Philippines to pitch diving as leisure activity for foreign tourists

MANILA, Philippines – Philippine Department of Tourism (DOT) 7 will intensify its marketing campaign for various tourism products of the Philippines, but particularly high-value diving as a leisure ac

MANILA, Philippines – Philippine Department of Tourism (DOT) 7 will intensify its marketing campaign for various tourism products of the Philippines, but particularly high-value diving as a leisure activity for foreign tourists.

Although there are ongoing efforts to pitch diving in the Philippines to travelers from other countries, DOT 7 Director Rowena Montecillo believes there is a need to step up the campaign and involve particularly local government units (LGU).

Part of the initiative is to hold discussions with the LGUs on concerns about the uniformity of user fees and the preservation of coastal resources.

Tourism Secretary Ramon Jimenez, through Montecillo, said the agency will look into these matters and will seek the cooperation of the LGUs and the Department of Interior and Local Government.

โ€œThere has to be a proper set of guidelines,โ€ Montecillo said.

Jimenez visited Cebu last Thursday for the opening of the three-day Dive Expo and Exhibition Philippines (World Deep) held at the Shangri-La Mactan Resort and Spa. The expo aims to showcase the Filipinosโ€™ professionalism in organizing world events, unify the fast-growing diving community in the country, and inspire the local diving community.

The dive expo, which was organized by the DOT, Philippine Commission on Sports and Scuba Diving and the Philippine Association on Underwater Activities, also showcased alternative underwater sports that have yet to gain a wide following in the country.

At least 130 underwater federation leaders from all over the world are attending the expo.

The event also coincides with the World Underwater Federationโ€™s 13th Elective General Assembly. The World Underwater Federation or CMAS (Confederacion Mondial des Activites Subaquatiques) is the first international dive agency in the world.

According to Montecillo, the dive expo will help increase the countryโ€™s footing in the scuba diving scene. She said the country has a lot to offer, considering that it still has a lot of unexplored diving sites.

Cebu, she said, has the advantage because of the number of its dive sites from north to south, including Camotes, Bantayan, Mactan, Malapascua and Moalboal.

She added that divers are considered a โ€œlucrative marketโ€ because they are high spenders and long-staying guests with a minimum stay of five to seven nights.

Europeans, specifically divers from France, frequent Cebu and Bohol for diving. The region is also seeing an increase of foreign divers visiting from Japan and South Korea.

But more than the revenues the country could potentially earn from diving, Montecillo said they are putting emphasis on preserving and safeguarding the coastal resources of the country.

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Linda Hohnholz

Editor in chief for eTurboNews based in the eTN HQ.

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