MANILA — As the 2026 chair of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), the Philippines aims to position the region as a unified destination and a global champion of sustainable tourism.
Tourism Secretary Christina Frasco emphasized the goal ahead of the country’s hosting of the 2026 ASEAN Tourism Forum (ATF) in Cebu, scheduled from Jan. 26 to 29, alongside the ministerial meeting of ASEAN Tourism Ministers.
Frasco said one of the major outcome documents expected at the high-level meet is the ASEAN Tourism Strategic Action Plan, of which the Philippines is the country coordinator.
“That began with a survey of the priority tourism products and priorities of the ASEAN economies as far as tourism development is concerned. And on the part of the Philippines, we’re really pushing for regional cooperation for ASEAN as one tourism destination for sustainability in tourism development,” she told reporters in an interview on Thursday in Makati City.
Preparations for the 2026 ASEAN chairship are “well underway,” Frasco added, with the Department of Tourism (DOT) on top of hospitality, cultural events, and tours for the delegates.
Frasco said the Philippines also targets to bring in a huge number of buyers as much as possible for the TRAVEX trade show, another major component of the ATF.
“It should be as big as we can make it not as far as the capacity of the Mactan Expo allows,” she said.
President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. accepted the Philippines’ 2026 ASEAN chairship during the turnover ceremony in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, in October this year.
The ASEAN chair is responsible not just for the leaders-level summits but all the other gatherings for the bloc. (PNA)