LAPU-LAPU CITY, Cebu, 30 January 2026: Targeting more international events, the Department of Tourism (DOT) and the Cebu MICE Alliance launched Cebu’s first-ever MICE guidebook on the sidelines of ASEAN Tourism Forum TRAVEX earlier this week.
The annual regional trade show convened from 28 to 30 January in the host destination Cebu, the Philippines, attracting 271 international travel buyers, 124 Philippine travel content providers, and 222 registered seller exhibitors from the remaining 10 ASEAN member nations — Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore, Thailand, Timor Leste and Vietnam.
In a move to boost Cebu’s Meetings, Incentives, Conventions, and Exhibitions (MICE) sector, leading players launched the inaugural edition of the Cebu MICE Guidebook to participants at the trade show, which ends today, Friday, 30 January.
DOT Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco, Tourism Promotions Board (TPB) Chief Operating Officer Marga Nograles, and Cebu MICE Alliance President Cleofe Albiso led the unveiling of the Cebu MICE Guide 2025 at the recently opened Mactan Expo, the main venue for the TRAVEX and ATF 2026 sessions.
Developed by the Cebu MICE Alliance and printed by the DOT, the guidebook contains key information on the island province’s venues, accommodations, destination experiences, service providers, and support infrastructure, serving as a practical resource and pitch for event planners and organisers worldwide.
In 2024, the said regional alliance of line agencies and tourism-allied industries noted that MICE tourism in Cebu is rapidly growing and “is poised to make a significant economic impact, contributing an estimated PHP1 billion to Cebu’s economy by 2029.”
Tourism Secretary Frasco lauded the Cebu MICE alliance for developing the guidebook, emphasising that the initiative not only promotes the province as a premier destination for international engagements but also empowers communities and local stakeholders.
“Cebu’s strength as a MICE destination lies in the depth and balance of what it offers. An award-winning international airport and broad air connectivity support venues and world-class hotels, as well as convention and exhibition facilities, including this venue. Beyond the meeting room, Cebu offers beaches and island diversity, world-class diving, living culture, vibrant festivals, and a tradition of warm Filipino hospitality that consistently distinguishes the Cebu experience,” said Secretary Frasco.
MICE tourism has proven to be an income-generating opportunity for the Philippines. Data from the International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA) showed that foreign delegates spend an average of over PHR32,086 per day, which is nearly five times the amount spent by a typical leisure tourist.
(Source: DOT Philippines)
