The Philippines, renowned for its award-winning underwater sceneries, attracted diving industry professionals and enthusiasts at the Diving Equipment and Marketing Association (DEMA) Show held at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center in New Orleans, Louisiana, from 14 to 17 November 2023.
Led by the Tourism Promotions Board (TPB) Philippines in collaboration with the Philippine Department of Tourism (PDOT) USA, the country reaffirmed its status as a premier dive destination on the global stage by generating Php306.1M sales, marking a remarkable 60% increase from the turnout of the Philippines’ participation in the DEMA Show 2022 held in Orlando, Florida.
“Recently, we were honored as Asia’s Leading Dive Destination at the World Travel Awards 2023, a title that the Philippines proudly maintained for five consecutive years since 2019. This is no small feat and a big source of national pride for us. Leveraging this achievement, we seize all opportunities to actively promote diving as a key tourism product of the Philippines, with a specific focus on the American market through the DEMA Show,” said TPB Chief Operating Officer Maria Margarita Montemayor Nograles.
“The tremendous increase in leads from last year solidifies our position as a top-tier global dive destination. We warmly invite the world to discover the Philippines, home to some of the world’s best dive sites,” she added.
Leading the delegation is DOT Undersecretary for Tourism Regulation Coordination & Resource Generation Shahlimar Hofer Tamano, with DOT Regional Directors Marites Castro of Region IV-A and Herbie Aguas of Region V, and Philippine Commission on Sports SCUBA Diving Executive Director Marco Angelo Ancheta along with other representatives of the DOT and TPB Philippines. Consul Robert Romero of the Philippine Honorary Consulate – Louisiana also dropped by the booth to express support for the delegation.
Visitors to the Philippines booth immersed themselves in the country’s diverse marine offerings, from the captivating sardine run to exhilarating wreck diving adventures. Strategic B2B networking and insightful presentations take center stage, highlighting recent developments in the Philippine dive industry.
Supported by 16 private sector companies such as renowned dive resorts and operators Atlantis Dive Resorts & Liveaboards, Kokays Maldito Dive Resort, Magic Resorts Philippines, Lalaguna Villas Luxury Dive Resort & Spa, Amun Ini Beach Resort & Spa / Salaya Beach Houses, El Galleon Dive Resort/Asia Divers, Crystal Blue Resort, Atmosphere Resorts & Spa, Discovery Fleet, Seadoors Liveaboard, Aiyanar Beach and Dive Resort, Kasai Village Dive Inc., Scandi Divers, and MY Resolute (Liveaboard), and the country’s flag carrier Philippine Airlines, the Philippines showcased the country’s top dive sites in Batangas, Puerto Galera, Cebu, Bohol, Negros Oriental and Palawan.
For 2023, the Philippines has been named Best Dive Destination by the Dive, Resort and Travel Show in Taiwan and Malaysia, and Asia’s Best Dive Destination by the World Travel Awards.