PDOT, in collaboration with the Professional Association of Diving Instructors (PADI), held an online training seminar to introduce the Philippines as a diving destination for Korean PADI members on June 28,

This seminar, which was conducted through advance reservation, lasted for an hour and a half from 3:00 pm, starting with the welcoming remarks by Maria Theresa B. Dizon-De Vega, Ambassador of the Philippines to the Republic of Korea and Maria Apo, Tourism Director of PDOT Korea, and updates on the overall diving market in the Philippines and the latest news. It was followed by the introduction of new diving trends in the Philippines, and Coron and Dumaguete areas, which are relatively less known to Koreans for diving, were introduced in detail.

The number of Korean visitors to the Philippines recorded by July 3rd this year was 676,874, accounting for about 25% of the total number of visitors. It is already surpassing the total number of Korean visitors in 2022, which was 428,014 in total. Maria Theresa B. Dizon-De Vega, Ambassador of the Philippines to the Republic of Korea explained, “About 100,000 Korean divers visit the Philippines every year on average, and this ratio is also showing a steady growth. Home to more than 2,000 species of reef fish and 5 turtle species out of 7 found in the country, the Philippines is a place of great marine biodiversity.”

“The diving market is an important market that plays a large part in Philippine travel industry, and the average length of stay per person and average spending cost are also higher than those of general leisure,” Maria Apo said. “PDOT will continue promoting more diving spots in various ways to strengthen the Philippine diving market and diversify existing products,” she said.

First, the latest update on the diving market in the Philippines was conducted by Wen Sorioso, who is in charge of the product and market development for diving and marine sports and nature-based tourism at the Philippine Department of Tourism. She introduced the Philippines as a 'rainforest of the sea' where divers can experience a rich marine ecosystem. There are ample supply of accredited dive establishments, making sure marine world is securely protected under sustainability to give people more.

Ram Yoro, a diving expert at PADI in the Philippines, introduced Coron as a natural diving spot that is relatively less known than other areas, but a must-visit for divers. In particular, Coron is well known for wreck diving, and it is attractive to swim inside of a warship sunk during World War II. In particular, shipwrecks are concentrated in the southern sea, and the reason was explained that Japanese warships and supply ships hidden during World War II were discovered and sunk here. He also detailed rare sea creatures found in the Coron Sea, such as the blanket octopus.

Following Coron, Dumaguete is also in the limelight as a hidden diving spot in the Philippines. The introduction to Dumaguete was conducted by Mr. Chang-ho Kang, a PADI member who runs a diving resort in Dumaguete. Dumaguete, which is directly adjacent to the southern tip of Cebu and can be reached in 30 minutes by boat, is also famous for its many hidden diving spots. In particular, Apo Island in Dumaguete was selected as one of the top 100 diving sites in the world, and it is said that you can experience more than 650 species of fish and more than 400 species of coral in more than 10 beautiful spots.

After the introduction of the hidden diving spots in the Philippines, Mr. Hyukshin Kang, Korea country manager of Cebu Pacific Air introduced Cebu Pacific's current flight schedule and connecting flights to the areas introduced as diving spots in detail.

There was also a lucky draw time to celebrate the final of this online seminar. A total of two winners were selected from the seminar attendees, and one received a Philippine Airlines round-trip ticket from Incheon to Manila, a 4-night stay at Anilao Solitude Acacia Resort and 10 dives for two, and the other received a Cebu Pacific Air Incheon-Cebu roundtrip ticket and a 3-night stay in Dumaguete along with 9 dives for two.