Philippines awarded 'Top Diving Destination' in Beijing
The Philippines has been named the "Best Diving Destination" at the Diving Resort Travel Show (DRT) in Beijing 2024.
The country also received the "Best Tourism Promotion Partnership" award at the event, which took place in August, according to the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA).
The Philippines' participation in the expo was led by the Office of the Philippine Department of Tourism in Beijing (PDOT-Beijing).
The event focused on boosting the diving industry in the Asia Pacific region and promoting marine conservation.
Philippine Ambassador to China Jaime FlorCruz highlighted that dive tourism contributed over P73 billion ($1.29 billion) to the Philippine economy in 2023, doubling the revenue from 2022.
“With this, we are determined to project the Philippines as the ‘World’s Premier Dive Destination’,” FlorCruz was quoted.
The DFA reported that 12 dive shops, resorts, and liveaboards from the Philippines participated in the expo. During the event, Ernesto Teston, Assistant Tourism Attaché of PDOT-Beijing, showcased top Philippine dive destinations, while Sheena Anjeli Botiwey, head of the North Asia Division of the Tourism Promotions Board Philippines, introduced various diving companies to potential Chinese partners.
