DOT eyes tourism growth through esports events

MANILA, Philippines — The successful hosting of the M5 World Championship has positioned the Philippines as a serious contender in the global esports ecosystem — not only as a competitive gaming hub but as a rising destination for esports tourism.

With the growing visibility of Mobile Legends: Bang Bang (MLBB) and its professional league, MPL Philippines, the nation is steadily attracting attention from international publishers, with local government units (LGUs) and even the Department of Tourism (DOT) recognizing the potential of esports to drive tourism and regional development.

“Since M5, it was really an eye-opener for me. We’ve actually been entertaining queries from other countries and companies on the potential of the Philippines to host other esports events.” shared Roberto Alabado III, director of Office of Film and Sports Tourism at the Department of Tourism during the MPL Philippines Season 15 playoffs.

Alabado added how the country's hosting pushed industry conversations and site inspections from major global stakeholders, signaling that the Philippines has the audience, passion and organizational capability to be a regular host for esports events. However, there are still certain aspects that the country could improve on.

“In terms of some infrastructure requirements, we may have to catch up,” noted Alabado.

The local league, MPL Philippines, is making a strong case for domestic tourism growth as well. The previous season saw audiences from provinces, including La Union, Iloilo and Bacolod, with fans traveling to Metro Manila to witness their favorite teams live in action.

“This proves that MPL is a driving force for people to travel. I was thinking if it was possible that MPL could be hosted by other cities and provinces to also push for tourism. It is an opportunity for [local government units] to host the fans of these games and at the same time showcase their tourist attractions," said Alabado.

For Moonton Games, there has always been that push to bring their game, as well as their different activities to everyone in the Philippines, not just for players in Metro Manila.

"We are not just really focused on the professional league here in Manila. As a matter of fact, we are doing multiple grassroots tournaments either hosted by our community heroes [or through] our student leader programs. We are doing our barangay caravans nationwide. We are doing tournaments on different campuses nationwide. We are doing different watch parties for MPL as well in different touchpoints around the Philippines,” said Moonton Games Esports Business Development & Partnerships Lead, Lee Viloria.

What makes esports distinct from traditional spectator sports is its player-fan overlap. As Alabado noted, most MLBB spectators are also active players — a rare occurrence in sports viewership.

"This is a very different type of spectator sport because I would love to watch a football match, but I don't play football. Same with basketball. Most of those watching may not be even playing basketball, but for Mobile Legends, almost all of the spectators are actually playing the game. So this sets another level of excitement. I was telling the sports directors of different universities that they should attend such competitions. Then they will see that this will be at par or maybe surpass even the excitement of watching university games. Sabi ko sa kanila, if you want to see excitement, if you want to see fans who would go crazy over a game, then they should watch Mobile Legends,” said Alabado.

With structured government support, strong community engagement, and a fanbase that spans the country, the Philippines is poised to become a regional and possibly global leader in esports tourism. While challenges remain — particularly in venue scale and infrastructure — the foundation has been laid.

"Hindi pa namin na-finalize ang sports agenda or what we call the roadmap for sports. When you say sports tourism in general, and esports, we have considered esports as a priority focus or area within sports tourism. That I can say, with this roadmap that we're finalizing right now, esports is part of it as we recognize this industry as a driver for tourism,” said Alabado.