Miss Philippines crowned first Miss Tourism Worldwide 2018



Zhaniethia Antoinette ‘Zara’ Carbonell Villanueva bested some 30 candidates from around the world to claim the first Miss Tourism Worldwide title during the finals held last Sunday in Bantam, Indonesia.

Villanueva, daughter of actor Cris Villanueva and model Zhar Carbonell, also bagged the Miss Queen Ambassadress and Miss Multimedia special awards and finished second in the Miss Talent competition.  Miss Thailand was named first runner-up, South Africa was 2nd runner-up, while Miss France and Miss Siberia finished as 3rd and 4th runners up, respectively.

Carbonell was asked during the Q&A round “What is the accomplishment you are most proud of?” The statuesque Filipina answered with confidence, “I’m very much proud to say that I’m a co-founder of a social enterprise that we have launched last December back in the Philippines, it’s a social enterprise that forwards self-awareness to the youth. In fact I have given about a hundred workshops and talks to public schools, all over the country, which I’m very much excited to, hopefully, be able to share also to different nations, and it is in the power of the youth that I am inspired to be a better person and to do more for the world, thank you.”

Carbonell, who was 2nd Princess at Miss World Philippines 2017, was handpicked to represent the country at the inaugural Miss Tourism Worldwide pageant, presented by the Singapore-based Lumiere Interntional Organization, which has a platform of "promoting Tourism and Culture Exchange to the World." Carbonell, who wanted to become a beauty queen since she was little, added another international crown to the winning-batch of Miss World Philippines 2017 queens which included Reina Hispanoamericana Winwyn Marquez, Miss Eco International Cynthia Thomalla and Miss Multinational Sophia Senoron.

The 25-year-old, graduate of De La Salle University, is a commercial model, actress and loves to engage in the sports of soccer, boxing and Muay Thai.  She has appeared in movies, soap operas and played host for Color Manila Nationwide and VLog titled “In Zee’s Shoes” that brought her to countries in Denmark, Paris, Malaysia and Phuket. Report by Eton B. Concepcion / Photo by Ms. Joy Arguil


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