CEBU, Philippines – Preparations are nearing completion for TRAVEX 2026, ASEAN’s flagship tourism trade exchange, which will be held in Cebu from Jan. 28 to 30, 2026, as part of the annual ASEAN Tourism Forum. For three days, the event is expected to draw hundreds of tourism enterprises, tour operators, destination marketers and buyers from across Southeast Asia and key long-haul markets, reaffirming TRAVEX’s role as the region’s most influential business-to-business tourism platform.
Officials involved in the planning say the exchange comes at a moment when ASEAN destinations are seeking to stabilize and expand travel demand amid shifting global conditions. Philippine tourism authorities have described the hosting of TRAVEX as a strategic opportunity to place local sellers directly in front of international buyers, while signaling the country’s readiness to compete as a reliable partner in regional tourism supply chains.
A Regional Marketplace With Global Reach
Since its inception, TRAVEX has functioned as ASEAN’s primary meeting ground for structured negotiations and deal-making between sellers and buyers, particularly from ASEAN’s Dialogue Partner countries. Industry representatives note that the exchange has become increasingly important as destinations diversify markets and products, from leisure travel to meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions, known as MICE tourism.
International buyers, according to organizers, have expressed growing interest in ASEAN’s secondary cities and island destinations, citing improved air connectivity and infrastructure. For Philippine participants, the event is seen as a chance to convert that interest into long-term partnerships and contracts, while reinforcing confidence in the country’s tourism offerings.
Cebu’s Debut on the Global MICE Stage
TRAVEX 2026 will also serve as a coming-out moment for Cebu’s Mactan Expo Center, which will host the exchange as its first major international event. The purpose-built venue significantly expands the island’s capacity to stage large-scale trade exhibitions and conferences, a long-standing gap identified by both domestic planners and international event organizers.
Government officials have pointed to the accelerated construction of the Expo Center—marked by a capsule-laying ceremony in April 2024—as evidence of the Philippines’ broader commitment to upgrading its MICE infrastructure. Tourism analysts say the timing is deliberate: by aligning the facility’s completion with TRAVEX, the country is testing not only a new venue, but its ability to deliver events at a regional standard.
As ASEAN looks to strengthen intra-regional travel and its links to global markets, TRAVEX 2026 in Cebu is shaping up to be more than a trade fair. For the Philippines, it is a statement of intent—about infrastructure, partnerships and its place in Southeast Asia’s evolving tourism economy. (zai)