The Marine Tourism Excellence Award and the Honorary Tourism Board Award presented at the inaugural DRT Show Chengdu 2026.
The Philippines is turning its underwater treasures into a potentially lucrative tourism pipeline, generating more than ₱122.8 million in sales leads while collecting two major honors at the inaugural Diving, Resorts, and Travel (DRT) Show Chengdu 2026 in China.
Held from July 17 to 19 at the Western China International Expo City, the event gave the country an opportunity to tap Western China’s emerging outbound travel market and put Philippine dive destinations directly in front of Chinese travelers, tour operators and diving enthusiasts.
The Philippine delegation generated ₱122,824,028 in potential sales, providing fresh momentum to efforts to attract more high-value dive tourists from China.
Trade buyers and dive enthusiasts visit the Philippine Pavilion at the DRT Chengdu Show 2026.
Adding to the strong commercial showing, the Philippines received the Marine Tourism Excellence Award, affirming the archipelago’s standing as one of the world’s premier destinations for underwater adventures.
The Tourism Promotions Board (TPB) Philippines also received the Honorary Tourism Board Award for its continuing efforts to promote the country’s dive tourism offerings internationally.
The twin recognition came as the Philippines stepped up efforts to convert its extraordinary marine biodiversity into a stronger tourism draw, particularly among travelers looking beyond traditional beach vacations for specialized and experience-driven holidays.
Organized by TPB in partnership with the Philippine Department of Tourism Beijing, the Philippine contingent featured 19 co-exhibitors from Luzon and the Visayas. The delegation included three dive tour operators, 12 dive resorts, three dive centers and the Municipality of Puerto Galera, one of the country’s best-known diving destinations.
At the center of the campaign was a 90-square-meter Philippine Pavilion showcasing the country’s underwater attractions—from colorful coral gardens and marine life to historic shipwrecks and internationally renowned dive sites.
The pavilion attracted trade buyers, diving professionals, enthusiasts and travel consumers during the three-day exhibition, giving Philippine tourism operators direct access to potential customers and business partners in China.
TPB Chief Operating Officer Maria Margarita Montemayor Nograles said the response in Chengdu demonstrated the continuing appeal of Philippine waters to Chinese divers.
“The Philippines continues to capture the interest of the Chinese dive market with the richness and diversity of our marine ecosystems,” Nograles said.
She said the Chengdu event enabled the country to introduce more travelers and industry partners to Philippine diving experiences while opening opportunities for deeper collaboration with the Chinese tourism sector.
Beyond the exhibition floor, the delegation sought to transform interest into actual business through the Philippine Dive Night, a networking event that brought together 53 Chinese dive companies and diving clubs.
The gathering allowed Philippine operators to establish new contacts, reinforce existing partnerships and explore joint promotions aimed at positioning the country as a preferred destination for dive holidays and marine adventures.
The Chengdu campaign also highlights an increasingly important advantage for Philippine tourism. Unlike destinations built largely around conventional sightseeing, the country’s more than 7,000 islands provide an extensive portfolio of specialized marine experiences capable of attracting both first-time recreational divers and seasoned underwater explorers.
From thriving coral reefs and encounters with diverse marine species to dramatic underwater landscapes and historic wrecks, the Philippines can offer different diving experiences across numerous destinations and skill levels.
That diversity could prove particularly valuable as the country competes for travelers seeking nature-based, adventure and experiential tourism.
For the Philippines, the inaugural DRT Show Chengdu delivered more than trophies. The ₱122.8-million sales pipeline and new industry connections showed the commercial potential of bringing the country’s underwater attractions closer to one of Asia’s major outbound travel markets.
And as the Philippines expands its presence in international dive exhibitions, its greatest tourism assets may increasingly be found not just along its famous beaches—but beneath the waves.