ABS-CBN chief operating officer of broadcast Cory Vidanes was named “Media Personality of the Year” by the SKAL International Tourism Personality Awards for her contribution in creating a positive impact on the tourism industry through excellent content on television, film, and other platforms of the country’s leading media and entertainment company.

Vidanes was honored along with other business leaders at the SKAL International Tourism Awards held Wednesday night at the New World Hotel in Makati.

“Like all of you, I share and support your advocacy in promoting tourism through excellent content in television, film, print, digital and all our other platforms,” she said. “In ABS-CBN, the core of being in service of the Filipino people is to be trusted. In many ways, we share the same vision of SKAL International – to be a trusted Voice in travel and tourism.”

The SKAL International Tourism Personality Awards honors individuals for their accomplishments that help boost the country’s tourism industry. The awards are handed out by different chapters of SKAL International, a group of travel and tourism professionals that was established in 1932 that aims to promote global tourism and friendship.

With Vidanes at the helm, ABS-CBN traveled to different places in the country to shoot its teleseryes and movies. Recognizing that Filipinos fall in love not only with stories but also the scenic destinations featured in them, ABS-CBN has brought viewers to the Benguet province for “Forevermore,” Puerto Princesa, Palawan for “The Story of Us,” Albay, Bicol for “We Will Survive,” Batanes for “You’re My Boss,” Bukidnon and Cagayan De Oro for “Forever and a Day,” among many others, serving as the backdrop to its hit love stories.

She added that the ABS-CBN Regional group actively featured local fiestas all year round, connecting Filipinos here and abroad to their home provinces and enticing tourists to join the celebrations and fun in the Philippines.

Vidanes also said ABS-CBN Lingkod Kapamilya Foundation Incorporated also offers eco-tourism packages that enable Filipinos to enjoy breathtaking views while supporting livelihood projects as well as protecting and maintaining natural ecosystems spread across the country.

Among the packages offered are surf and skimboard camps in Sorsogon and Leyte, ziplining and caving in Puerto Princesa, Palawan, river cruises in Buhatan, Sorsogon and Iwahig, Palawan, an eco-village in Sohoton Caves, and agritourism communities in Samar, Leyte, Iba, Zambales, Lobo, Batangas, Antipolo, Guimaras, and Mindoro, and more.

The company also has travel website called Choose Philipines, a comprehensive guide that provides information about Philippine travel and exploration, which allows Filipino families to create, capture, and share their meaningful experiences.

“Through Choose Philippines and The Filipino Channel, we make global Filipinos proud of their country and want to come home. We excite people from other countries to discover and share our treasures. We want them to make our country and our countrymen part of their story and this story shared to the rest of the world,” she said.

Vidanes was recently named as one of the Most Influential Filipina Women in the World by the Filipina Women’s Network. She was also a recipient of the CEO Excel Award from the International Association of Business Communicators (IABC) Philippines in 2014 and was named one of People Asia magazine’s “People of the Year” in 2013.

As ABS-CBN transitions to a digital company, with its content not only broadcast on television, but also streamed online through news sites like ABS-CBN News online and mobile apps like iWantv, TFC.tv, and Sky on Demand, the company remains committed to support Philippine tourism. Its popular tourism website has also launched the “Choose Philippines Awards” which recognize people, destinations, and even food that have added meaning to the experience of various locales in the country.