How Cebu Is Becoming a Gateway to Visayas Tourism
Cebu is known for its beaches, historic landmarks, and busy international airport, but its role in Philippine tourism could soon extend much further. A new partnership aims to make the province a starting point for exploring destinations across four Visayas regions, giving travelers more reasons to visit neighboring islands during a single trip.
According to an October 24, 2026, report by InsiderPH, the Department of Tourism (DOT), Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI), Visayas Island-Chambers Tourism Alliance (VITA), and Aboitiz InfraCapital Cebu Airport Corp. (ACAC) formalized their cooperation through a memorandum of understanding signed on October 23 at Mactan-Cebu International Airport in Lapu-Lapu City.
The partnership supports the Discover the Visayas, #FlyViaCebu campaign. Its objective is to use Cebu’s air connections to encourage visitors to explore more destinations, spend additional time in the region, and support businesses beyond the main tourism centers.
Six Destinations Included in the Initial Campaign
The campaign’s first phase highlights six destinations spread across Western Visayas, Central Visayas, Eastern Visayas, and the Negros Island Region. These locations offer different combinations of beaches, cultural attractions, marine activities, and opportunities to experience local communities.
The initial destinations are:
Lapu-Lapu City, Cebu: Located on Mactan Island, Lapu-Lapu is home to Mactan-Cebu International Airport and offers access to coastal resorts, marine activities, and historical attractions associated with the city’s role in Philippine history.
Panglao Island, Bohol: Panglao is known for its beaches, resorts, and diving opportunities. Visitors can also use Bohol as a base for exploring attractions such as the Chocolate Hills and the island’s countryside.
Boracay Island, Aklan: Boracay is recognized for its white-sand beaches, coastal scenery, and water-based activities. Including the island in a wider travel network could encourage visitors to combine a Boracay holiday with other Visayas destinations.
Siquijor: This island province offers waterfalls, beaches, coastal roads, and cultural traditions. It can appeal to travelers seeking a slower-paced island experience alongside more established tourism centers.
Guimaras: Guimaras is known for its mangoes, island scenery, and coastal attractions. It provides an opportunity to experience a different side of Western Visayas, including local food and community-based tourism.
Biliran: Located in Eastern Visayas, Biliran features waterfalls, mountain landscapes, beaches, and marine attractions. Greater visibility through regional tourism promotions could help more travelers consider the province when planning their journeys.
These six destinations form the campaign’s initial rollout, rather than a complete list of every place visitors can explore across the Visayas.
What the Partnership Means for Tourism Businesses
The initiative goes beyond advertising destinations. Its partners also intend to improve air connectivity, strengthen tourism businesses, develop industry skills, and help destinations prepare to welcome more visitors.
For hotels and resorts, stronger regional travel links could create additional accommodation bookings. Tour operators, restaurants, transportation providers, and small tourism enterprises may also benefit when visitors extend their stays or add more stops to their itineraries.
Tourism Undersecretary Stanley Ng emphasized the importance of airports in connecting destinations with travelers and encouraging investment. His remarks highlighted how an airport can serve as the first step toward discovering places beyond the immediate arrival point.
The Department of Tourism plans to support international marketing through its 37 foreign tourism offices, while Mactan-Cebu International Airport will contribute its aviation network and role as a point of entry. Business chambers will help connect tourism enterprises, and Lapu-Lapu City will contribute to the visitor experience.
Gelena Asis-Dimpas, acting director of the DOT Central Visayas office, said the initiative could widen market access for micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) while attracting investment to the region.
For smaller communities, the opportunity is significant: tourism spending can reach family-run accommodation businesses, local food establishments, transport operators, and community-based tour providers when visitors include those places in their itineraries.
One Visayas Tourism Circuit: Routes Built Around Experiences
The campaign aligns with the DOT’s One Visayas Tourism Circuit, which aims to connect attractions across Western Visayas, Central Visayas, Eastern Visayas, and the Negros Island Region. Rather than promoting each destination independently, the initiative seeks to develop travel packages built around shared interests.
The wider circuit covers Cebu, Bohol, Negros Oriental, Siquijor, Iloilo, Bacolod, Capiz, Antique, Leyte, Samar, Biliran, and Guimaras. These destinations can offer a combination of cultural heritage, regional cuisine, nature excursions, and marine tourism.
Three themed routes have been identified for initial development.
UNESCO Heritage and Gastronomy Trails of the Visayas: This route links Bacolod, Iloilo, Tacloban, Samar, Cebu, and Bohol. It focuses on cultural attractions and food experiences, giving visitors a way to discover the region through its history and culinary traditions.
Diving Expeditions in the Visayas: This itinerary features Iloilo, Antique, Bohol, Southern Leyte, and Limasawa Island. It is designed around marine experiences and diving destinations, making it relevant to travelers interested in exploring underwater environments.
Heritage Trails and Cultural Discoveries of the Visayas: This route connects Cebu, Dumaguete, Valencia, Iloilo, Capiz, Guimaras, and Tacloban. Its emphasis is on heritage, cultural attractions, and the distinctive character of communities across the region.
The routes are intended to become market-ready travel packages. The DOT and its partners will work with local governments and tourism businesses to improve destination readiness, encourage tourism accreditation, and make the itineraries easier to promote to domestic and international visitors.
Why Airport Growth Matters to Cebu’s Tourism Future
Mactan-Cebu International Airport is central to the campaign because accessible air travel can influence which destinations visitors choose and how they organize their holidays.
According to InsiderPH, the airport handled more than 11 million passengers in 2025, nearly 3 percent more than in the previous year. January 2026 was its busiest month to date, with international passenger traffic increasing by 25 percent.
These figures provide context for the airport’s role in the regional tourism strategy. However, higher passenger numbers alone do not guarantee that smaller destinations will receive more visitors; convenient connections, coordinated itineraries, reliable transportation, and effective promotion will also matter.
The initiative also supports the DOT’s Discover More to Love program, launched in June to encourage Filipinos to explore additional destinations around the country. The travel packages are being uploaded to the DOT Digital Market and Travel Library for promotion through overseas tourism offices and market representatives.
Frequently Asked Questions About Exploring the Visayas Through Cebu
Does the campaign mean all six destinations have direct flights from Cebu?
Not necessarily. The campaign promotes Cebu as a gateway to regional travel, but individual flight routes and schedules depend on airline operations. Travelers should check current flight availability and consider ferry or land transportation where appropriate.
Can travelers combine several Visayas destinations in one holiday?
Yes, depending on transportation connections and the time available. The proposed tourism circuits are designed to bring multiple destinations together in themed itineraries, although travelers should confirm which packages and transport arrangements are available before booking.
Where can visitors check for travel packages?
The Department of Tourism’s Digital Market and Travel Library is being used to promote the planned packages. Travelers should also consult official tourism offices, airlines, ferry operators, and accredited tourism businesses for current schedules and booking information.
As the Discover the Visayas, #FlyViaCebu campaign develops, travelers can begin by choosing the experiences that interest them most, whether food and heritage, diving, or island scenery. Check available transportation, allow enough time between destinations, and verify which itineraries are ready for booking before finalizing your plans.
