The Philippines has been hailed the World’s Leading Dive Destination and the World’s Leading Beach Destination for 2022 at the 29th World Travel Awards Grand Final Gala Ceremony held in Muscat, Oman, recently.

“These global victories for the Philippines evince the unparalleled beauty of our country and the distinct warmth of the Filipino people. We sincerely thank the World Travel Awards and everyone from all over the world whose vote of confidence is timely as the Philippines fully opens its arms to welcome tourists to our shores,” said Tourism Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco.

“Under the vision of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., among the Department of Tourism’s objectives are to further enhance the development and promotion of key destinations and to equalize development by supporting lesser-known areas across our regions. These Awards are a source of inspiration for us in the Department of Tourism to work even harder as the Marcos administration ushers in the resurgence of the tourism industry as a major pillar of economic growth and source of livelihood for millions of Filipinos. As we anticipate the influx of more tourists, we shall continue the work to improve the overall tourist experience in the Philippines, and herald the best of the Filipino brand to the world,” the tourism chief added.

The Philippine dive portfolio continues its four-year winning streak for the World’s Leading Dive Destination title as it lorded over the world’s finest diving destinations, including the Great Barrier Reef in Australia, the Cayman Islands, Maldives, Fiji, Mexico, Azores Islands, French Polynesia, Galapagos Islands, St. Kitts, and Belize.

As the World’s Leading Beach Destination, the Philippines also bested other beaches around the world, including previous awardees such as Maldives, The Algarve in Portugal, Jamaica, Galapagos Islands in Equador, and Turks and Caicos Islands.

Meanwhile, three partner tourism establishments also shared the World Travel Awards distinction: Amanpulo, as the World’s Leading Dive Resort 2022; City of Dreams Manila, as the World’s Leading Casino Resort 2022; and Ascott Bonifacio Global City Manila, as the World’s Leading Serviced Apartments 2022.

The DOT was also nominated as the World’s Leading Tourist Board this year, as well as Siargao as the World’s Leading Island Destination and Intramuros as the World’s Leading Tourist Attraction.

The 29th World Travel Awards gathered the best of the travel and hospitality industries from its regional awardees across Asia, the Caribbean, Central America, Europe, the Indian Ocean, the Middle East, North America, Oceania, and South America. (PNA)