MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine Embassy in China cited the Philippines as the "Best Diving Destination" at the recent Diving Resort Travel Show in Beijing.

The embassy said the Philippines also won "Best Tourism Promotion Partnership Award" during the Diving Resort Travel Show (DRT) Beijing 2024 held on Aug. 1, 2024.

Twelve dive shops/resorts/liveaboards from the Philippines took part in the event to showcase the country as a diving destination which "generated substantial sales leads for the participants," the embassy posted on X (formerly Twitter).

Philippine Ambassador to China Jaime FlorCruz said dive tourism contributed over P73 billion to the Philippine economy in 2023, twice the revenue generated by the industry in 2022.

"With this, we are determined to project the Philippines as the 'World's Premier Dive Destination," FlorCruz said.

The Office of the Philippine Department of Tourism in Beijing (PDoT-Beijing) led the country's participation in the event, which aimed to expedite the development of the diving industry in the Asia Pacific and foster heightened awareness of marine conservation.

Ernesto Teston, assistant tourism Attaché of PDoT-Beijing presented the top Philippine dive destination spots, while Sheena Anjeli Botiwey, head of the North Asia Division of the Tourism Promotions Board Philippines, introduced the different diving companies in the Philippines to partner with Chinese clients.