For the first time, Manila has been selected as the World's Leading City Destination in the World Travel Awards 2023. The Philippines also won the Global Tourism Resilience Award in recognition of its “global leadership, pioneering vision, and innovation to overcome critical challenges and adversity.”
The country is one of the five recipients of the inaugural award, which will serve as a benchmark for implementing best practices in building tourism resilience.
The World Travel Awards ceremony, often referred to as the "Oscars" of the travel industry, took place on December 1 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. The awards were received by Tourism Undersecretary Shahlimar Hofer Tamano and Assistant Secretary Maria Rica Bueno, who represented the Tourism Secretary at the international event.
In total, the Philippines won four global awards, including retaining the title of World's Leading Diving Destination and the World's Leading Beach Destination in 2022.
The success was celebrated by Tourism Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco, who highlighted tourism's contribution to the country's economic growth. Congratulations also came from the Manila Public Information Office, which announced the award to the city in a Facebook post.
Since 1993, the World Travel Awards has been a platform to honor key players in the travel, tourism and hospitality industry.
