A 10 minute read covering the Philippine and Global Hospitality and Tourism Industry News Updates for the week ending July 3, 2026.
Industry News Updates Headlines
- Healthy PH Tourism Figures for H1
- Newest National Museum Opens
- Aklanon Proclaimed Queen of Tourism
- BINI Named Tourism Ambassadors
- AirMacau Direct Flights Relaunched.
- Boracay Scuba Association Fined P2.7million
- New Transport for Intramuros Announced.
- London To Sydney Flight Announced.
- 6 Tourists Drown in Canada
- Passengers Evacuated After Cruise Fire
- Calls To Halt EU Biometric Border Checks.
- Canary Islands Rejects Traveler Tax Route
- Spanish Wildfire: 150+ Tourists Evacuated
- Czech Republic Set to Celebrate Filipínská Barrio Fiesta 2026
Philippine Industry News Updates
Healthy PH Tourism Figures for H1
Figures for international tourist arrivals into the Philippines, between 1 Jan-16 June 2026, are at nearly 3 million.
The 2,955,014 international tourist arrivals equates to a 6.16% increase on the same period last year (2025), and sees the travelers from the United States as the number one source market.
Inbound Chinese tourists has also risen by 61.7% after changes to visa requirements took effect at the start of 2026, an increase in direct flight routes and heavy marketing campaigns.
Newest National Museum Opens
Baler, Aurora is the proud new owner of the National Museum of the Philippines (NMP) Baler.
Designed by architect Ed Calma to reflect the natural landscape of the Sierra Madre, the Banaue Rice Terraces, and the curves of Aurora’s Pacific coastline, the new museum occupies 9,683.40 square meters.
Aside from the three permanent galleries the museum will serve as a cultural and educational space helping to preserve Aurora’s rich heritage and culture, and further tourism development
The National Museum of the Philippines Baler brings the tally of National Museums in the country up to 22.
The museum is free to visit and is open daily from 9am to 5pm.
Aklanon Proclaimed Queen of Tourism
The Binibining Pilipinas 2026 candidate for Aklan was proclaimed Queen of Tourism on July 2.
Pauline Thea Ann Ibuyan, from Aklan secured the title after being judged as having submitted the best tourism video of all 35 delegates. If you have had the privilege of seeing her video submission you will understand why.
BINI Named Tourism Ambassadors
The Department of Tourism announced BINI as the latest Philippines Tourism Ambassadors today [July 3].
Fans of the Philippine Pop Group will remember their popular YouTube Bini Roadtrip Adventure series, which saw them promoting Philippine culture, heritage and tourist spots.
AirMacau Direct Flights Relaunched.
AirMacau relaunched its Macau to Manila direct flight route this week, after a near two year absence.
Thursday 2nd July saw the first of the relaunched flights land, and depart, at NAIA Terminal 3.
The airline will run five flights a week, with the plan to offer daily flights from September 2026 onwards.
Boracay Scuba Association Fined P2.7million For Price Fixing.
It was reported this week that The Philippine Competition Commission (PCC) has fined the Boracay Business Administration of Scuba Shops (BBASS) a staggering P2.17million for “price fixing”.
The PCC ruled that the Association and 39 of its member dive shops violated Section 14(a)(1) of the Philippine Competition Act.
The BBASS initially brought in fixed pricing for dives and dive courses nearly a decade ago, in 2016. Fixed prices were implemented in response to concerns from its members that a number of foreign-owned dive shops were undercutting local businesses to secure dive bookings from tourists.
The BBASS and its members had also agreed to capping commission for tour guides, hotels and travel agents at 10%, and a ban on offering complementary extras to attract bookings, around the same time.
The Philippine Competition Commission has instructed BBASS, and its member-dive shops, to “cease-and-desist” from enforcing the price fixing agreement.
The PPC has stated that while local government ordinance can require operators to be part of a legitimate trade association, these associations should be concerned primarily with safety standards and operations, and they do not have the legal power to dictate the price of services or activities offered.
The PCC urges all LGUs to align their local ordinances with the National Competition Policy.
Certainly, there will be a few other Trade Associations on Boracay hastily convening EGMs (Emergency General Meetings).
New Transport for Intramuros Announced.
Manila’s historic walled city is soon to gain itself a new transport option, and the Intramuros Administration shared a sneak peak announcement on their Facebook page on the 1st July.
The opportunity to board and sail down the Pasig River on the Philippines National Boat – a Balangay – will be available very soon, offering passengers a unique experience and view of Intramuros.
The balangay is an ancient wooden boat used by early Filipinos to trade, travel and migrate across oceans. They are the oldest known water transportation in Southeast Asia. The oldest Balangay found dates back to around 320AD.
What makes the balangay unique is that boat builders made them without using nails. Instead, they tied the wooden planks together using flexible fiber ropes and wooden pegs.
Follow the Intramuros Administration Facebook Page for updates on the maiden voyage.
Global Hospitality & Tourism Industry News Updates
London To Sydney Flight Announced.
Qantas airlines is set to launch the world’s first 20+ hour non-stop flight route between Sydney and Australia.
The inaugural flight is scheduled for October 2027, and is expected to take 22 hours – shaving 4 hours off the current flight route time. The Airbus A350-1000 planes that will fly the route are designed to be ultra-long-haul.
Seat prices are expected to be about 20% higher than the current rate for Sydney to London. The additional costs take into consideration greater fuel costs, and fewer available seats in order to provide greater leg room and space for passengers to move about.
40% of its seats will also be offered in the premium economy, business and first class range.
6 Tourists Drown in Canada
Six tourists in Canada are presumed to have drowned after the chartered fishing boat they were on sank 10 miles from the Vancouver coastline on June 28.
It is believed that the 30-foot charter vessel, carrying 10 people, capsized and sank rapidly as a result of poor weather and sea conditions. There are four known survivors, two of whom remain in critical condition in hospital.
A couple onboard a sailing boat spotted people in the water around 11.30-11.45am and raised the alarm with emergency services. Three of the survivors were able to get themselves into a dingy towed behind the sailing boat but conditions prevented their rescuers – a former pilot and airline employee – from getting the three people onboard their boat from the dingy.
Nearby ferries were also diverted to the area to help look for the six missing passengers – four men and two women – but the rescue operations were later called off. None of those rescued were wearing life jackets and no Mayday was sounded by the vessel.
It is believed that the 10 tourists boarded the chartered fishing boat near Vancouver airport, in Steveston.
Passengers Evacuated After Cruise Fire
More than one hundred cruise ship passengers had to be evacuated in the early hours of June 29 after a fire broke out in the ships Galley (kitchen).
The ship was docked in the port of Honfleur in Normandy when the fire broke out. A total of 163 people were registered as being onboard, 132 of whom were passengers from Australia Belgium, Germany and France.
The passengers were evacuated to Honfleur town hall, ahead of being accommodated in local hotels.
The ship was sailing on the Seine River between Paris and Normandy.
Calls To Halt EU Biometric Border Checks.
ACI Europe, Airlines 4 Europe and the International Transport Association have jointly written to the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, asking that the newly implemented EU Biometric Border Checks be suspended ahead of Europe’s peak summer holiday period.
The letter comes in response to hundreds of passengers queuing for up to 5 hours in order to pass through the new Biometric Border checks, as well as missed and delayed flights.
“Passengers have already been forced to queue for extended periods outside terminal buildings and on exposed aprons because border control facilities cannot process arrivals quickly enough. Airlines face half-empty planes at gate closing time, while passengers are stuck in border control queues.” – letter to the European Commission.
Greece has already suspended biometric checks for British travelers who – while being within Europe – are no longer part of the European Union, to reduce disruptions.
France also temporarily suspended the extra checks at the port of Dover in the United Kingdom in May, during two weekends which saw extended public holidays for Brits.
The new border checks require all non-EU citizens to register themselves by submitting their fingerprints and having their photo taken.
Ryanair has reportedly named the following airports with the worst delays and queues as a result of the new border check requirements :-
- Alicante, Spain
- Malaga, Spain
- Palma, Spain
- Tenerife South, Spain
- Milan Bergamo, Italy
- Krakow, Poland
- Paris Beauvais, France
The letter to the European Union president, calls to suspend the new checks until enough staff have been employed and trained for the new system.
Canary Islands Rejects Traveler Tax Route
The Canary Islands has taken a different approach to managing the environmental impacts of tourism. They are rejecting a visitor or tourist tax and will instead invite voluntary donations and funding for community, sustainability and environmental projects.
The Canary Islands government and the Spanish Tourist Office unveiled the new scheme this week.
Rather than applying a tax on the islands international arrivals as the way to fund the Canary Islands Tourism Regeneration and Nature Restoration Fund (REGNEXT), a voluntary scheme will be trialled.
Tourists and travel companies, foundations and other organisations will be able to visit the REGNEXT digital platform – which showcases various environmental and social regeneration projects – and make a voluntary contribution.
The proposed projects include:-
- biodiversity conservation,
- climate adaptation,
- community initiatives
- emissions reduction
- habitat restoration and
- landscape improvement
Each of the projects publicized on the platform will include details about its objectives and outcomes, implementation and timetable, as well as budgets, and progress reports and social and environmental impacts.
EasyJet Holidays, Jet2holidays and Tui already signed up as financial contributor at the London launch of the initiative.
Those behind the initiative highlighted that having direct contributions to specific projects also aides the traceability of funds and transparency.
Spanish Wildfire 150+ Tourists Evacuated
150 tourists have been evacuated from a popular holiday coastline after a wildfire broke out today (Friday July 3).
The fire broke out near La Bisal d’Emporda,Costa Bravo, and has already reduced 2,200 hectares of forest to ash. Hundreds of fire fighters have been tackling the fire which was was encroaching on a popular coastline among european tourists.
So far, one holiday camp has been evacuated of its 150 guests but firefighters are confident they will extinguish the fires before the end of this weekend.
Czech Republic Set to Celebrate Filipínská Barrio Fiesta 2026
This weekend sees the Filipínská Barrio Fiesta 2026 taking place in the Czech Republic.
The festival, organized by the Filipínská Fiesta Organizing Committee in Prague, is billed as “a vibrant celebration of Filipino Culture, Music and Community”.
The event aims to foster unity, pride, and joy, showcase Filipino culture and bring the warmth, traditions, and spirit of the Philippines to life through dance, music and storytelling performances, and authentic cuisine.
The event opens at 12 noon on Saturday 4 July, and is located at at Nad Královskou oborou 1080/51, Prague.
Did you miss last weeks industry news updates? Click here for Industry News Updates June 26
