PALAWAN is banking on Cebu’s strong tourism market and air connectivity to attract more visitors as the province seeks to expand its domestic and international tourist base.
The province recorded 2.13 million visitor arrivals in 2025, generating P65.51 billion in tourism receipts and visitor spending, according to provincial tourism data. Foreign travelers accounted for 48 percent of arrivals, with domestic and international visitors now making up roughly
equal shares.
“Tourism and agriculture are what keep this province running, so we have to keep bringing Palawan to where the market is,” Palawan Gov. Amy Roa Alvarez said, in a statement.
According to Alvarez, Cebu is a key market because of its large passenger base and links to Palawan’s main destinations.
Its gateway, the Mactan-Cebu International Airport, handled 11.6 million passengers in 2025, while Central Visayas recorded about 6.9 million tourist arrivals.
Provincial officials also said Cebu has direct flights to Puerto Princesa, El Nido and Busuanga, the gateway to Coron. The flight to Puerto Princesa takes a little over an hour, making Palawan easier to include in multi-destination trips.
Alvarez said the province wants to broaden its market beyond its established reputation for beaches and natural attractions by highlighting its people, history and cultural heritage.
“Tourism has to benefit every Palaweño,” said Palawan Tourism Council president Rey Felix “Rix” Rafols.
Against this backdrop, Palawan will bring its tourism industry to Cebu in October through a three-day trade expo, marking the first time in 11 years that the event will be held outside Metro Manila.
The Palawan World’s Best Island Travel and Trade Expo 2026 will run from Oct. 23 to 25, 2026, at Ayala Center Cebu under the theme “Beyond Paradise: Connecting Islands, Creating Opportunities.”
The provincial government and the Palawan Tourism Council expect the event to draw about 8,000 visitors and 60 buyer companies, with 250 business appointments and P25 million in on-site and 30-day bookings targeted.
The expo will include consumer sales, business-to-business meetings and a tourism
investment forum involving hotels, resorts, tour operators and transport providers, as well as travel agencies, meetings, incentives, conventions and exhibitions buyers and corporate clients.
The event was first held in 2015 and revived in February 2025 in Makati City, where it drew more than 80 exhibitors.
The province is also looking to expand its reach in overseas markets. Alvarez said Palawan remains relatively less known among travelers in Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia despite its
international reputation.
The provincial government has hired a Manila-based firm to develop a rebranding campaign, which Alvarez said is targeted for launch next year.
Tourism growth, however, will also depend on
infrastructure improvements, particularly airport capacity.
Alvarez said the provincial government has discussed with the Department of Transportation plans to extend the runway and build a new terminal in Coron, with completion expected in the second half of 2027.
The longer runway could accommodate Airbus aircraft and direct international flights, while runway lighting would allow flights to operate beyond 5 p.m., she said.
Alvarez expects more flights into Palawan in November and December, which she said could give travelers more options and help lower the cost of trips to the province.
The Provincial Government plans to continue working with tourism businesses, local governments and other agencies to expand the market and increase tourism-related livelihoods in Palawan. / KOC