As Cebu continues to strengthen its position as one of the Philippines’ leading destinations for meetings, incentives, conferences, and exhibitions (MICE), industry leaders gathered at the Cebu Business Month 2026 MICE Tourism Summit to discuss how stronger connectivity, coordinated destination development, and sustained public-private collaboration can support the region’s continued growth.
Held at The Glass Pavilion, Mactan Newtown Beach, the summit brought together 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 to exchange ideas on strengthening Cebu’s competitiveness as a destination for international business events.
As operator of Mactan-Cebu International Airport (MCIA), Aboitiz InfraCapital Cebu Airport Corporation (ACAC) participated in two key panel discussions highlighting 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,” where 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.
“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. That collaboration is what will continue to position Cebu as a globally competitive destination for both business and leisure travel,” said Rafael Aboitiz, Head of Aboitiz InfraCapital Airports.
The summit’s panel discussion on “Air Connectivity and Destination Marketing,” moderated by Rodante Inaki Ponio Jr., Head of Aviation Business Development of Aboitiz InfraCapital Cebu Airport Corporation, brought together representatives from Cebu Pacific, Philippine Airlines, and Aboitiz InfraCapital Cebu Airport Corporation 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.
Joining the discussion, Christine Villanueva, Head of Communications and Strategy of Aboitiz InfraCapital Airports, emphasized that meaningful connectivity goes beyond infrastructure and is built through strong collaboration across the tourism ecosystem.
“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.
At Mactan-Cebu International Airport, we’ve evolved from being a transport hub through our successful air-to-air transfer service, CEB Connects, into an active partner in tourism and economic development through initiatives such as CEB+ for air-to-sea connectivity, CEBEx for air-to-land experiences, and CEB-Balik for overseas Filipino workers. Together, these initiatives help create more opportunities for travelers, communities, and the destinations we serve.”
As the Philippines’ premier resort airport, MCIA continues to strengthen Cebu’s accessibility through its growing domestic and international network while serving as the country’s leading transfer gateway outside Metro Manila.
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. The streamlined transfer experience enables delegates attending meetings, incentives, conferences, and exhibitions in Cebu to conveniently extend their travels to destinations across the Visayas and Mindanao, creating opportunities to combine business with leisure while supporting tourism throughout the country.
Throughout the summit, speakers 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.
As Cebu continues to welcome more business and leisure travelers, initiatives that strengthen connectivity, enhance the visitor experience, and foster destination partnerships will remain important in supporting the region’s long-term competitiveness. Through continued collaboration with its partners, Aboitiz InfraCapital Airports remains committed to helping build the seamless journeys and connected experiences that contribute to Cebu’s growing role as one of the Philippines’ leading gateways for business events and tourism.
