The Department of Tourism (DOT) formally opened the three-day Philippine International Dive Expo (PHIDEX) 2024 at the World Trade Center Manila recently.
During the opening ceremony, Tourism Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco delivered the good news that the dive industry contributed over P73 billion in revenue last year.
Frasco said this was made possible with the guidance of the Marcos Administration as tourism is now considered as one of the strongest pillars of the Philippine economy post-pandemic.
“In 2023, dive tourism contributed over P73 billion to our economy, almost twice the P37 billion revenue generated from the industry in 2022,” the tourism chief said.
“We can look forward to yielding additional revenue from this industry, reinforcing the Philippine position as the World’s Premier Dive Destination.”
“United under the guidance and visionary leadership of our President, we can look forward to yielding additional revenue from this industry, reinforcing the Philippine position as the World’s Premier Dive Destination, and tourism’s role as now one of the strongest pillars of our economy, providing livelihood and employment for millions of Filipinos,” the tourism head emphasized.
The Philippines is home to more than 500 species of corals and 2,000 species of fish, making it one of the mega-biodiverse countries in the world.
Proclaimed as the World’s Leading Dive Destination for the fifth straight year since 2019 by the prestigious World Travel Awards (WTA), the Philippines is home to more than 500 species of corals and 2,000 species of fish, making it one of the mega-biodiverse countries in the world.
“Therefore, this distinction for the Philippines, we take to heart with a firm commitment to ensure not just the marketability, but more importantly, the sustainability of our dive industry,” she stressed.
