal in India, The Great Wall in China, and many more stand-out attractions.
Frasco said the Philippines is ready to take on more tourists while simultaneously continuing to promote the “Filipino brand” of hospitality the country offers.
She said, “We are ready to receive you in the Philippines. We look forward to your visit, and I invite each and every one of you to visit our beaches, our dive sites, and our tourist destinations.”
