TOURISM officials hope the country will bag up to seven prizes at the World Travel Awards (WTA) 2024.

This year, the country has been nominated for Asia's Leading Beach Destination, Leading Dive Destination and Leading Island Destination.

The Walled City of Intramuros has been nominated as Asia's Leading Tourist Attraction for the second time, while Boracay has been nominated as Asia's Leading Luxury Island Destination and Cebu as Asia's Leading Wedding Destination.

The Department of Tourism has been nominated again as Asia's Leading Tourist Board.

"We express gratitude to WTA for providing the Philippines with a platform to continuously showcase our diverse tourism offerings not only within Asia but on the global stage, but most importantly, we express our thanks to our tourism stakeholders who continue to safeguard the myriad of tourism gems in the Philippines for all the world to love and enjoy," Tourism Secretary Christina Frasco said.

Tourism Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco PHOTO BY J. GERARD SEGUIA

"While winning these accolades adds prestige to our endeavors, they also translate into livelihood opportunities for millions of Filipinos whose well-being depends on tourism," she added.

Frasco noted that 2023 had been a banner year for the Philippines, with the country clinching the title of the World's Leading Dive Destination for the fifth year in a row since 2019.

Last year, Manila earned the accolade of being the world's leading city destination.

"We aim to maintain and surpass the strides we've made since taking office, ensuring sustained growth in the country's tourism sector," Frasco said.

Voting for the WTA is open until July 28, 2024, through https://www.worldtravelawards.com/vote.