As international buyers prepare to travel to Cebu for the ASEAN Tourism Forum 2026, attention is focused not only on the trade fair itself, but also on what happens immediately after it ends.
This year, nearly 300 international buyers from 50 countries, together with more than 300 ASEAN exhibitors, 100 of which are Philippine sellers, are expected to participate in ATF TRAVEX 2026, with the Tourism Promotions Board (TPB) Philippines coordinating the event as host.
Once the trade floor closes, buyers and media delegates will have the option to embark on curated post-event tours across several Philippine destinations. These familiarization trips are designed to give participants direct, on-the-ground experience that supports the development of relevant, compelling, and market-ready tour products.
The destinations have been selected to reflect different tourism segments and operating environments across the archipelago: Clark-Pampanga-Manila for urban access and heritage; Bohol for sustainable island tourism; Davao for nature and culture; the Dumaguete-Siquijor circuit for coastal and wellness travel; and Coron and El Nido for marine tourism and high-value nature experiences.
For buyers, these tours offer an opportunity to assess the practical elements that impact commercial viability, such as connectivity, infrastructure readiness, service quality, environmental management, and the operational capacity of local partners. Corporate buyers can assess venues and accessibility for meetings and events, while leisure wholesalers can evaluate accommodation supply and tour logistics. Meanwhile, niche operators can see first-hand whether sustainability and conservation commitments are genuinely upheld.
For destinations and suppliers, the tours create space for deeper engagement beyond the limitations of brief trade floor meetings. Local operators can explain on-the-ground realities, discuss operational considerations, and demonstrate preparedness in a more meaningful and transparent setting.
As a result, the post-event tours serve as a built-in assessment component within the trade process, providing essential context that reduces uncertainty and helps convert interest into informed, long-term business decisions.
For the Philippines, hosting TRAVEX strengthens the country’s role as a practical trade connector, linking ASEAN tourism suppliers with buyers not only within Southeast Asia, but also from long-haul markets through pre-scheduled networking appointments and country presentations on a single, powerful platform.
This is why, beyond the business meetings, the post-event tours have become a central feature of how TRAVEX operates, and a key mechanism through which tourism partnerships move from introduction to actual transaction.
