Philippines gets 5 nominations at World Travel Awards

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Tourism (DOT) has called on Filipinos to vote for the Philippines at the World Travel Awards (WTA) where the country secured five nominations in various categories.

The Philippines was selected finalist for two awards at the 2021 WTA for Asia’s Leading Beach Destination and Asia’s Leading Dive Destination.

Further, the DOT was shortlisted as Asia’s Leading Tourist Board, while Cebu was nominated as Asia’s Leading Wedding Destination.

On the other hand, Manila City’s Intramuros was chosen as a contender for the Leading Tourist Attraction. The Walled City was automatically nominated for the title after bagging it last year for both the World and Asia categories.

The voting period for WTA in Asia runs from March 30 to August 16, 2021. The online selection is open to travel industry stakeholders, as well as the public.

Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat asked Filipinos to register their votes at the WTA’s website to boost the country’s chances at winning the nominations.

Puyat said it is important for the Philippines to maintain its reputation as a preferred destination for foreign travelers, especially as the country prepares to reopen its borders soon for overseas arrivals.

She also said succeeding in international platforms like the WTA would help the country sustain its profile among international tourists.

“On behalf of the DOT, I am enjoining the support of our industry stakeholders, and Filipino and foreign travelers to support the Philippines in the 2021 WTA. By casting our votes, we can show that the Philippine tourism industry is alive and even more determined to bounce back, despite the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic,” Puyat said.

Anyone who wishes to vote at the WTA may create an account at its portal using a valid e-mail address. Once the account is verified, registrants can now make their selections.

The DOT is trying to keep the Philippines afloat in the competition for foreign tourists as it looks into its options on how to entice vaccinated foreigners to visit the country.

Last year, visitor arrivals declined by about 82 percent to 1.48 million, from 8.26 million in 2019.