THE Philippines continues to have bragging rights in tourism, as the country has been recognized as one of Asia’s top travel destinations in the World Travel Awards (WTA) 2024, held in City of Dreams in Parañaque City. 

The annual Asia & Oceania Gala Ceremony bestowed seven prizes on the Philippines, demonstrating the exceptional quality of the country’s tourist attractions. 

Philippines, number 1!   

The Philippines, an archipelagic country in Southeast Asia, is a top destination for island and beach lovers. With over 7,000 islands, it provides an amazing diversity of coastal scenery.

Given the idea at hand, the country was named Asia’s Leading Dive Destination for the sixth year in a row since 2019, along with Asia’s Leading Beach Destination and Island Destination titles. 

Meanwhile, certain destinations in the country were honored and celebrated respectively throughout the festivities, including the historically significant Intramuros, Boracay, and Cebu. 

Intramuros was awarded Asia’s Leading Tourist Attraction, Boracay the Leading Luxury Island Destination, and Cebu the Leading Wedding Destination.

Along with that recognition, the WTA acknowledged the Department of Tourism’s “Love the Philippines” campaign as Asia’s Leading Marketing Campaign.

Fruits of labor

Tourism Secretary Christina Frasco received the Transformational Leader Award in Tourism Governance in honor of the marketing campaign’s effectiveness, as proven by the number of tourists it drew.

“This is extremely important as a vote of confidence from the global travel community. These awards are truly an affirmation of the Marcos administration’s drive for tourism transformation and a tourism powerhouse,” said Frasco. 

In 2023, the Philippines won several WTA awards. This includes the first-ever Global Tourism Resilience Award, which the country received alongside four other countries. 

These awards would have a significant impact on the country’s tourism standing, as the WTA is regarded as the travel industry’s Oscars. This was also the first time that the country hosted the prestigious event. 

Meanwhile, the regional winners will advance to the Grand Final in Portugal at the end of the year, where the winners of the prestigious World categories will be announced.