The Philippines as premier diving destination

The Philippines, through the Department of Tourism and the Tourism Promotions Board, is positioning the country as a premier dive destination at the Diving Equipment and Marketing Association Show 2022 recently held, at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Florida.

The annual DEMA Show is the largest trade-only event in the world for companies in scuba diving, ocean water sports and adventure travel that attracts hundreds of visitors, including industry professionals.

Augmenting the delegation were representatives from DoT in Calabarzon, Central Visayas, Eastern Visayas and Davao, TPB Philippines, and the Philippine Commission on Sports Scuba Diving together with dive resorts and operators such as the Crystal Blue Resort, Magic Resorts Philippines, Discovery Fleet, Kasai Village Dive Resort, Scandi Divers, El Galleon Resort/Asia Divers, Buceo Anilao Beach and Dive Resort, Atmosphere Resort and Spa, Amun Ini Beach Resort and Spa, Salaya Beach Houses, Atlantis Dive Resort and Liveaboard, Arkipelago Divers and Beach Resort, Reef Haven Scuba Diving School, Sea Explorers Philippines, Marco Vincent Dive Resort and Club Aquasports Dive Center.

The PCSSD, an attached agency of the DoT in charge of marine sports, has recently appropriated a budget of P9.53 million for the first time by the national government for a more intensified dive tourism promotion and development.

The Philippine booth at the DEMA Show highlighted the country's best dive sites in Batangas, Cebu, Bohol, and Palawan and featured activities such as the sardine run, reef wall snorkeling, dolphin watching, and wreck diving, among others.

On top of the business meetings and networking sessions, the Philippine booth also catered to extensive educational opportunities through the conduct of country presentations and information dissemination about the recent developments in the Philippine dive industry.

Moreover, TPB chief operating officer Maria Margarita Montemayor Nograles added that the Philippines' participation in DEMA Show will help sustain the country's presence in the international tourism scene, particularly in North America, as this is the country's most significant source of tourists pre-pandemic. This is also in consideration that with the opening of international borders, it is expected that 30 percent of Americans will take more leisure trips until the end of the year.

"We have been participating in this event since 2015. However, due to the pandemic, we were not able to maximize the marketing and business opportunities for the past two years. Now is the time to reinforce the country's recognition as one of the world's best dive destinations and to tap US markets to re-explore the Philippines for underwater adventures. We are surely back in the game," she said.

Recently, the Philippines was recognized as Asia's Leading Dive Destination at the World Travel Awards 2022 held in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, holding the said title for four straight years since 2019, edging out Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand, providing an opportune time to aggressively promote diving as one of the country's strongest tourism offerings.