Philippine Department of Tourism (DOT) Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco announced the remarkable feat on Wednesday (Sept. 6), following the WTA Asia & Oceania Gala Ceremony 2023 that took place at the GEM Center in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.

“The Philippines’ fifth consecutive win as Asia’s Leading Dive Destination further affirms the unparalleled beauty and megabiodiversity of our country loved by divers and tourists all over the world,” enthused Secretary Frasco, who is a dive advocate and certified diver herself.

The tourism chief added that “this is a testament to the Philippines’ commitment to sustainable tourism development and our strengthened collaboration with tourism stakeholders. From our ridges to our reefs, you will never run out of reasons to Love the Philippines!”

Elevating the Dive Tourism Portfolio

Under President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr.’s administration, Secretary Frasco, who is a certified diver, has been leading the DOT in elevating the country’s dive tourism industry.

The DOT created the first-ever Dive Committee that will align its dive product development and promotion thrusts with its attached agencies, the Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority (TIEZA), the Tourism Promotions Board (TPB) Philippines, and the Philippine Commission for Sports Scuba Diving (PCSSD).

The DOT will likewise convene the country’s national dive stakeholders in the first-ever Philippine Dive Dialogue in Cebu next week to consolidate all the efforts of the national government, local governments, and private sector partners.

Moreover, the DOT, through its infrastructure arm, TIEZA, eyes the installation of additional hyperbaric chambers that will improve scuba diving safety standards in strategic dive locations, such as Dumaguete and Daanbantayan in Cebu, by 2024.

The agency has also launched its own dive expo brand, the Philippine International Dive Expo (PHIDEX), the world’s only dive show that combines a dive travel exchange, a business-to-business (B2B) meeting program, dive conferences and seminars, exhibition booths, and familiarization tours to key and emerging Philippine dive destinations. The fourth edition of PHIDEX is scheduled for February next year.

The Department continuously hosts regional dive-centric events, including the DOT Office of Product and Market Development – Dive Team’s Anilao Underwater Shootout in Batangas, the DIVE7 Festival series by the DOT Region VII office, the Davao Dive Expo by the DOT Region XI office, and the NorthMin Dive by the DOT Region X office — which opened yesterday (Sept. 6) — among others. The Department also extended its support to a multitude of diving initiatives, assessments, and expeditions, including the Cebu Travel Catalogue, the Bohol Loop Dive Expo (BHOLDEX), the 3rd MisOr Dive Festival, Samal Island Dive Seafari, Bay Deep Mati Freediving Festival, and numerous others.

Source: https://beta.tourism.gov.ph/