Philippines marks eight-year winning streak as Asia’s Leading Dive Destination with six WTA Asia wins

Philippines marks eight-year winning streak as Asia’s Leading Dive Destination with six WTA Asia wins

Great Travel Magazine
GTContentSteam
07 October 2026

The Philippines marked its eight consecutive year as Asia’s Leading Dive Destination at the World Travel Awards (WTA) Asia, Oceania & Indian Ocean Gala Ceremony 2026, held at CROSSROADS Maldives on Sunday (Sept. 27).

The country likewise secured five other major wins, including Asia’s Leading Beach Destination 2026 for the ninth time and Asia’s Leading Island Destination 2026 for the third consecutive year.

Boracay retained its title as Asia’s Leading Luxury Island Destination 2026 for the third straight year, while the Department of Tourism (DOT) was named Asia’s Leading Tourist Board 2026 for the fourth time.

The City of San Fernando, Pampanga earned the title of Asia’s Leading Cultural City Destination 2026, marking the Philippines’ first win in the said category. The recognition highlights the city’s rich heritage, traditions, crafts, culinary offerings, and festivals, including the Giant Lantern Festival.

“With the momentum from these recognitions, we want to further establish diving as one of the Philippines’ key tourism products in 2027. This means improving access and logistics to our dive destinations and strengthening promotions that showcase the exceptional marine and natural assets we have across the country. At the same time, we will continue working to enhance safety and security for both local and international travelers, while investing in the training and education of our tourism frontliners in our dive and beach destinations. Our goal is to make diving and other water-based activities safer, more accessible, and easier for travelers to experience, supported by more efficient services and better-connected destinations,” Tourism Secretary Dita Angara-Mathay said.

Philippine tourism industry players also brought home nine Asia-level awards, led by the country’s flag carrier Philippine Airlines, named Asia’s Leading Cultural Airline. Savoy Hotel Manila was recognized as Asia’s Leading Airport Hotel, while Amanpulo and Discovery Primea were named Asia’s Leading Private Island Resort and Asia’s Leading Business Hotel, respectively. Other Philippine winners were Admiral Hotel Manila – MGallery, Asia’s Leading Design Hotel; Ascott Bonifacio Global City Manila, Asia’s Leading Serviced Apartments; City of Dreams Manila, Asia’s Leading Casino Resort; Fili Hotel Bridgetowne, Asia’s Leading New Luxury Hotel Development Project; and Okada Manila, Asia’s Leading Entertainment Resort.

Established in 1993, the World Travel Awards recognizes excellence across the global travel, tourism, and hospitality industries through regional and global awards. Regional winners advance to the WTA Grand Final, where they compete with winners from other regional heats for the World categories.

PH wins Mister Cosmopolitan 2026; 2nd crown in three years

PH breaks 'Vietnam curse' with Mister Cosmopolitan 2026 win

Armin P. Adina 
Inquirer.net
13 September 2026

A Filipino contender has finally won a pageant title on Vietnamese soil when John Eriq Bonifacio topped the 2026 Mister Cosmopolitan competition held in Nha Trang on Sept. 12.

The Kapampangan hunk bested 19 other aspirants at the fourth edition of the annual male search to inherit the title from Taiwanese titleholder Shawn Lin, who won at last year’s competition held in Thailand.

Pageant fans, particularly Filipinos, have coined the phrase “Vietnam curse” because delegates from the Philippines had previously never won in international competitions hosted in “the Land of the Ascending Dragon” despite sending formidable competitors.

The most recent “victim” of this curse was Asia Rose Simpson, who finished in the Top 12 of the 2026 Miss World pageant held on Sept. 5 despite topping the “Head-to-Head” Challenge and making the shortlist of several other fast-track competitions. Vietnamese delegate Le Nguyen Bao Ngoc claimed the Top 6 slot for Asia and Oceania.

Also fueling speculations of such a curse were 2023 Miss Earth Air Yllana Marie Aduana, 2024 Miss Cosmo Top 10 semifinalist Ahtisa Manalo, and 2024 Mister World Top 20 semifinalist Kirk Bondad.

Manalo would later compete at the 2025 Miss Universe pageant in Thailand, finishing third runner-up, while Bondad got redemption in the same country by winning the Mister International title last year.

During the question round at Mister Cosmopolitan, Bonifacio was asked,  “As a gentleman, what does having a noble heart mean to you, and how do you believe a man can demonstrate it through his action toward others?”

He responded: “For me, [a] gentleman with a noble heart is not defined by how he [dresses] or looks, but rather how he [treats] people with respect. This is something that I learned from my father who just passed away. It taught me that regardless of who they are, rich, poor, or what gender they choose, respect must always come first.”

For this year’s competition, the Mister Cosmopolitan pageant has adopted the tagline “Gentlemen with Noble Heart.”

Bonifacio added that many in today’s generation had already forgotten how to treat each other with respect. “But I am here right now standing in front of you, be a reminder to each [and] everyone, especially the youth, that to teach everyone with respect and kindness. Because I believe that the things you do in life reflects in return,” he said.

Aside from winning the top prize at the finale show, he also received the Best Physique and Best Catwalk awards at the preliminary competition.

In an interview after he posted his victory, Bonifacio expressed his gratitude to the Filipino people. “Maraming, maraming salamat sa Filipino fans na sumusuporta sa akin. We did it, guys. Mabuhay ang Philippines. Para sa inyo ito. Mahal ko kayong lahat,” he said.

(Thank you very much to the Filipino fans who are supporting me. We did it, guys. Long live the Philipines. This is for you. I love you all.)

Bonifacio’s victory marks the third straight year that a Mister Pilipinas Worldwide titleholder had topped an international competition. In 2024, Daumier Corilla became the first-ever Filipino delegate to be proclaimed Mister Global. And last year, Bondad scored the country’s second Mister International victory. /edv

San Fernando makes it to CNN's list of best Christmas destination

Philippines only Southeast Asian destination in list of best places for Christmas

Hoang Vu   
VN Express International
December 8, 2024 

San Fernando in the Philippines was the only Southeast Asian destination to make it onto CNN's list of 15 best places to visit for Christmas this year.

"If Asia were to have a Christmas capital, San Fernando in the heavily Roman Catholic Philippines would be a top nomination," CNN wrote.

Located northwest of Manila, San Fernando, with a population of 350,000, is known as the "Christmas Capital of the Philippines" and is famous for its annual giant lantern festival each December, where large parol (star lanterns) are displayed.

These lanterns, which come in various colors and sizes, symbolize light and hope for Filipinos.

Thousands of locals and tourists flock to the town during the Christmas season to witness the grandeur and intricacy of the giant lanterns.

"The highlight of a visit to San Fernando is the parol, a colorful, electric Christmas lantern that symbolizes the Star of Bethlehem," CNN described.

Other destinations on the list included Rovaniemi in Finland, Barcelona in Spain, Nairobi in Kenya, Nuremberg in Germany, San Miguel de Allende in Mexico, and Strasbourg in France.

Christmas is an annual festival commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ, observed primarily on Dec. 25 as a religious and cultural celebration by billions of people around the world.

PH hosts 1st UN tourism confab on gastronomy

PH hosts 1st UN tourism confab on gastronomy

By Joyce Ann L. Rocamora
Philippine News Agency
June 5, 2024

MANILA – The Philippines is set to host the inaugural UN Tourism Regional Forum on Gastronomy Tourism for Asia and the Pacific from June 26 to 27, the Department of Tourism (DOT) announced Wednesday.

Tourism Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco tries Filipino cuisine during the launch of the Philippine Eatsperience launch in Intramuros and Rizal Park in Manila last April. Frasco said gastronomy plays an important role in the Filipino culture, encouraging everyone to support local food products. (Photo courtesy of the Department of Tourism)

The event is expected to gather some 300 attendees, including ministers from UN member-states, affiliate members, and tourism stakeholders from international organizations, to exchange knowledge and best tourism practices in the Pacific, East, and South Asia regions.

The event will be held alongside the 36th UN Tourism Joint Commission Meeting for East Asia and the Pacific and Commission for South Asia on June 28.

Discussions during the forum on June 26 will focus on policy framework for the development and promotion of gastronomy tourism, value of land and products in the sustainable development of gastronomy tourism, cost-effective and environmentally responsible strategies for reducing food waste and promoting local sourcing, and successful best practices in gastronomy tourism in the Asia Pacific region, among others.

The delegates, meanwhile, will sample the best of Philippine flavors through a showcase by top Filipino chefs, and get a glimpse of Cebu’s allure as a top tourist destination through a technical tour on June 27.

In a statement, Tourism Secretary Christina Frasco said the DOT and the country’s tourism stakeholders are ready to host the UN events, seeing it as an opportunity for the Philippines to showcase its culinary treasures on a global stage.

“As chair of the UN Tourism Commission for East Asia and the Pacific, the Philippines commits fully to leveraging the region’s strategic position to promote a range of initiatives that will benefit not only our country but also our neighbors, particularly, its rich and diverse gastronomy tourism portfolio,” she said.

Citing a report from the World Food Travel Association, the DOT said around 80 percent of travelers research food and drink while visiting a destination.

The report also classifies over half or 53 percent of all travelers as “culinary travelers.”

In a 2023 report by Booking.com, 34 percent of travelers prioritize restaurants and dining experiences, viewing them as gateways to understanding local traditions and lifestyles.

Future Market Insights valued the Philippine gastronomy tourism market at USD5.4 billion in 2022 and it has been projected a compounded growth annually at 14.7 percent over the next decade.

Iconic Filipino dishes such as braised pork and chicken dish adobo, tamarind-based sour soup sinigang, and the ever-popular open fire-roasted lechon and sisig have earned praise from known food journalists in the past.

For instance, the late chef and TV host Anthony Bourdain, while dining in Cebu, branded lechon the “best pig ever” and declared Pampanga’s sizzling pork medley sisig as "perfectly positioned to win the hearts and minds of the world as a whole."

Food critic Andrew Zimmern, meanwhile, has gone on record to declare Filipino food as “the next big thing” in the US as early as 2017.

The Philippines is also home to Iloilo City, a UNESCO Creative City for Gastronomy, and regions such as Western Visayas, the Cordillera Administrative Region, Pampanga, and Cebu are actively engaged in the development of Slow Food programs.

Under its National Tourism Development Plan (2023-2028) approved by President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. and in line with its enhanced tourism campaign, "Love the Philippines", the DOT is deep in developing more culinary tours and festivals, dining destinations, and food trail activities to further intensify the promotion and development of the country’s diverse gastronomy tourism offerings.

“As we intensify our diversification of the country’s tourism portfolio through multidimensional tourism, we strongly see food as a crucial element in enhancing the Philippine cultural experience,” Frasco said.

“In addition to integrating food in festivals, arts and crafts, traditions, and practices, we are actively working towards supporting the development of halal/Muslim-friendly tourism, heritage villages for cultural communities, and the preservation of farms and heritage sites,” she said. (PNA)

BBM: Luzon Economic Corridor project draws foreign investments

Luzon Economic Corridor project draws foreign investments – Marcos

By Filane Mikee Cervantes
Philippine News Agency
04 May 2024

MANILA – Several countries are investing in the Luzon Economic Corridor project, which can elevate the global status of the Philippines, according to President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.

In an interview with Chang Dae-hwan, chair of South Korea's Maekyung Media Group, in Malacañang, Manila on Thursday, Marcos said the project will intensively focus on key infrastructure such as ports, railways, clean energy, and semiconductor supply chain connecting Subic Bay in Zambales, Clark in Pampanga, Manila, and Batangas.

He particularly noted that the ongoing development in Clark City, which is a vital part of the Luzon Economic Corridor, has become an attractive destination for foreign investments due to the establishment of the Clark Freeport and Special Economic Zone.

“I expect it to be mostly American companies,” President Marcos said. “They have come in, and I like to think that the reason for that is because we have set up the system that’s attractive for their investment. And so, we’ll continue to [do] that and will be able to do even better if the [Luzon Economic] corridor is completed, and the travel times and the cost of travel of transport will be brought down."

He pointed out that the ecozones offer one common tax code and incentive scheme and locator companies do not have to deal with every local government unit.

The President said the ecozones are open to all investors looking for special incentives and special tax breaks.

"We have right now economic zones where anyone can participate,” Marcos said. “It’s not specifically only for Korea, only for one industry… but it’s open for everyone and what it provides. It provides a place where there are special incentives, special tax breaks specially tariffs on importation, sales tax because they don’t sell into the country."

President Marcos noted that Philippine special zones have been successful, adding that the government is counting on them to bring more success in the country.

The Bases Conversion and Development Authority earlier said the Subic-Clark Railway Project, expansion of the Clark International Airport, and the Clark National Food Hub are pitched to American and Japanese investors under the USD600-billion Partnership for Global Infrastructure and Investment of the G7 countries.

BCDA said the three projects are being endorsed for the proposed Luzon Economic Corridor.

Maekyung Media Group includes the Maeil Business Newspaper and Maeil Broadcasting Network in Korea. Its printed copies have a circulation of one million while subsidiary companies have monthly magazines and Internet. (PNA)