TOURISM leader Liz Ortiguera urged Cebu to integrate its rich cultural identity into its Mice (meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions) offerings, as global business events increasingly favor authentic, inclusive and locally rooted experiences.
Speaking at the Cebu Business Month 2025 Tourism Forum on June 26, 2025, Ortiguera emphasized that Cebu’s strengths in hospitality, creativity and musicality could give it a competitive edge as it aims to become a top international Mice destination.
“Align venue design with cultural branding. Highlight the local experience,” said Ortiguera, former chief executive officer of the Pacific Asia Travel Association. “One way to do this is to diversify and support your local suppliers. Make sure you’re sourcing as much as possible from within the community.”
Held at the Sky Hall of SM Seaside City Cebu, the forum—titled “Mice Ready: Staging Cebu for the Global Platform”—gathered tourism stakeholders, international experts and government officials to sharpen Cebu’s positioning in the booming global Mice industry.
Ortiguera said the global Mice sector is set to create 90.6 million jobs over the next decade, with the Asia-Pacific region—especially the Visayas—well positioned to benefit. She noted the industry’s 10 percent compound annual growth rate outpaces most sectors, presenting both an opportunity and a challenge for destinations like Cebu.
“Our industry is going to create a tremendous amount of jobs,” she said. “This is a powerful job generator, and we need to prepare local talent to meet that demand.”
Ortiguera said Cebu is still one of the top Asia-Pacific Secondary City Mice destinations, only trailing behind Phuket and Pattaya, Thailand; Bali, Indonesia; Danang, Vietnam; Penang, Malaysia; and Siem Reap, Cambodia.
She outlined seven global trends reshaping the Mice landscape: hybrid event formats, sustainability, technology integration, diversity and inclusion, authenticity, wellness and talent development. Citing examples like Bali’s cultural processions, she said creating memorable, meaningful experiences is now central to winning over international delegates.
Wellness, once considered secondary, is now a key priority, along with event safety and sustainability.
Ortiguera said 87 percent of planners now favor green practices and 72 percent require hybrid event capabilities. The push for inclusion is also growing, with over 90 percent of event organizers seeking to reflect diverse values.
Enhance local partnership
To help Cebu stand out, Ortiguera recommended enhancing local partnerships, investing in skilled Mice talent, and emphasizing the Filipino brand of service excellence.
CBM 2025 overall chairman Anton Mari Perdices welcomed Ortiguera’s insights, saying Cebu is prepared to scale up and respond to global trends.
“Cebu is not only preparing for global attention—it is determined to remain at the forefront by offering experiences that resonate long after delegates return home,” said Perdices.
Tourism Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco, who also addressed the forum, said the government’s 2023–2028 National Tourism Development Plan positions Mice as a key growth driver and supports local efforts to raise industry standards.
Frasco highlighted infrastructure bottlenecks—such as traffic, utility reliability and affordability—but reaffirmed the Marcos administration’s commitment to tourism-enabling investments.
“When we strengthen our foundations in mobility, water, power and affordability, we do more than enhance the visitor experience,” Frasco said. “We build a Cebu that is truly future-ready.”
She called on local governments to integrate last-mile infrastructure into tourism master plans and encouraged private investors to pursue sustainable, long-term solutions.
“Cebu is not just a crown jewel in the Philippines—it is our blueprint for the future,” Frasco said. “We will show the world that Cebu is not just a destination—it is a standard for excellence, resilience and vision.”
Asean Tourism Forum 2026 in Cebu
Moreover, Frasco said Cebu will host the Asean Tourism Forum in 2026, following its successful hosting of two high-level United Nations Tourism events last year—the Regional Forum on Gastronomy Tourism for Asia and the Pacific, and the Joint Commission Meetings for East Asia, the Pacific and South Asia.
“These global milestones reflect more than recognition—for they reaffirm Cebu’s leadership as a premier host for high-level gatherings and a competitive hub for meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions,” the tourism chief said. “This leadership is especially critical as we advance the development of the Mice industry in the Philippines. Not as a mere niche but as a strategic pillar for tourism growth.”
Frasco explained that one of the DOT’s strategic goals is to diversify the tourism portfolio by investing in high-value products, services and experiences such as Mice, noting that Mice delegates spend an average of US$573.11 per day—five times more than the average leisure tourist.
To support this, the DOT continues to promote the MicePlus Program of the Tourism Promotions Board Philippines, which offers financial and promotional assistance to organizers. Frasco encouraged members of the CCCI to explore these incentives through the DOT-Central Visayas.
She also pointed to major infrastructure investments—such as the SMX Convention Center and the upcoming Mactan Expo Center—as strong indicators of Cebu’s emergence as a top-tier venue for international events. / Ashley Judd F. Alon, University of the Visayas / KOC