September 4, 2024 | 8:15pm
MANILA, Philippines — The Philippines wrapped up its inaugural hosting of the 2024 World Travel Awards (WTA) Asia & Oceania Gala Ceremony on Tuesday, September 3, winning eight titles for Asian categories.
At the 31st edition of the WTA, the Philippines cemented its position as one of Asia’s best tourist destinations after it clinched the following awards:
- Asia’s Leading Beach Destination 2024 – Philippines
- Asia’s Leading Dive Destination 2024 – Philippines (Sixth consecutive year since 2019)
- Asia’s Leading Island Destination 2024 – Philippines
For the fourth time this year, the historic Walled City of Intramuros was also once again named Asia’s Leading Tourist Attraction 2024. It also secured the title in the Asian category in 2016, 2020 and 2022.
One of the tourist destinations of the country, Boracay, was likewise recognized as Asia’s Leading Luxury Island Destination while Cebu was feted as Asia’s Leading Wedding Destination.
Aside from these awards, the tourism campaign launched by the Department of Tourism last year, “Love the Philippines,” was given the Asia’s Leading Marketing Campaign 2024 accolade.
While the Philippines is only vying for seven awards from its nominations, WTA gave Tourism Secretary Christina Frasco a special award called Transformational Leader Award in Tourism Governance for her “outstanding contributions to tourism governance” and “vision, tireless dedication, and the tangible impacts of her initiatives have set a new benchmark in tourism leadership, not just in the Philippines but across Asia and Oceania.”
Frasco said the award was “very unexpected” as it is a discretionary award from the WTA body.
“I’m very grateful for this honor. I, together, with our team at the Department tourism or attached agencies and our private tourism stakeholders have worked day and night to really ensure that the Philippine tourism will recover and that it transcends to its rightful place in Asia and the world,” she told reporters in mixed Filipino and English.
The tourism chief also reacted to the recognition awarded to the controversial tourism campaign “Love the Philippines,” saying that she is grateful for it.
“It is an affirmation that the world and Asia has come to love the Philippines. And that this campaign has opened the eyes of the world to the many nuances of the the Filipino identity and our destinations,” Frasco said.
“Through ‘Love the Philippines,’ we aim to provide meaningful experiences that are personal and profound to the traveler that is able to introduce our country from the lens of culture, our heritage, our festivals, our food arts and many other tourism offerings,” she said.
Other awards
The Philippines’ accolades did not stop from the eight awards won at the WTA as it also has a long list of hospitality properties and tour operators that garnered recognition from the WTA on Tuesday evening.
Among the winning hotels, resorts and travel agencies are the following:
- Asia’s Leading Boutique Beach Resort 2024 – Vivere Azure, Philippines
- Asia’s Leading Business Hotel 2024 – Discovery Primea, Philippines
- Asia’s Leading Casino Resort 2024 – City of Dreams Manila, Philippines
- Asia’s Leading Design Hotel 2024 – Admiral Hotel Manila – MGallery, Philippines
- Asia’s Leading Dive Resort 2024 – Atmosphere Resorts & Spa, Philippines
- Asia’s Leading Hotel Residences 2024 – Raffles Makati, Philippines
- Asia’s Leading Private Island Resort 2024 – Amanpulo, Philippines
- Asia’s Leading Serviced Apartments 2024 – Ascott Makati, Philippines
- Asia’s Leading Sustainable Resort 2024 – El Nido Resorts Apulit Island, Philippines
- Philippines’ Leading Airport Hotel 2024 – Savoy Hotel Manila
- Philippines’ Leading Beach Resort 2024 – Discovery Shores Boracay
- Philippines’ Leading Boutique Hotel 2024 – Raffles Makati
- Philippines’ Leading Boutique Resort 2024 – Anya Resort Tagaytay
- Philippines’ Leading Business Hotel 2024 – bai Hotel Cebu
- Philippines’ Leading Business Hotel Group 2024 – Seda Hotels
- Philippines’ Leading Car Rental Company 2024 – Avis
- Philippines’ Leading City Hotel 2024 – Edsa Shangri-La, Manila
- Philippines’ Leading Conference Hotel 2024 – Conrad Manila
- Philippines’ Leading Destination Management Company 2024 – Travelite Travel & Tours
- Philippines’ Leading Family Resort 2024 – Shangri-La Mactan, Cebu
- Philippines’ Leading Hotel 2024 – The Manila Hotel
- Philippines’ Leading Hotel Group 2024 – Megaworld Hotels & Resorts
- Philippines’ Leading Hotel Suite 2024 – The Peninsula Suite @ The Peninsula Manila
- Philippines’ Leading Lifestyle Hotel 2024 – Swissôtel Clark
- Philippines’ Leading Luxury Hotel Villa 2024 – Presidential Villa @ Shangri-La Boracay
- Philippines’ Leading Private Island Resort 2024 – Cauayan Island Resort
- Philippines’ Leading Resort 2024 – Amanpulo
- Philippines’ Leading Serviced Apartment Brand 2024 – Ascott The Residence
- Philippines’ Leading Serviced Apartments 2024 -Ascott Bonifacio Global City Manila
- Philippines’ Leading Tour Operator 2024 – Filipino Travel Center
- Philippines’ Leading Travel Agency 2024 – Rakso Travel
- Philippines’ Leading Travel Management Company 2024 FCM Travel – Philippines
Frasco considered these recognitions “as a vote of confidence from the global travel community in the Philippines.”
She added that it is an affirmation of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr’.s “drive towards tourism transformation into tourism powerhouse.”
According to the tourism secretary, the current administration’s thrust focuses on providing an enhanced tourism experience by investing in infrastructure and connectivity as well as contributing employment.
Meanwhile, the Philippines hosted the WTA, dubbed the “Oscars” of the travel industry, for the first time with the combined efforts of the DOT and its marketing arm , the Tourism Promotions Board (TPB) Philippines.
The London-based awarding body, established in 1993, recognizes excellence in all sectors of the tourism industry in three ranks, namely the country, regional, and world awards across different categories.
Therefore, the WTA will stage a series of regional ceremonies to celebrate the best in the industry within each key geographical region, covering six continents.
The other regional ceremonies will be held Berlin, Germany; Dubai, United Arab Emirates; Saint Vincent & The Grenadines, and Diani Beach, Kenya. The winners of these regional ceremonies will head to the Grand Final in Madeira, Portugal by the end of 2024 with the World categories winners will be unveiled.
The WTA gala ceremony in Manila marked the fourth leg of WTA’s Grand Tour 2024.