After a year apart, the gathering every ocean lover has been waiting for is back! This year, the Editor spotted many familiar faces on the show floor — what a joy. DRT SHOW is Taiwan's largest diving exhibition, organised by Easy Dive Enterprise Co., Ltd., and this year marked its seventh edition. The 2024 DRT SHOW ran from April 19 to April 22 at the Taipei Expo Flower Exhibition Hall, drawing a combined total of 34,898 visitors over the course of the event. So what were the highlights of this year's DRT SHOW? Let's dive in!
Dive Resorts from Around the World, All Under One Roof
The moment the Editor stepped onto the show floor, attention was immediately captured by the towering, lavish booth at the centre of the hall. What was it? None other than the Philippine Department of Tourism, joined by no fewer than 12 dive resorts and dive travel operators. Beyond the Philippines, this year's DRT SHOW also featured the Okinawa Tourism Association, the Palau Tourism Agency, and representatives from several other countries — making for an even more vibrant and international atmosphere.
The hottest and most-enquired-about package this year was the "Bohol – Sardine Run Tour," with flexible itinerary options ranging from a 4-day/3-night 6-dive package to a 6-day/5-night 9-dive package to suit every traveller's needs. Beyond Philippine dive trips, there were plenty of other popular itineraries on offer — Thailand's Similan Islands liveaboard for breathtaking coral scenery, Indonesia's Raja Ampat for manta ray encounters, North Coron for dugong sightings, or Dumaguete for macro critter hunting. The wide variety of options gave visitors plenty of inspiration to suit their own interests.
The macro superstars of Dumaguete. photo credit：Jenny Tsai
Dugongs are a must-see in Coron. photo credit：海島瘋
To foster networking between local and international operators, the Philippine Department of Tourism hosted an industry dinner on the first evening of DRT SHOW, giving businesses from all over a chance to connect with one another. This perfectly demonstrated one of DRT SHOW's greatest strengths as an international dive exhibition — bringing domestic and overseas industry players together to encourage meaningful exchange.
The Philippine Department of Tourism hosted an industry networking dinner during DRT SHOW. Pictured: a representative from 海島瘋 takes the stage to introduce Bohol dive packages in the Philippines.
Stamp Rally with Grand Prizes
In addition to the special deals offered by individual exhibitors throughout the three-day diving expo, BlueTrend teamed up with five partners — the Ocean Affairs Council's Marine Conservation Administration, GARMIN, Scuba YD, Yusin Management Consultants Co., Ltd., and 海島瘋雞蛋花旅宿 — to prepare more than 20 prizes for a stamp rally challenge. Grand prizes included a dive computer, a regulator, and a Bohol dive trip, giving every visitor a fun reason to explore the show floor and walk away with something special. At the BlueTrend booth, visitors could also DIY their very own marine life tote bag!
Enthusiastic ocean lovers packed the venue for the prize draw.
Visitors got hands-on with the DIY tote bag activity at the BlueTrend booth.
Starlight Underwater Photography Gallery
A fan favourite since the very first edition, the Starlight Underwater Photography Gallery returned this year with 80 stunning underwater images on display. Each photograph on the show floor transported visitors into the mysterious world beneath the waves alongside the photographers themselves, offering a glimpse into the breathtaking beauty of the ocean. Through this gallery, the photographers' passion for the underwater world shines through — with the hope of inspiring more people to join in and continue caring for our seas.
Image source: DRT SHOW TAIWAN Facebook
Exclusive Ocean-Lover Activities in Full Swing
The 2024 DRT SHOW also curated a full lineup of activities exclusively for ocean lovers — so in addition to exploring the exhibition, visitors could join all kinds of events and take home great prizes!
Stamp Rally Prize Exchange — Ocean Lover Marathon
The Ocean Lover Marathon stamp rally brought together liveaboard companies, certification agencies, dive resorts, equipment brands, official tourism boards, and NGOs — collect all the stamps and exchange them for fantastic rewards!
Creative Ocean Craft Workshop
A personal favourite of the Editor, the ocean craft workshop was led by professional instructors who guided participants in turning discarded materials into their very own practical and creative ocean-themed keepsakes. Equal parts fun and educational, it was a wonderful way for everyone to do their part for environmental conservation.
Diving Museum
The diving industry has evolved dramatically from its earliest days into the accessible, youth-oriented scene we know today. This journey of growth is a testament to the dedication of those who came before us. At the show, the Editor had the pleasure of admiring artefacts left behind by diving's pioneers — discovering a whole new perspective on the sport we all love. Absolutely fascinating!
Image source: DRT SHOW TAIWAN Facebook
Over 28 Ocean Seminars Spanning Conservation, Photography, and Dive Safety
Beyond the excitement on the show floor, the 2024 DRT SHOW featured 28 professional speakers across more than 28 ocean seminars over the three-day exhibition. Highlights included CREST founder Brad Chen sharing the story behind the organisation, Jimmy Cheng (鄭德慶), Director of the Jimmy Cheng Underwater Photography Studio, offering tips on underwater shooting techniques, and BlueTrend founder Spark representing GARMIN to lead a talk on "Crown-of-Thorns Starfish Ecology and How to Enhance Safety in Marine Research." Bringing ocean lovers together under one roof, the seminar series covered a diverse range of topics and helped attendees expand their knowledge across many different areas.
BlueTrend founder sharing insights on the ecology of the crown-of-thorns starfish.
This grand gathering for ocean lovers — packed with prize draws and incredible deals — once again united a community of passionate divers under one roof. The 2024 DRT SHOW recorded a cumulative attendance of 34,898 visitors, a testament to the boundless enthusiasm of the diving community. With the Taiwan edition now successfully wrapped up, DRT SHOW is set to head to Shenzhen, Beijing, the Philippines, and Hong Kong in the coming months!
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