Cebu City, Philippines – Industry leaders, and stakeholders gathered at NUSTAR Resort Cebu for the successful staging of the Sports Tourism Forum 2026, marking a significant step in the Philippines’ push to elevate sports tourism as a key pillar of tourism growth.
Bringing together an impressive roster of speakers and panelists from across the sports and tourism landscape, the forum created a strong sense of alignment among participants. A clear direction emerged from the discussions: sports tourism is rapidly evolving into a high-impact sector capable of driving visitor arrivals, investment, and regional development.
Throughout the forum, speakers emphasized that global travel patterns are shifting, with more travelers seeking immersive, experience-driven journeys anchored on shared interests such as sports. Charles Lim, President and COO of Sports Turismo Alliance Inc., highlighted this shift, noting the rising appeal of sport-motivated travel and the growing number of travelers planning trips around sporting events and activities in the coming year.
The Philippines is positioning itself to take advantage of this momentum. In his keynote message, Patrick Gregorio, Chairman of the Philippine Sports Commission, shared the country’s vision of becoming a leading sports tourism destination in the region. He pointed to the Philippines’ natural advantages, including a strong sports culture, diverse destinations, and the ability to host events year-round, as well as ongoing efforts to better align government initiatives through a unified, inter-agency approach, the National Sports Tourism Inter-Agency Committee.
Cebu, in particular, was highlighted as an emerging hub for sports tourism, with its combination of natural attractions and event-ready venues making it an ideal host for international competitions. The forum underscored how events can serve as powerful economic drivers, especially when they attract not just participants but also accompanying visitors who contribute to local businesses and extend their stay. As Princess Galura, President and General Manager of Sunrise Events, shared, sporting events bring in fresh economic activity that directly benefits host communities.
Other speakers also stressed that the true value of sports tourism lies in transforming events into holistic destination experiences. OIC-Regional Director of DOT-7, Dr. Gelena Asis-Dimpas noted that sporting events go beyond competition and create meaningful visitor experiences.
A recurring theme throughout the Forum was the importance of collaboration. Mr Lim emphasized that building a sustainable sports tourism industry requires coordination among government agencies, event organizers, tourism stakeholders, and local communities. He also highlighted the need for continued investment in infrastructure and event capabilities to ensure that destinations can meet the demands of large-scale, world-class sporting events. The Forum attracted participants, not only from across the Philippines, but also from Thailand, United Kingdom, Turkey. Malaysia, Germany and South Korea. It was supported by NUSTAR Resort and Casino Cebu, Department of Tourism Central Visayas, Province of Cebu, Philippine Sports Commission, The Freeman, Islands Souvenirs and professionally managed by Selrahco. for Sports Turismo Alliance, Inc.
