THE 33RD Travel Tour Expo and 3rd Vismin Edition, alongside the 11th International Travel Trade Expo in Davao City, was officially launched on Thursday, April 30.
The longest-running expo is organized by the Philippine Travel Agencies Association (PTAA), a national association of travel agents in the Philippines, and complemented by the Davao Travel Agencies Association (DTAA).
The expo will feature 100 sponsors and exhibitors, 114 booths of a mix of international and domestic airlines, travel agencies and tour operators (VisMin), hotel and resorts, cruise liners/ shipping, among others.
The Travel Tour expo will run from June 5-7, 2026, at SMX Convention Center, offering affordable and lowest tour packages and other travel-related products and services.
PTAA President Jaison Yang said this marks the first time the PTAA has brought its flagship TravelTour Expo to the city.
“Why Davao? Based on our research, we know the capacity of Dabawenyos to travel, you have direct flights abroad,” Yang said.
Dr. Mariegel Tankiang, TTE Vismin Edition chairperson, said holding the expo in Davao City is strategic, given that the city is considered the gateway to Mindanao.
“For several years, PTAA has been Luzon-centric; now we are concentrating on the Visayas and Mindanao portion,” she said.
Tankiang said the tourism exhibits will focus exclusively on Visayas and Mindanao trade partners.
The PTAA emphasized a “safety first” approach to address the travel scams, as every exhibitor is legitimate and PTAA-accredited.
Willenito Tormis Jr., OIC of the Davao City Tourism Operations, said the expo falls on the same date as the opening of Duaw Davao, which reflects that Davao City is ready for tourists.
“It is a perfect opportunity for us to open this big event in time for our festival in June,” Tormis said.
Tanya Rabat-Tan, Department of Tourism XI regional director, said the event signals that Davao is very much open for tourism activities, noting there are no cancellations for Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions (MICE) scheduled in the city, amid the ongoing energy emergency.
“This is very important for us because it will boost domestic travel. This is very timely, because DOT and Davao City have launched and expanded circuits and offerings,” the regional director said.
Seller head Evelyn Bondagjy said the 11th iTTE, running concurrently on June 5 and 6, aims to bridge the business-to-business (B2B) gap.
The iTTE will serve as a B2B platform designed to connect 35-50 sellers (international tour operators, national tourism organizations, and hotel groups) with 100-150 buyers from the local travel agent community to strengthen regional tourism development.
PTAA represents over 500 members nationwide, advocates for the travel trade, and organizes the annual TTE.
