Manila is World’s Leading City Destination for 2023—World Travel Awards

Manila is the top city destination in the world in 2023, according to the World Travel Awards.

The Philippine spot beat out 22 other cities across the globe, including Dubai, UAE; Las Vegas, USA; London, England; Lyon, France; Melbourne, Australia; New York, USA; Queenstown, New Zealand; and Sydney, Australia.

The Manila Public Information Office celebrated the recognition in a Facebook post on Wednesday, Dec. 6, noting that it’s the first time the country has clinched the major award. 

Aside from the prestigious feat, the Philippines also won other titles this year: the World’s Leading Dive Destination, the World’s Leading Beach Destination, and Global Tourism Resilience.

According to Department of Tourism secretary Christina Frasco, the country is able to "reinforce its position as an unparalleled destination" with such notable recognitions. "We express our profound gratitude to all who have contributed to this success and we continue to dedicate our wholehearted support to all our tourism stakeholders," she said in a statement.

Since 1993, the World Travel Awards has been putting the spotlight on the excellence of worldwide destinations "across all key sectors of the travel, tourism, and hospitality industries." Its 2023 edition took place at the Burj Al Arab in Dubai, United Arab Emirates early this month.