New dive expo to take place in the Philippines this year

Published 11 years agoon February 23, 2015

The Philippines is the newest venue for the China-Hong Kong dive show franchise, DRT Show.

DRT Show Philippines 2015, also called the Philippines Dive Expo, will take place from 11th-13th September at SMX Manila, with a B2B component to attract international tour operators and dive training agencies, said Rowena Sorioso, senior tourism operations officer, dive market development group, Department of Tourism.

Eighty percent of the 500,000 divers certified in the past three years come from China, Sorioso pointed out, adding that the Philippines also aims to strengthen its presence in the “rich shorthaul markets” of South Korea, Hong Kong and Japan.

Because of its relative affordability, the Philippines is an attractive diving destination for medium and advanced level divers seeking additional certification, say dive experts. The Chinese have also invested in dive facilities in Bohol.

The Philippines Department of Tourism has long sought to leverage diving as a key niche, and in the fourth quarter of 2014 organised a fam trip for Russian operators to visit Cebu and Bohol to woo Russian luxury divers.

Meanwhile, the Philippines Commission of Sports Scuba Diving, an attached agency of the Philippines Department of Tourism, has been refining accreditation procedures for local dive operators and installed additional hyperbaric chambers across key locations last year to enhance safety standards.