Visayas biz groups urged to convert passenger traffic to local spending

CEBU, Philippines — Business chambers across the Visayas are being urged to develop market-ready tourism products and link island destinations through Cebu as industry groups seek to convert rising passenger traffic into local spending and investment.

The Visayas Island-Chambers Tourism Alliance (VITA), together with tourism and airport partners, presented an action plan to package local attractions into cross-island itineraries, mobilize businesses and coordinate destination marketing at the 52nd Philippine Business Conference and Exposition in Manila on Oct. 14.

The plan was discussed during a breakout session titled “Connecting Destinations, Creating Opportunities: A Collaborative Discussion on Tourism Growth Through Regional Connectivity.”

VITA Chairman and Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry Lapu-Lapu President Anthony Noel said business chambers could benefit through increased visitor traffic for their members and stronger institutional support for local enterprises.

“Both matter,” Noel said, referring to the potential for more visitors and business activity, as well as improved member retention, data-driven advocacy and training for chambers.

VITA outlined four priorities for chambers: identify and package local tourism products into Cebu-linked circuits; encourage hotels, restaurants, craft businesses and transport providers to participate; use airport route data to engage local governments on infrastructure, festivals and tourism policies; and extend inter-chamber cooperation to trade missions, business matching and investment promotion.

The alliance covers chambers and destinations across Cebu, Bohol, Leyte, Samar, Negros and Panay.

“More routes mean more arrivals. More arrivals only help if visitors stay longer and spend locally,” Noel said. VITA’s role, he added, is to develop tourism products, promote destinations and prepare businesses to serve visitors.

The strategy is built around “Discover the Visayas, #FlyViaCebu,” a campaign led by VITA in partnership with the Department of Tourism (DOT), PCCI and Aboitiz InfraCapital Cebu Airport Corporation (ACAC), the operator of Mactan-Cebu International Airport (MCIA).

Blessie Cruz, AIC Airports’ head of tourism and destination marketing, urged chambers to contribute market-ready visitor experiences, connect them to itineraries involving other destinations and jointly promote the resulting packages.

The campaign seeks to position Cebu as an entry point for travelers visiting multiple destinations in the Visayas, with participating islands providing attractions and local businesses supplying tourism-related services.

“Cebu gives us the shared gateway, while destinations contribute the reasons to visit,” Cruz said, adding that coordination among partners could make it easier for travelers to plan, book and move between islands.

Cebu airport traffic offers potential market

MCIA handled 11.6 million passengers in 2025, an increase of nearly  3 percent from a year earlier, according to figures presented during the session. International passenger traffic rose 18.4 percent in the first half of 2026, while Central Visayas received 2.55 million foreign visitors in 2025.

The airport is scheduled to serve 28 domestic and 17 international destinations beginning November 2026, according to the presentation.

The figures point to a potential market for businesses across the region, although converting passenger growth into local revenue will depend on the availability of bookable tourism products, transport connections and coordinated marketing.

For participating businesses, the proposed circuits could generate additional customers for hotels, restaurants, retailers, transport operators and suppliers.

Chambers could also use visitor and route data to support discussions with local governments on tourism infrastructure and policy priorities.

PCCI Boracay President Djila Winebrenner said destinations already had visitor experiences to offer but needed to package them into itineraries that travelers could navigate across islands.

“Our members already have the experiences. The work now is to package them so a traveler can plan, book, and move between islands with ease,” Winebrenner said.

Partners take complementary roles

A panel featuring Noel, Cruz, Winebrenner, PCCI Area Vice President for the Visayas Atty. Jobert A. Peñaflorida and AIC First Vice President and Head of Corporate Affairs Christopher M. Camba outlined the responsibilities of participating organizations.

ACAC is expected to support air connectivity and passenger transfers through services such as CEB Connects, which reduces domestic connecting time to 35 minutes, according to the presentation.

The DOT will lead destination promotion, tourism circuit development and capacity building, while VITA and local chambers will organize businesses and develop tourism products.

Online travel platforms Klook and Trip.com provide booking channels through the Discover the Visayas website, discoverthevisayas.com.

Camba said coordination among the airport operator, tourism authorities and business groups could improve destination competitiveness and expand opportunities for local enterprises.

“By working alongside DOT and PCCI, we can better align our efforts to strengthen destination competitiveness, support local enterprises, and create more opportunities for communities across the Visayas,” he said.

Peñaflorida said the alliance could help turn the concept of “One Visayas” into a framework for regional economic cooperation.

From tourism promotion to economic returns

The partners intend to measure the results of the initiative in the Visayas and assess whether the model can be adapted for other regions. Business chambers are expected to take a more active role in developing and marketing destinations, rather than relying solely on national and local tourism agencies.

The session formed part of the conference theme, “Raising the Bar: Empowering Business for a Resilient Future.” It followed the presentation of a memorandum of understanding among the DOT, PCCI, representing VITA, and ACAC to establish a framework for advancing the Discover the Visayas, #FlyViaCebu campaign.

The initiative’s economic impact will ultimately depend on whether stronger connectivity translates into longer stays, higher visitor spending and more business for enterprises beyond Cebu’s main gateway.