It is time to show some love for the Philippines once again as the country is in the running to win several categories at the prestigious World Travel Awards 2024.

The Philippines aims to win as the World’s Leading Beach Destination 2024, the World’s Leading Dive Destination 2024, and the World’s Leading Island Destination 2024. The country is defending champion as the World’s Leading Beach and Dive Destination, with awards won last year.

Also, popular tourist destinations across the country are among the nominees in various categories.

The historic walled city of Intramuros is nominated as the World’s Leading Tourist Attraction 2024, trying to beat 21 nominees from the United Arab Emirates, Portugal, United States, China, Ireland, Vietnam, Peru, Tanzania, Canada, South Africa, India, Japan, Greece, and Australia.

Meanwhile, the Philippines’ capital Manila is defending its title of World’s Leading City Destination for this year, which it won in 2023. It will try to win again over rivals from various cities in Mexico, Colombia, South Africa, Qatar, United Arab Emirates, Vietnam, Hong Kong, United States, Portugal, England, France, Morocco, Australia, Kenya, New Zealand, Ecuador, and Chile.

The world-famous Boracay Island, home to one of the world’s finest powdery white sand, eyes the prize of the World’s Leading Luxury Island 2024. It will compete against Jersey in the United Kingdom, Mustique in St. Vincent and the Grenadines, and The Bahamas.

Cebu, a popular destination for heritage with its centuries-old churches and other structures and a haven of natural wonders, will vie for the World’s Leading Wedding Destination 2024 award alongside Abu Dhabi and Dubai in the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Bali in Indonesia, Barbados, Jamaica, Mauritius, Saint Lucia, and The Bahamas.

Also among the nominees are the Department of Tourism (DOT) as the World’s Leading Tourist Board 2024, and the DOT’s “Love the Philippines” campaign as the World’s Leading Marketing Campaign 2024.

The Department encourages the public to support the Philippines win these awards by logging on to https://www.worldtravelawards.com/vote.

Netizens must create an account to vote for the Philippines in the various categories.

Voting is open until October 20, 2024.

The winners will be declared during the World Travel Awards Grand Final Gala Ceremony 2024 to be held in Madeira, Portugal on November 24, 2024.

During the award-giving body’s Asia and Oceania Gala Ceremony 2024 held in Parañaque City last September 2024, the Philippines won a total of eight awards.

The Philippines clinched the Asia’s Leading Dive Destination, Asia’s Leading Beach Destination, and Asia’s Leading Island Destination awards for 2024.

Also, Intramuros was recognized as Asia’s Leading Tourist Attraction 2024, Boracay as Asia’s Leading Luxury Island Destination 2024, and Cebu as Asia’s Leading Wedding Destination 2024.

In addition, the Love the Philippines campaign bagged Asia’s Leading Marketing Campaign 2024 award, while DOT Secretary Christina Garcia-Frasco was honored with the Transformational Leader Award in Tourism Governance.

The Philippines has won in past editions of the World Travel Award, being Asia’s Leading Beach Destination in 2013, 2016, 2018, 2020, 2022 and 2024, as well as the World’s Leading Beach Destination in 2022 and 2023.

It is also consistently the best destination for diving in Asia from 2019 to 2024, and the best in the world from 2019 to 2023.

The DOT has won as Asia’s Leading Tourist Board in 2019 and 2020.

Secretary Frasco expressed gratitude to the World Travel Awards – one of the most esteemed award programs in the travel industry that recognizes excellence across all key sectors of the travel, tourism and hospitality sectors since 1993 – for recognizing the “breathtaking beauty and rich culture” of the Philippines.

She hopes the winning streak of the country at the World Travel Awards will continue this year.

“The Philippines' unique attributes are a constant source of pride to every Filipino. I encourage everyone-—both here and abroad—to cast their votes and help us reveal to the world the many things there are to Love the Philippines,” she said.

With a brand new set of nominations for the World Travel Awards 2024, Secretary Frasco encouraged travelers, local and foreign alike, to visit the Philippines as it “can’t wait to welcome travelers from around the world to discover more of what there is to love in our country’s diverse regions.” 

The Department of Tourism (DOT) presents its first podcast, “Escape: Stories from the Road,” showcasing the best destinations in the Philippines through stories from different personalities.

Escape: Stories from the Road

This five-episode podumentary, a combination of podcast and documentary, infuses an element of storytelling, veering away from the usual question-and-answer formats of podcasts. Through these stories, the DOT hopes to reach out to various audience and inspire them to participate in meaningful tourism through unique experiences and local interactions.

One of the special guests, National Artist Kidlat Tahimik, shared stories about Baguio—his home and a UNESCO Creative City. Photo courtesy of Kidlat De Guia.

Each episode follows a theme, such as adventure, identity, fiestas, music and food. Among the notable individuals interviewed for this podcast are National Artist Kidlat Tahimik; Dr. Felicidad Prudente, who is one of the leading Filipino ethnomusicologists in the country today; and former Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat.

Paragliding adventure in Nueva Vizcaya. Photo courtesy of the Department of Tourism.

The first episode on adventure features some of the best outdoor experiences in Nueva Vizcaya, Kalinga, and Camotes Island; while the identity episode brings audience from Baguio to Davao to share stories of people who, in finding the path to gain their identity, found the path to greatness.

The episode on music explores the sounds of the islands, from the city to the remote forests of the Philippines, emphasizing that music not only serves to entertain but to preserve history in our soundscape. The fiesta episode discusses how Filipino festivals have evolved from honoring patron saints to highlighting the best of the towns and provinces.

For the food episode that was recorded in May, then Tourism Secretary Puyat shared her advocacy in supporting local farmers and how this led to further developing food and farm tourism in the country.

DOT’s “Escape: Stories from the Road” podcast is hosted by travel filmmaker and photographer Aaron Palabyab along with guest co-hosts, national athlete Maureen Schrijvers; designer, musician, and filmmaker Kate Torralba; and sports broadcaster and podcaster Cesca Litton. Available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Castro, Overcast, and Anchor.

The People Make the Destination. Courtesy of Department of Tourism - Philippines

 

This is the question—and the challenge—the Philippines Department of Tourism poses in their latest campaign, which is fast becoming the DOT’s most-watched video on its Tiktok account.

 

Without the actors and the typical sweeping scenery audiences have come to expect from tourism spots, this ad focuses on what’s truly important: the people.

 

“What makes it more fun in the Philippines are the people, the manongs, the bangkeros, the waiters and the tourist guides, and we wanted to highlight them,” says director Joel Limchoc. “I really didn’t want another drone shot.”

 

The direction of this campaign reflects the people-centered recovery initiatives that former DOT Secretary Berna Romulo-Puyat has implemented in response to the needs of a battered sector, one that employed 13.5 percent of the national workforce before the pandemic. “The soul of the tourism industry lies with the people we serve and whose lives we aim to uplift through tourism,” said Puyat.

 

The resulting production is a collaboration between different artistic disciplines that showcases the diversity of local talent. With an original and unique score by electronic duo Rubber Inc, complex dance choreography involving 50 dancers led by Madge Reyes, and detailed airbrushed paintings by street art groups Pilipinas Street Plan and Gerilya, “People” is one of the most conceptual Philippine tourism commercials to be shot inside a studio.

 

The ad also eschews the use of a pop song, which has been a notable element of previous DOT ads. “Most of it is ‘found sound’ which we previously recorded on our trips around the Philippines filming the ASMR videos,” says Noel de Brackinghe of Rubber Inc, who produced the score. The sound of waterfalls, crashing waves, footsteps over a forest floor, and vehicular traffic were layered with the T’boli instrument hegelung and vocals from Carol Bello of Pinikpikan to create a catchy song composed primarily of sonic material captured from destinations all over the country. Recorded using Ambisonics, the binaural version of the spot offers a more immersive spatial audio experience when listened to with headphones. 

 

Working with this soundtrack, dance and multimedia artist Madge Reyes designed choreography for a diverse group of dancers including a contemporary dance troupe, university cheerleaders, and one pole dancer, with the aim of creating a human tableau that resembled Philippine landmarks. “I’d like to think dance is a crucial part of this ad,” says Madge. “This project has such a positive and inclusive outlook for the dance community and I’m proud to have a say in it.”

 

The final artistic piece of the puzzle is the murals artistically placed on the bodies of the dancers. Twenty airbrush artists from Pilipinas Street Plan and Gerilya painstakingly spray painted iconic Philippine scenes directly onto the costumes as the dancers held their poses—no special effects were involved as the dancers moved together to form human tableaus of the Banaue Rice Terraces, the Chocolate Hills of Bohol, Kawasan Falls in Cebu, Fort Santiago, Mayon Volcano, surfing, and the Monkey Eating Eagle.

 

“The People Make the Destination” – the video is a tribute to the tourism workers of the country. From supporting tourism workers during the pandemic, to safeguarding the environment for future generations to enjoy, the DOT under President Duterte focused on providing for the Philippines’ greatest natural resource: our people.

 

They make the Philippines a more fun, festive, and fascinating place.

The Department of Tourism (DOT) launches the second phase of the Save Our Spots (SOS) campaign titled, “Keep the Fun Going”, to encourage tourists to practice eco-friendly travels.

 

The campaign builds on the gains of the SOS phase one that was launched in 2019 to educate travelers about becoming responsible tourists. “Keep the Fun Going” aims not only to educate but also motivate travelers to take part in sustainable tourism practices, mainly through gamified challenges.

 

“The DOT has been integrating sustainable tourism principles in its projects, programs and policies, even involving tourists to be part of these efforts. Through the SOS campaign, we aim to raise awareness about responsible travel and emphasize that every small act goes a long way to ensure that future generations will continue to benefit from and enjoy nature’s abundance,” said Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat.

 

The Philippines is home to some of the world’s richest ecosystems and diverse species, which are facing both climate change and human threats, such as overtourism and neglect of the environment.

Loboc River Cruise, Bohol. Photo courtesy of the Department of Tourism.

 

To inspire more tourists to practice sustainable travel, the campaign will highlight a gamified experience featuring four eco-friendly ways to travel. The challenges will be demonstrated through collaboration with local key influencers, after which, the public will be enjoined to accomplish at least two of the four activities, which are:

●        The “Certified Foot Soldier Challenge” that encourages travelers to walk, hike, or bike more often;

●        The “Zero-Waste Warrior”, which inspires travelers to reduce waste by avoiding single-use plastics and always bringing reusable water bottles, utensils, and shopping bags;

●        The “resTOURism Advocate Challenge” that encourages tourists to volunteer in restoration efforts of communities, such as planting activities, clean-up drives, and wildlife preservation; and,

●        The “Eco-Staycationer Challenge” that motivates tourists to book in eco-friendly accommodations, such as local homestays or ANAHAW-awardee hotels that take action to promote sustainability.

Participants will have a chance to win by completing at least two challenges and posting them on social media with the following guidelines:

 

STEP 1. Take a photo of yourself doing the challenges.

For Certified Foot Soldier,  you may use an app to track or record your steps or bike ride as proof.

For Eco-staycationer, best if you can include an eco-friendly practice of the establishment in your video. Camping and staycation trips (in a green hotel) are qualified.

 

STEP 2. Upload your photo.

Put a geotag and write a short description.

 

STEP 3. Tag the official DOT social media accounts:

Tiktok: tourismphilippines

Instagram: tourism_phl

Facebook: facebook.com/DepartmentOfTourism

Twitter: TourismPHL

 

STEP 4. Include the #KeepTheFunGoing and #ChallengeDone hashtags in your caption

 

STEP 5. Tag 3 of your friends in your post

 

STEP 6. Make sure to set your profile in public so we can see your entry

 

All entries will be drawn through an electronic raffle. Weekly winners will be announced every Saturday and will be notified thru Facebook Personal Message. The two grand winners, which will be chosen from all the qualified entries, will win a FREE TRIP for two to Palawan.

 

Join the #KeepTheFunGoing movement today and be an eco-warrior. To learn more about the campaign, visit philippines.travel/saveourspots.

The Department of Tourism’s vaccination program for tourism workers continued on Thursday (Aug. 12) with the vaccine rollout of 2,000 anti-Covid doses covering both first and second dose of 1,000 active tourism frontliners at the city of San Fernando, Pampanga.

The Department’s Region 3 office and the provincial government of Pampanga partnered with SM Pampanga to conduct the vaccine rollout, bringing the number of fully vaccinated individuals in the province to over 240,000. The vaccines were provided by the Department of Health.

Tourism Secretary Berna Romulo-Puyat stressed on the importance of a faster inoculation across the industry and its stakeholders as doing so will aid not only local tourism but economic recovery as well.

"It is very much important for our tourism workers to be vaccinated, especially with the emergence of new variants. Hence, the Department is supporting every initiative to inoculate every tourism worker in the country as soon as possible," Puyat said in her speech during the ceremonial vaccination program at SM Pampanga.

The tourism chief was joined in the event by Secretary Vince Dizon, National Task Force Against COVID-19 (NTF) deputy chief implementer, Pampanga Governor Dennis Pineda and Mayor Edwin D. Santiago of San Fernando City.

“The two-day vaccine rollout in Pampanga is just an example of the Department's commitment in helping the industry and its stakeholders recoup its losses while protecting its gains amid the health crisis," she added.

Data from the DOH shows that of the 1.12 million individuals vaccinated in Region 3, a total of 243,287 have received their full dose.

Puyat noted that local tourism in the region for the first half of the year continues to show recovery with 2.25 million arrivals versus 622,705 recorded in the same period year-ago.

Likewise, tourist receipts grew to a hefty P11.27 billion from just P3.11 billion in the same comparable period.

While Pampanga has been open for leisure travelers since October 2020, the spike in cases along with the emergence of new variants prompted heightened restrictions in the province, requiring non-residents and unauthorized persons to present a negative RT-PCR test taken not more than 48 hours before entry. 

Meanwhile, the DOT highlighted its assistance programs for the province, which includes conducting Tourism Rapid Assessment and providing technical assistance to Mt. Arayat National Park in establishing its reopening guidelines.

Pampanga is undertaking initiatives related to food mapping, among other things, to take advantage of its culture and culinary strength and to promote local tourism.

The DOT intends to help local government units in formulating their local tourism development plans, providing the overall direction toward sustainable tourism development aligned with the national tourism development plan.

Coinciding with the celebration of the Muslim festival Eid’l Adha, the Department of Tourism (DOT) launches the Halal Culinary Tourism series that introduces the initiative and showcases unique culinary finds in Mindanao. The video series can be viewed by the public on the Department’s social media platforms including Facebook, YouTube and Instagram starting today. 

Healthy herbs and spices used for cooking Halal dishes from Babu Kwan restaurant in Cagayan de Oro City. Photo courtesy of the Department of Tourism

Tourism Secretary Berna Romulo-Puyat said that the development of Halal Culinary Tourism aims to promote the culinary heritage of Mindanao and the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) and consequently its destinations. 

“Food is an important part of a tourism experience. It gives us a glimpse of a place’s culture and heritage. Through the development of Halal Culinary Tourism, we are encouraging the discovery and familiarity with the traditions of our Muslim brothers and sisters,” said Puyat.

The Secretary explained that Halal, which means ‘permissible’, is something that is clean and good for the health. “Halal is not exclusive to Muslims, it is for everybody. This is what we want to introduce through this project,” she added.

Bay Tal Mal’s Tiyulah Itum, a stew dish with braised beef or goat, originated from the Tausug tribe.Photo courtesy of the Department of Tourism

The Mindanao Halal Culinary Tourism is a project of the DOT with the Brunei Darussalam–Indonesia–Malaysia–Philippines East ASEAN Growth Area (BIMP-EAGA).

Aside from promoting the culinary heritage of Mindanao and familiarity to its culture, the project also aims to document culinary practices of the area; create experiences and attractions by local government units (LGUs) and private enterprises for tourists; and promote Halal Tourism industry in the regions of Mindanao through culinary and heritage mapping.

Featured in the launching video of the campaign are Halal-certified and Muslim-friendly establishments across Mindanao Regions. These include: Black Seed Burger in Davao City, which features “black seed” on burger, a traditional herb among western Asian culture that is believed to have medicinal values; SpiChef in Davao City, which offers the Mango Pineapple hot sauce, an innovation of fresh and natural herbs and spices; Bay Tal Mal in Zamboanga City, which offers traditional Moro cuisines like Tiyulah Itum that is usually served during special occasions; and Hashy’s Cuisine in Cotabato City in BARMM, one of the pioneering Halal-certified sites in the region. Its culinary highlight is Sinina Kambing, a traditional Maguindanaon dish.

The Sinina Kambing from Hashy’s Cuisine in Cotabato is a Maguindanoan delicacy. It is stewed goat meat cooked using local spices. Photo courtesy of the Department of Tourism

The Mango Pineapple hot sauce is one of the Halal based condiments made by SpiChef in Davao. Photo courtesy of the Department of Tourism

A hearty Halal dish is about to be served in Tambilawan Kamayan Restaurant in General Santos City. Photo courtesy of the Department of Tourism

Also featured are: Babu Kwan and Torogan Kape in Cagayan de Oro City, Pater al-Kuwait House of Palapa in Iligan City, Dennis Coffee Garden in Zamboanga City, Mama Ping in Cotabato City, Tambilawan Kamayan Restaurant in General Santos City, and Radin’s Guinamos in Agusan del Sur.

The Halal food tourism program promises to provide tourists with a unique and flavorful experience.