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| (Image Source: ABS-CBN News/Department Of Tourism) |
The Philippines has been hailed for the second time as the World's Leading Dive Destination in 2020 at the 27th World Travel Awards beating eight other different diving spots across the globe including Australia, Fiji, Mexico, Maldives, French Polynesia and even the Great Barrier Reef. Meanwhile, Intramuros is also honored by the said award-giving body as the World's Leading Tourist Attraction in 2020 beating the likes of Acropolis in Greece, the Taj Mahal in India, the Grand Canyon National Park in the USA and twelve other attractions.
The Department of Tourism (DOT) has recognized dive tourism as one of the key areas for positive growth in the tourism industry which also includes increased visitor count, extended length of stay and higher tourism revenue. The Philippines is home to the highest concentration of coral reef life and a variety of marine species in its world-renouned sites such as the Tubbataha Reef Natural Park in Palawan, Apo Reef Natural Park in Mindoro and Apo Island in Dumaguete among others. The provincial government of Batangas recently opened the doors of Anilao dive sites for recreational diving given that tourists should require to submit a negative COVID-19 test before travel and follow minimum health and safety protocols.
On the other hand, the Intramuros Administration (IA) staged efforts to restore the walled city with extensive renovations such as bright capiz lamps installed in monuments and trees, colorful murals and new attractions such as the dungeon and cleaned-up and fortified military structures as a tribute to the country's historic Hispanic period. Through its programs, IA ensures that Intramuros will remain an iconic tourism site that honors the Philippines' glorious past. "We are incredibly grateful for the recognitions given to the Philippines' magnificent dive sites and the beautifully-restored heritage site at the 27th World Travel Awards. We will continue to promote sustainable, inclusive and world-class tourism especially now as we slowly reopen our attractions to more domestic tourists," said DOT Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat.
Prior to these achievements, the Philippines was hailed as Asia's Leading Travel and Dive Destination in 2020 while the Department of Tourism (DOT) was hailed as Asia's Leading Tourism Board in the said year. Founded in 1993, the World Travel Awards has been recognizing brands and organizations worldwide from the travel, tourism and hospitality industries through its annual Grand Tour, a series of six regional gala ceremonies held in each continent. Each year is capped off with a Grand Final Gala.
