The province scales its reach as the Philippines’ largest convention centre bolsters existing regional capacity
Cebu’s long-standing status as a vacation destination is fuelling a surge in its business events sector.
With the arrival of dedicated convention centres, the province is scaling its capacity to match its connectivity, driven by more than 1,300 weekly international and domestic flights, alongside a growing inventory of top-tier hotels and venues.
The sector’s transformation culminates later this year with the debut of SMX Convention Center Seaside Cebu. Boasting over 21,000m2 of leasable space, the facility will become the largest convention centre in the Philippines.
This venue provides an alternative for the exhibitions, conventions, and global-scale gatherings that previously had to be staged in Metro Manila, said Walid Wafik, senior vice president of operations for SM Hotels and Conventions Corp.
Walid also highlighted a developing ecosystem in the South Road Properties corridor. This compact district includes the upcoming SM Seaside Arena, new hotel developments, and a concentration of retail and leisure options for delegates.
“While SM Seaside Arena hosts large-scale concerts, sporting events, and major entertainment productions, SMX Seaside Cebu can simultaneously support the exhibitions, conferences, and trade components that often accompany them. This synergy enables organisers to stage events that combine multiple formats, which used to only be possible in Manila,” Walid elaborated.
On the other side of the province, Mactan Expo launched in January 2026 as the host venue for the ASEAN Tourism Forum’s TRAVEX. Located within the 30-hectare The Mactan Newtown, it is Cebu’s first business events facility fully integrated into a ‘live-work-play-attend’ township.
Cleofe Albiso, managing director of Megaworld Hotels and Resorts – the Philippines’ largest hotel operator by room count – said that The Mactan Newtown was designed to allow delegates attending events at Mactan Expo to stay at hotels in the vicinity – Savoy Hotel Mactan Newtown and Mactan Mercure Cebu.
To support the growing bleisure trend, guests can easily enjoy dining, retail, and beachfront leisure experiences all within walking distance, including access to the Mactan Newtown Beach, Albiso said.
Albiso added that Megaworld is prioritising “inclusive hospitality” through Muslim-friendly and halal accreditations, multilingual engagement, and a ‘Sampaguita Brand of Service’ designed to project Filipino warmth to international delegates.
Cebu’s status as a top-tier destination for incentive travel is backed by data. Tourism Promotions Board’s (TPB) chief operating officer, Margarita Nograles, noted the province welcomed over 2,200 incentive participants last year, 70 per cent of whom arrived from South Korea. She attributed this dominance to direct air connectivity, and a mature outbound incentive market.
New visa-free entry for China and streamlined processing for India and Taiwan are further accelerating the sector’s growth. These policy shifts allow Cebu’s business events stakeholders to align their marketing strategies toward capturing these high-growth segments.
Regarding India, Nograles identified it as a “fast-growing source market” with high demand for large, experience-led group travel. She noted that the combination of improved connectivity and eased visa restrictions provides significant headroom for further growth from the subcontinent.
Nograles emphasised that Cebu remains a top priority for TPB, with promotional efforts intensifying alongside the rollout of new infrastructure.
“At the destination level, TPB works closely with the Cebu MICE Alliance – a coordinated network of hotels, venues, and DMCs – to collaborate on bid preparation, programme design, and event delivery,” she elaborated.
This collaboration allows the province to present “unified and competitive proposals”, a strategy further bolstered by the Philippine MICE Cities Program. According to Nograles, the programme “supports destinations in strengthening their positioning, stakeholder coordination, and overall readiness to compete for international events”.
Central Visayas’ Department of Tourism overall-in-charge, Gelena Asis-Dimpas, credits the private sector with driving this momentum.
“The private sector here is involved in improving both infrastructure and systems, and this energy propels us forward in MICE tourism,” she said.
Following its hosting of the ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Retreat, ASEAN Tourism Forum, and 11th International Travel Festival in March, Cebu’s 2026 calendar remains packed. Upcoming events include the Junior World Showcase Asia in July, and Build Better 2026 conference in August.
