Philippines Charts Ambitious Course for 2026 Dive Tourism Expansion
The Philippines is embarking on a significant strategic push to reinforce its global leadership in dive tourism throughout 2026. Building upon its remarkable seven-year streak as the World's Leading Dive Destination at the World Travel Awards from 2019 to 2025, the nation is scaling up investments and launching targeted initiatives. This effort aims to solidify its reputation, particularly after also being honored as the Best Destination in the Pacific and Indian Ocean Region for Macro Life by Scuba Diving Magazine's Readers Choice Awards.
Strategic Roadmap Emphasizes Diversification and Sustainability
The Department of Tourism has formally outlined its comprehensive 2026 dive tourism roadmap, which will concentrate on four core pillars: market diversification, product development, sustainability, and the cultivation of high-value niche segments. Notably, the plan highlights specialized areas such as underwater photography and technical diving as key growth drivers. This strategic focus is designed to attract discerning travelers and enhance the overall value of the tourism sector.
Recent promotional successes underscore the commercial viability of this approach. At the Salon de la Plongée Sous Marine 2026 in Paris, the DOT reported generating over P80 million in stakeholder sales and leads from a P12 million investment. This represents an impressive 201 percent return on investment and marks a 43 percent increase from the P56 million recorded in 2025. The promotion featured iconic sites like Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park, alongside premier dive destinations in Anilao, Bohol, Cebu, Dumaguete, Puerto Galera, Southern Leyte, and Ticao Island.
India Identified as a Priority Growth Market for 2026
A major component of the market diversification strategy involves aggressively courting the Indian travel market. The DOT plans to intensify efforts to penetrate India's rapidly expanding outbound travel sector through participation in the Asia Dive Expo India Dive Show on June 8 in Mumbai. This business-to-business event will facilitate connections between 20 Philippine dive tourism sellers and 20 Indian buyers, showcasing new dive sites, sustainability initiatives, and partnership opportunities.
India has been strategically selected due to its growing outbound travel market, rising disposable incomes, improving air connectivity, and increasing consumer interest in adventure and niche tourism experiences like diving. Tourism officials emphasize that strengthening market share in India is critical for diversifying source markets and ensuring long-term growth in high-spending specialty travel segments.
The potential of the Indian market is evident from past performance. During the Adex 2025 event, the Philippines generated P151,872,799.98 in sales leads, according to the Tourism Promotions Board, an attached agency of the DOT. The delegation at that time highlighted dive offerings from five premier destinations: Batangas, Oriental Mindoro, Bohol, Cebu, and Negros Oriental.
Major Events and Infrastructure Developments Planned
Another cornerstone of the 2026 strategy is the Puerto Galera Underwater Shootout, a five-day international underwater photography competition tentatively scheduled from September 16 to 20. Hosted in Puerto Galera, which serves as the gateway to the biodiverse Verde Island Passage, the event is expected to draw professional and amateur underwater photographers from around the globe. The DOT will collaborate with local dive operators to offer bundled packages and launch an international media campaign to maximize exposure.
Puerto Galera's selection is bolstered by its recent accolade as the Best Diving Destination at the 2025 Tourism Awards. Industry stakeholders anticipate the competition will significantly boost visitor arrivals, extend length of stay, and increase tourism receipts in Oriental Mindoro, while simultaneously strengthening the country's standing in the global underwater photography community.
Beyond high-profile events, the DOT is implementing foundational initiatives to support sustainable growth. These include a Strategic Action Planning and Dive Tourism Statistics and Industry Workshop aimed at improving data collection, assessing performance trends, and crafting a unified industry growth roadmap. Furthermore, the department continues to advocate for the installation of hyperbaric chambers in strategic dive destinations to enhance safety protocols and boost tourist confidence.
The 2026 initiatives build upon a robust foundation of international promotion established in 2025, which included participation in major dive shows across France, Germany, the United Kingdom, China, South Korea, Singapore, Japan, Taiwan, Thailand, and Malaysia. This comprehensive, multi-faceted approach positions the Philippines to not only maintain but expand its dominance in the global dive tourism landscape.
