The local government of Manila announced on Wednesday, Dec. 6, that the capital city was hailed as the “World's Leading City Destination" in 2023 by the prestigious World Travel Awards (WTA).
The honor was given at an awarding ceremony held at Burj Al Arab in Dubai, United Arab Emirates on Dec. 1, where the Philippines also won another prestigious award.
The city government said that this is the first time that the country won the major award.
Manila Mayor Honey Lacuna-Pangan thanked all the city officials and employees who showed their all-out support and for putting their efforts to make the city win the award.
Lacuna-Pangan also expressed her gratitude to the Department of Tourism, Culture, and Arts of Manila (DTCAM) headed by Charlie Dungo whom she said had taken extra effort to promote the city as a tourist destination.
Meanwhile, the mayor said that the unique award that the city received will inspire the city government to do even better in promoting the city for local and foreigners visiting the country.
The capital city beat 22 other cities in the world in the same category including Dubai, UAE; Las Vegas, USA; London, England; Lyon, France; Melbourne, Australia; New York, USA; Queenstown, New Zealand; and Sydney, Australia among others.
The country was also recognized as the World's Leading Beach Destination and the World's Leading Dive Destination for the year 2023.
The DTCAM also announced that the country also got the Global Tourism Resilience Award for demonstrating "global leadership, pioneering vision, and innovation to overcome critical challenges and adversity.”
Established in 1993, the WTA is a London-based organization that acknowledges excellence in travel and tourism at national, regional, and global levels.