Boracay, Cebu named among Asia’s best tourist destinations

WTA awarded Boracay in the province of as Asia’s leading luxury island destination —File/Ernesto Cruz/Agence France-Presse

MANILA, Philippines — The country’s tourism sector bagged several awards at the 31st World Travel Awards (WTA) held in Manila on Tuesday, including Asia’s leading dive destination for the sixth straight year.

“The Philippines stands ready to host global events of all scales while maintaining our local charm and authenticity. We are a nation that rises to challenges, innovates with passion, and embraces every opportunity with optimism, exerting every effort toward our country becoming a tourism powerhouse in Asia,” Tourism Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco said.

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The WTA also named Intramuros as Asia’s leading tourist attraction, Boracay as Asia’s leading luxury island destination, and Cebu as Asia’s leading wedding destination.

Controversial ad campaign

The Philippines also brought home the award for Asia’s Leading Marketing Campaign 2024 for its controversial “Love the Philippines” campaign.

DDB Philippines, the advertising agency hired by the Department of Tourism (DOT) for the campaign, was abruptly dropped from the project after it was found to have included stock footage of tourist attractions in other countries in an audiovisual presentation showcasing Philippine destinations.

DDB later apologized for its usage of foreign stock footage, which it called an oversight on its part.

The WTA, meanwhile, gave Frasco the Transformational Leader Award in Tourism Governance.

“As we recognize the outstanding contributions of our colleagues and countries across Asia and Oceania, please accept our heartfelt congratulations. This year’s World Travel Awards is not only a celebration of excellence in tourism, but a testament to the resilience, creativity, and collaborative spirit of our global tourism community,” the DOT secretary said.