With its rich marine life, vibrant coral reefs, and continued commitment to conserving and promoting its aquatic ecosystems, the Philippines was hailed as the Best Dive Destination in Asia Pacific at the Travel Weekly Asia (TWA) Readers’ Choice Awards held last 03 October 2023 at Conrad Centennial, Singapore.
Hosted by Northstar Travel Group, the awards ceremony annually recognizes hotels, resorts, airlines, destinations, cruise lines, and travel agencies through an online poll of Travel Weekly readers, as well as industry professionals. The finalists and winners are then featured in different Travel Weekly Asia issues where readers can explore more about each destination’s unique sceneries and experiences.
“We extend our heartfelt gratitude to Travel Weekly Asia and its readers for this honor and recognizing the allure of our 7,641 islands. This accolade underscores our commitment to preserving and showcasing the exceptional natural wonders that our country is blessed with, from our wide range of diving destinations that cater to both novice and experienced divers alike, to our equally diverse shorelines and surrounding coral reefs that are home to thousands of marine species,” says Tourism Promotions Board (TPB) Philippines’ COO Maria Margarita Montemayor Nograles.
Present during the awarding ceremony were Ms. Micaela B. Ochoa, TPB Acting Head for ASEAN and the Pacific Division, and Dr. Emmanuel R. Fernandez, Deputy Head of Mission and Consul General based in the Embassy of the Philippines in Singapore who also received the honor on behalf of the Philippines.
Asia Vice President and Group Publisher of Northstar Travel Group, Irene Chua, expressed her thoughts with the awards ceremony’s objective.
“Recognizing the travel industry’s finest is not just about honoring their achievements, but fueling their motivation to continue innovating and driving positive change. By celebrating their contributions, we inspire a collective effort towards making the industry more progressive, exciting and outstanding for all involved.”
With the country’s glorious beauty and rich mega biodiversity, the Philippines has been receiving back-to-back worldwide recognition, including being named World’s Leading Dive Destination as well as Asia’s Leading Dive Destination consistently since 2019 at the World Travel Awards 2023. The country was also recognized as the Best Dive Destination at the Diving and Resort Travel Expo in Malaysia and Taiwan earlier this year.
About the Tourism Promotions Board Philippines
The Tourism Promotions Board (TPB) Philippines is the marketing and promotions arm of the Department of Tourism, whose mandate is to promote the Philippines, domestically and internationally, as a leisure, MICE and investment destination. The agency fulfills its mandate through organizing, participating or supporting tourism consumer or trade events; expanding media partnerships and advertising; continuing content development and distribution programs; creating thematic and strategic consumer activations domestically and abroad; facilitating familiarization tours for buyers, location scouts, and diplomatic corps members; and engaging its TPB membership program.