Your weekly round-up of Philippine and Global Hospitality and Tourism Industry News Updates for the week ending September 11, 2026.
Industry News Updates – Headlines:
- Coron Ferry Fire 84 Missing
- Batek Tattooist A Hit In London
- 26th National Annual Tourism Educators Convention & Research Conference 2026
- Eastern Visayas Embraces Tourism Training
- New Direct Manila Saudi Flight Option Opens
- PH Secures A 2nd Retirement Destination Ranking
- 9th Hospitality Philippines Conference
- Philippine Travel Exchange (PHITEX) 2026
- Thousands Of UK Flights Cancelled
- Japan Bans Short-Stay Market
- Vietnam Targets Aussie Tourists Teeth
- Which? Uncovers Booking.com Verification Failings
- 6 Indonesian Airports Close After Volcano Erupts
Philippine Hotel & Tourism Industry News Updates
Coron Ferry Fire 84 Missing
Five (5) people have been confirmed dead, forty three (43) have been rescued, and eighty four (84) are still missing after a fire broke out on a ferry traveling from Manila to Coron.
The fire broke out on the MV June Aster – owned by Atienza Interisland Ferries – on Wednesday September 9, at around 18.45pm, when the vessel was just 1.2 nautical miles off Barangay Marcilla, in the Calamian Islands.
The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) responded quickly, but have confirmed that at least 5 people have died and 84 remain missing.
The MV June Aster was carrying 117 passengers and 17 crew members, and was traveling from Manila to Coron. Two people who were booked to travel on to the ferry did not board it and contacted the authorities to update them.
A PCG spokesperson has reported that a survivor claims to have heard an explosion coming from the hold where an electric car, five motorbikes, a fork lift and a pick-up van were located.
Another survivor has spoken of being in the sea for two hours before being rescued.
Further search and rescue by the coast guard, private vessels and local fishermen has been hampered by difficult weather and sea conditions.
Batek Tattooist A Hit In London
Ate Wamz has been one of the biggest hits at this weeks The Big London Tattoo Show, which took place at the weekend at Excel London.
Wilma “Ate Wamz” Gaspili is a Batek Tattooist – the traditional tattoo practice of the indigenous peoples of the Cordillera.
Ate Wamz is a cultural advocate and is dedicated to preserving ancestral designs, and promoting batek and other elements of the Cordillera cultural heritage
The Philippines Ambassador to the UK, Teodoro L. Locsin Jr even popped by to see Ate Wamz and offered his forearm up for a traditional spider design.
The Philippine Embassy in the United Kingdom reported: – Ambassador Locsin expressed pride in seeing this living Cordillera tradition take the stage in London, providing an international platform for a distinctive part of Philippine indigenous culture and helping ensure that the artistry, identity, and stories carried by batek continue to be shared not only across generations but, more importantly, across borders.
To learn more about Ate Wamz visit her website
26th National Annual Tourism Educators Convention & Research Conference 2026
The 26th National Annual Tourism Educators Convention & Research Conference 2026 is set to take place November 25-28, 2026 in Iloilo.
Organized by the Union of Filipino Tourism Educators Inc (UFTE), tourism officers and LGU’s are invited to attend to showcase their local destinations, share sustainable tourism strategies, network with other industry leaders and gain recognition.
Follow the UFTE social media account for details of how to register to take part.
Eastern Visayas Embraces Tourism Training
Record-breaking numbers of tourism and hospitality workers have been undertaking a range of tourism and hospitality training seminars in the Eastern Visayas region.
Following on from what was started last week, as covered in our Industry News Updates, a second batch of 50 transport operators took part in the Tourist Driver as Tourism Frontliners Seminar, held on September 4 and 5 at Hotel Rodolfo, in Tacloban City.
The training was facilitated by Tourism Trainer, Mr. Romano D. Del Rosario, and placed an emphasis on professionalism, courtesy, and genuine Filipino hospitality.
In San Antonio local transport providers and tourism stakeholders took part in a two-day Tourist Drivers Seminar for the Habal-habal Drivers and Motorboat Operators of San Antonio. Led by Dr. Freddie Quinito – a Department of Tourism National Trainer – the seminar featured practical activities and discussions about the importance of transport providers as tourism frontliners and ambassadors of their communities.
Day 1 saw 53 LGU staff, habal-habal drivers from San Antonio and the Municipality of Victoria, motorboat operators, and staff from selected resorts in San Antonio attend. 48 participants took part in day 2.
Dr. Freddie Quinito also led a two-day Front Office Operations training course for 51 participants at Ibabao Hall, Provincial Capitol, Catarman. This two-day training focused on practical skills for professional, efficient and guest-centered front office service. The course covered common front office situations through real-life scenarios and discussions, as well as Bell Service Assistance, Front Desk Procedures, and Information, Mail, and Key Assistance.
Sila Island Resort in San Vicente, Northern Samar saw 35 people attending the Filipino Brand of Service Excellence (FBSE) Training. FBSE Trainer Ms. Emily Jill Nival, delivered training that focused on genuine Filipino hospitality, professionalism, and service excellence, with practical insights the attendees can apply to create warm, courteous, and memorable experiences for their guests.
The Filipino Brand of Service Excellence (FBSE) Training has also been rolled out to:-
- 49 barbecue stall owners and staff of the soon to open Kan-anan Plaza in Naval, Biliran – facilitated by FBSE Trainer Mr. Antonio Cinco Jr.
- 63 participants in Jipapad, Eastern Samar – facilitated by FBSE Trainer Mr. Victorino D. Mendiola III
- 35 newly hired Ironwood Hotel employees in Tacloban – facilitated by FBSE Trainer Mr. Victorino D. Mendiola III
New Direct Manila Saudi Flight Option Opens
NAIA Terminal 3 welcomed a new direct Saudi flight route option this week. Riyadh Air will be operating a Manila – Riyadh route four times a week until October 19, when the route will become available daily.
PH Secures A 2nd Retirement Destination Ranking
The Philippines has been included in a second ranking list for best destinations to retire to in 2026. Earlier this year, The Expatriate Group placed the Philippines as the world’s No.1 retirement destination, with a 78 out of 100 score in the group’s Retirement Abroad Index.
This week the Rumavi Global Relocation Index placed the Philippines in its global top 10 best destinations for retirees – with a score of 91 for housing affordability and 95.1 for general affordability.
The Philippines was one of only three Southeat Asian countries to appear in the rankings, alongside Malaysia which ranked first and Thailand which ranked fourth.
9th Hospitality Philippines Conference
The 9th Hospitality Philippines Conference (HPC2026) took place this week at the Marriott, Manila with 125 expert speakers, nearly 500 participants, and 54 sponsors and partners attending across the two days.
As highlighted in our July 17 and August 14 Industry News Updates the key focuses for the event, coined ‘the ultimate gathering for decision-makers in the Philippine Hospitality ecosystem’, were investment, design, revenue and technology.
Head over to Yahoo!finance for their coverage of the conference.
Philippine Travel Exchange (PHITEX) 2026
The Philippine Travel Exchange (PHITEX) 2026 also kicked off this week at Conrad Manila, Pasay City. The Exchange, touted as ‘the largest government-organized travel trade event’, will run from September 7 until September 14, and is organised by the Tourism Promotion Board Philippines.
September 8-9 saw 74 foreign buyers and 102 Philippine sellers come together at the SMX Convention Center Manila, for B2B (Business to Business) sessions under the theme of ‘Connecting Markets, Creating Opportunities: From Conversation to Collaboration through Sustainable Tourism Partnerships’.
Pre-event tours took place on September 7, with travel buyers visiting heritage sites throughout Manila. Post-event tours will follow from September 10 to 14, with buyers visiting Bohol, Cebu, Davao and Palawan to experience some of the Philippines’ most popular destinations.
Global Industry News Updates
Thousands Of UK Flights Cancelled
Thousands of flights, to and from UK airports, have been delayed or cancelled this week after technical problems hit the National Air Traffic Service (Nats) on Tuesday 8th of September.
Issues with Nats have continued until today, which has resulted in more than 2,000 flights being cancelled, and thousands more delayed. A statement from Nats said:
“This has been a very complex recovery and has created difficulties for the whole aviation network, from which it will take time to recover. We apologise again for the disruption caused. Passengers should check with their airline on the status of their flight tonight or tomorrow.”
Nats has blamed a technical glitch for the outage which resulted in 1,750 flight cancellations on Tuesday, and a further 291 cancellations on Wednesday September 9. Thursday saw 67 flights to and from Gatwick and Heathrow Airports cancelled. The chaos is expected to last for a few days yet.
This incident is the third time that problems with the Nat’s control system have seriously impacted air traffic. Last year a problem with the system saw 150 flight cancellations. In 2023, a system shutdown caused chaos for more than 700,000 travelers on one of the UKs busiest weekends for holiday makers.
The Civil Aviation Authority will be conducting an investigation into the outage but have advised that affected passengers are unlikely to qualify for compensation as the outage, and knock-on effects will likely be considered “extraordinary circumstance” under Passenger Rights rules.
The worst affected airports in this latest outage have been Birmingham, Gatwick, Heathrow and Manchester, most likely as they handle the most flights in and out of the country.
Japan Bans Short-Stays Market
One neighbourhood in Tokyo is planning on introducing a ban on foreign tourist short-stay accommodations, after mounting complaints by residents about people smoking in areas where it is banned, making noise at night, and an increase in trash in the streets.
Shinjuku ward, which includes the ‘worlds busiest train station’ and the famous Kabukicho nightlife district, will block foreign tourists from booking minpaku – private lodgings – near cultural sites, schools, and in residential areas.
Since 2022 the ward has seen the number of minpaku triple to 3,775. In blocking lodgings close to schools, cultural sites and residential areas, the numbers will be reduced to below half.
Airbnb, which is partnered with a considerable amount of minpaku hosts has indicated that they would be willing to work with local authorities to bring about the changes needed without impacting on its “responsible, licensed hosts”.
However, a spokesperson for the Shinjuku ward has already stated that cracking down on the less well behaved operators has had no impact on the number of complaints received from residents.
Other areas in Japan have already implemented restrictions on private lodgings; Kyoto only allows minpaku to be rented out for up to 60 days a year, during January to March – the off-peak season.
Vietnam Targets Aussie Tourists Teeth
Vietnam dental clinics have launched a charm directive across social media aimed at Australian’s who are considering traveling abroad for cheaper dental treatment.
Vietnam has seen an increase in medical tourism visitors, particularly Australians seeking dental work. Vietnam’s Health Minister has advised that around 300,000 foreign residents and visitors have medical services each year, including fertility and cosmetic procedures. The goal is to more than double that number over the next four years.
Australian dentists are concerned about the numbers of people traveling abroad for treatment, and that the Australian Government does not currently record or track cases where medical or dental problems have arisen after returning from receiving treatment in Vietnam.
Which? Uncovers Booking.com Verification Failings
The UK Consumer Watchdog, Which?, has publicly shone a spotlight on property account verification failings at Booking.com.
Back in June a team from Which? created a Booking.com account for Number 10, Downing Street, London; otherwise known as The British Prime Minister’s Official London residence. Which? used the correct property address, along with genuine photos of the exterior and interiors of the property, and turned the listing live, describing it as a “one-bedroom apartment in the heart of London”.
At no point were they ask to prove ownership or verify the property listing before it was open for bookings. Enquiries flooded in, and a 10/10 Review was also posted.
The team claim that they were also able to use Booking.com’s own messaging portal to send external payment links to people who had enquired about booking the apartment. One member of the team tested the listing and was able to book and pay for a weeks stay at the “apartment”.
Booking.com’s response has been that some of its fraud controls were not triggered, partly because the spoof listing “was not permanently open to bookings”.
The issue of scammers using fake, clone, or copycat listings on Booking.com has been heavily covered by major British newspapers and consumer groups, most notably The Guardian, The Times, and The Telegraph over the last 2 years.
What the latest Which? experiement has flagged is that the “systemic security failures” highlighted back then, continue to exist; anyone can create an accommodation listing, receive booking enquiries and send external payment links within Booking.com’s messaging system, within hours of creating a listing, putting unsuspecting travelers at risk of being scammed.
6 Indonesian Airports Close After Volcano Erupts
Indonesian authorities closed six airports this week, grounding 209 flights in response to the eruption of Mount Anak Krakatau.
The volcano began erupting on Saturday September 5, and there were further eruptions on Sunday 6, which led to suspended operations at around 1.30am.
At least 22,000 travelers were affected by the groundings, with routes to and from Singapore hardest hit. Qantas offered fee-free refunds, travel credits and date change options to their passengers who were traveling between September 5-9.
Authorities have also placed a 3 kilometer exclusion zone around the volcano and warned ships to be extra vigilant when passing through the Sunda Strait.
The last time Anak Krakatau erupted in 2018 it resulted in a tsunami that killed 429 people in Sumatra and Java.
