Katrina Marie D. Evardo and Rexann Mae P. Tiu, USC Interns / Writers
The International Travel Festival (ITF) held its annual comeback for its 10th Edition from March 14 to 16, 2025, at the Pacific Grand Ballroom of Waterfront Cebu City Hotel and Casino. The free three-day event afforded a vast collection of exhibitors, allowing the attendees to gather all the best travel deals in one place.
With the showcase of Cebuano music and dance as well as Eldar, Enchanted Kingdom's friendly wizard mascot, the grand opening was celebrated with an honorary ribbon-cutting ceremony headed by esteemed guests and organizers.
Following this year's theme, “A Decade of Travel Inspirations,” Stephanie Villahermosa of myEventology expressed her enthusiasm for the event, encouraging travelers and enthusiasts alike to celebrate, learn, and inspire one another with engaging, valuable, insightful, and impactful moments.
Hon. Jocelyn “Joy” Pesquera, Cebu City Councilor and Chair of the Cebu City Tourism Commission welcomed esteemed guests from the Department of Tourism of the Philippines, Department of Tourism-Central Visayas, Philippine Airlines, Waterfront Hotel and Casino, Nustar, Cathay Pacific, Ayala Lang Hospitality, Shangri-La's Mactan Resort & Spa, and Mactan Cebu International Airport.
The event was also graced by Christina Garcia Frasco, Tourism Secretary of the Philippines, who urged the audience with a call to action stating, “Let us take inspiration from our nation’s beauty and diversity, and channel our collective energy into shaping a tourism industry that uplifts lives, preserves our heritage, and proudly showcases the Philippines to the world.”
Highlighted during the event were the entities and industries that brought many travelers’ dreams to life from travel agencies, airlines, hotels, resorts, tour generators, NTOs, RTOs, and government agencies.
A representative of Sunlight Air noted their success from ITF’s ninth edition with the hope of attracting more passengers and embarking on new journeys with the airline. Trajet Air representatives spoke similarly regarding their experiences during ITF 2023 and 2024, highlighting their aspirations for this year’s ITF. They also shared their ambition to surpass their previous successes and establish more partnerships with other tourism agencies to create a distinct identity for their business.
Filled with travel deals, exclusive tour packages and discounts, insider travel tips, live cultural performances, games, raffle giveaways, and a photo booth, the International Travel Festival was truly a remarkable event for all travel enthusiasts.
For more information, visit ITF’s official Facebook page International Travel Festival - Philippines, or its website at itf-philippines.com. S