Central Visayas sees slow start in tourism

CEBU CITY, Philippines — Central Visayas posted a mixed tourism performance in the first quarter of 2026: the region hosted a string of high-profile international events even as visitor arrivals and hotel occupancy declined.

The sector got off to a slow start this year, according to the Regional Economic Situationer Report from the Department of Economy, Planning, and Development (DepDev-7).

Bohol recorded the sharpest drop, with tourist arrivals falling to 170,016, down from 417,142, or roughly a 59 percent decline, in the same period last year.

READ MORE: Central Visayas loses P35.5B in tourism revenue

Cebu province fared better but still posted a 6 percent decline in arrivals.

Room occupancy in Cebu also softened. Rooms occupied fell 14 percent and total guest nights dropped 97 percent, even as room inventory expanded 227 percent year-on-year.

East Asia remained the region’s primary source of foreign visitors, led by South Korea, China, Japan and Taiwan.

External pressures

DepDev-7 attributed the decline to several external factors including global geopolitical tensions, rising fuel costs and airfares, and travel uncertainty.

Stiffer competition from other regional destinations and shifting traveler preferences have also been cited as factors behind the slump during the first quarter.

The dip in arrivals came even as Central Visayas drew global attention through major events.

READ MORE: South Korea remains Cebu’s top market for foreign arrivals

The Sinulog Festival in January alone drew 5.2 million spectators and helped push regional restaurant and accommodation inflation up 9.1 percent.

The region also hosted several high-level gatherings ahead of the 48th ASEAN Summit in May, including the ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Retreat and the ASEAN Tourism Forum.

Cebu’s growing profile as a hub for meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions — MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions) — got a further boost from global awards recognizing the sector.

READ: Mactan-Cebu airport posts growth in air, passenger traffic amid oil crisis

To build on that momentum, Cebu rolled out its MICE Guide 2025, showcasing 300 event-ready establishments across the province.

On the policy front, authorities in March launched the “Cebu and Bohol Turista iWAS Scam” program to combat online travel scams, which have logged nearly 200 reported incidents.

In Bohol, the Sustainable Tourism Development Code was signed into law, and the long-shuttered Virgin Island reopened to visitors after a two-year closure.

In turn, industry players are looking to the rest of 2026 for a turnaround.

READ: Tourism share in PH GDP shrank to 8.1% in 2025

Planned openings of large-capacity venues, including the SMX Seaside Cebu Arena and the SMX Convention Center Cebu, are expected to boost the region’s events capacity.

Bohol, meanwhile, is charting a diversification path centered on geotourism circuits, gastronomy and arts trails, and an expanded push into regenerative and community-based tourism.

Your subscription could not be saved. Please try again.

Your subscription has been successful.

Read Next

Disclaimer: The comments uploaded on this site do not necessarily represent or reflect the views of management and owner of Cebudailynews. We reserve the right to exclude comments that we deem to be inconsistent with our editorial standards.