With the province continuing to strengthen its position as one of the Philippines’ leading destinations for meetings, incentives, conferences, and exhibitions (MICE).
At the recent Cebu Business Month 2026 MICE Tourism Summit at The Glass Pavilion, Mactan Newtown Beach in Cebu, industry leaders gathered to discuss how stronger connectivity, coordinated destination development, and sustained public-private collaboration can support the region’s continued growth.
Present during the event were representatives from the Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCCI), the Department of Tourism (DOT), the Mactan-Cebu International Airport Authority (MCIAA), local government units, airlines, business organizations, and tourism stakeholders.
They were there to exchange ideas on strengthening Cebu’s competitiveness as a destination for international business events.
Aboitiz InfraCapital Cebu Airport Corporation (ACAC), which operates the province’s key gateway Mactan-Cebu International Airport (MCIA), participated in two key panel discussions that highlighted the role of aviation connectivity, tourism partnerships, and destination marketing in supporting both business and leisure travel.
Rafael Aboitiz, Head of Aboitiz InfraCapital Airports and Chairman of the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI)–Lapu-Lapu City, joined the panel discussion, The Chamber’s Role in Tourism Growth.
There, business leaders emphasized the importance of presenting Cebu as one connected destination through closer collaboration among government, chambers of commerce, tourism organizations, and infrastructure partners.
For Aboitiz, he told, “Cebu’s strength lies in the partnerships we continue to build across government, business, and the tourism industry. When we work together with a shared vision, we create an environment where connectivity, investment, and visitor experiences reinforce one another.“
He furthered, “That collaboration is what will continue to position Cebu as a globally competitive destination for both business and leisure travel.”
Meanwhile, Rodante Inaki Ponio Jr., Head of Aviation Business Development of Aboitiz InfraCapital Cebu Airport Corporation moderated the summit’s panel discussion on Air Connectivity and Destination Marketing.
Part of the said panel were representatives from Cebu Pacific, Philippine Airlines, and Aboitiz InfraCapital Cebu Airport Corporation.
They sat down to discuss how airline partnerships, route development, passenger experience, and destination marketing collectively contribute to Cebu’s continued growth as both a business and tourism destination.
Christine Villanueva, Head of Communications and Strategy of Aboitiz InfraCapital Airports, emphasized at the said discussion, “Connectivity happens when airports, tourism stakeholders, local governments, and national agencies work together to build destinations that people genuinely want to visit—and return to.”
“When we get that equation right, airlines don’t need to be convinced. They come because the market is already there,” she furthered.
The officer then mentioned the initiatives of Mactan-Cebu International Airport (MCIA), including the air-to-air transfer service, CEB Connects, CEB+ for air-to-sea connectivity, CEBEx for air-to-land experiences, and CEB-Balik for overseas Filipino workers.
Through CEB Connects, travelers arriving via MCIA can conveniently connect to 28 domestic destinations and 13 international destinations, with minimum connection times of just 35 minutes for domestic-to-domestic transfers and 60 minutes for international-to-domestic journeys.
“Together, these initiatives help create more opportunities for travelers, communities, and the destinations we serve,” Villanueva added.
Throughout the summit, speakers also reinforced that sustained collaboration among airports, airlines, tourism stakeholders, local governments, national agencies, chambers of commerce, and the private sector remains essential in strengthening Cebu’s tourism ecosystem and expanding opportunities for the MICE industry.
