Your weekly round-up of Philippine and Global Hospitality and Tourism Industry News Updates for the week ending September 18, 2026.
Industry News Updates & Headlines
- DOT Launches New Transparency Platform
- Kaban PAGCOR Celebrates Boracay Casino Resort opening
- Boracay Islanders Divided on Kaban Casino
- Bohol’s ₱1,650 “Fish Robbery”
- 6 dead, 130 Missing From Indonesian Ferry
- Flights Cancelled As Mt Etna Errupts Again
- Europe’s Largest Airbus A220 Carrier Files For Bankruptcy.
- Tourists And Residents Evacuated From Croatian Island.
- Spain’s Tourism Strategy To Promote Lesser Known Destinations.
- Eurostar To Introduce Double-Decker Cocktail Bars!
- UK Flight Chaos Cause Revealed
Philippine Hospitality & Tourism Industry News Updates:
DOT Launches New Transparency Platform
The Department of Tourism this week announced the official launch of the Philippine Tourism Data Dashboard, which serves to give the general public direct access to the Country’s key tourism indicators.
People accessing the Dashboard will be able to see information about tourism arrivals and departures for periods dating back to 2010 and 2023 respectively. The data will include visitor origins and where they visited in the Philippines.
A quick view pie chart shows the leading sources of foreign national visitors by year, with the ability to then view more detailed monthly insights.
Other data insights include Tourism spending and economic contribution, employment.
“Making this information available to the public is not just about transparency for its own sake. It is about giving our stakeholders, from local government units to tourism businesses to ordinary Filipinos, the tools to understand how our industry is doing and where the opportunities are.” – Tourism Secretary Dita Angara-Mathay.
You can view the Philippine Tourism Data Dashboard here
KABAN PAGCOR Celebrates Boracay Casino Resort opening
A casino hotel resort opened this week on Boracay, with much publicity and celebration by the owners – KABAN, PAGCOR, and the mainstream media.
KABAN Boracay officially opened its doors under the watchful eye of KABAN President and CEO Kevin Wong, who said:
“Our hope for KABAN goes far beyond entertainment. We hope it creates opportunities and livelihood for families. We hope it supports local businesses and contributes to the growth of the community.”
The opening included an LED reveal, ribbon-cutting ceremony, and a day of celebration and networking by guests from the Provincial Government, Malay LGU, Barangay Yapak, Sangguniang Bayan, and members of the Boracay community.
Boracay Islanders Divided On KABAN Casino
Boracay islanders and residents appear split on the opening of KABAN a casino resort, with many confused how the development received a ‘go-ahead’.
Island advocate Cris Cahilig took to social media with a detailed post on previous decisions, statements and moratoriums against the building of casino’s on the island.
Cris reminded everyone that, during the island closure in 2018, former president President Rodriguez Duterte stated that no casino resorts would be built on the island.
Prior to that in 2017, Resolution No. 0068 was approved by the Sangguniang Bayan of Malay, declaring a 15-year moratorium intended to regulate the proliferation of casinos, gaming junkets, legal gambling activities and other PAGCOR- or GAB-sanctioned gaming operations in the municipality.
In 2021 PAGCOR lifted its moratorium on casinos on the island, which led to then-Senator De Lima filing a Proposed Resolution No. 907 calling for an inquiry into why. Boracay Foundation Inc also issued a statement against casinos on the island that same year, as did the Diocese of Kalibo.
On the subject of the opening of KABAN’s casino and hotel resort, island advocate Cris Cahilig questioned in her post:
“Was there a comprehensive review? Was the carrying capacity reassessed? Were residents consulted? Were tourism stakeholders consulted? Were environmental and social impacts studied? Were the findings made public? And most importantly: did the community participate meaningfully in the decision?”
Beyond the resource and infrastructure concerns, Cahilig and others have also flagged that the completed resort will sit across 23 hectares of prime island forestland. An area which serves as the critical habitat for several endangered Flying Fox colonies, as recorded since 2007 by the Friends of the Flying Foxes, a conservation NGO based in Boracay island;
- Golden-crowned flying fox (Acerodon jubatus): A large, endemic Philippine species currently listed as endangered.
- Large flying fox (Pteropus vampyrus): Also called the giant fruit bat, one of the largest bat species in the world.
- Small flying fox (Pteropus hypomelanus): Also known as the island flying fox, which is smaller in size and relies heavily on local coastal forests.
Others have also pointed out that since 2020, at least 30 people have been arrested, imprisoned and fined for building and developing properties in forestland. And, that whilst KABAN’s land may be ‘titled’ it too falls under the same rules regarding forestland and FlagT requirements.
The previous FlagT issues, which came to public attention during the 2018 closure, are yet to be addressed and decided upon.
“The main problem is not the mere opening of one casino. It is the fact that this one creates a precedent. And a responsible government should have undergone a comprehensive social impact assessment on top of environmental and economic considerations before lifting that moratorium.” – Cris Daday Cahilig
Read Cris’s full post here
Bohol’s ₱1,650 “Fish Robbery”
A local on Bohol took to Threads this week to complain about the price of fish, and the implications of expensive food and accommodation on future tourism to the island.
The OP was clear that while the ₱1,650 pompano was served inside a hotel/resort, it had not been prepared in a special way, or with expensive sides, to warrant the price tag.
Pompano at most local wet markets (Palengke) costs between ₱280 to ₱450 for locally caught or thawed imports. Supermarkets can charge anywhere from ₱450 to ₱770 for premium-quality pompano that has been cleaned, descaled and packaged.
Other Boholana added to the Thread comparing the price of meat, fish and vegetables on Bohol with nearby Cebu.
One woman wrote “That’s why Bohol is losing tourists. Everything’s ridiculously expensive. Local government should be doing something about it.”
While domestic tourism numbers and spending has increased in the Philippines in recent years, data from the Central Visayas’ Department of Economy, Planning and Development shows that the numbers are down in Bohol, compared to previous years.
In the first quarter of 2025 Bohol recorded 417,142 tourist arrivals but this has fallen to just 170, 016 for the same period in 2026 – a drop of 59.3%. And the biggest drop has been seen among the domestic tourism market, with a 73% decline.
While tourism officials point to a number of possible reasons for this, including economic pressures, and transport costs and issues arising from the conflict between the US, Israel and Iran, some of Bohol’s own residents are calling out the greed of local tourism and hospitality businesses, and the rising costs for basic meat, fish and vegetables.
Global Hospitality & Tourism Industry News Updates
6 dead, 130 Missing From Indonesian Ferry
6 people have been declared dead, 108 have been rescued and 129 remain missing after a ferry in Indonesia capsized.
The Virgo Transport 8 was carrying 243 people, including 30 crew members, and 89 vehicles. It departed from Surabaya in East Java on Saturday September 12, heading to Banjarmasin, south of Kalimantan in Borneo.
Basarnas officials, Indonesia’s Search and Rescue agency, have said that the captain of the Virgo Transport 8 issued a distress message at around 10.31am, reporting that the vessel was tilting after encountering rough sea conditions with 10ft waves. Contact was lost at around 2am on Sunday 13 September.
The Virgo Transport 8 was later seen floating upside down. Rescue teams were deployed via eight vessels, including four navy ships, and two helicopters to recover passengers. On Wednesday September 16 divers from the Indonesian Navy attempted to access the vessel but were stopped due to strong currents.
Basarnas and the Navy announced yesterday that they planned to right the ship, search for survivors, and tow it to port for investigation
Flights Cancelled As Mt Etna Errupts Again
Flights in and out of Catania Airport were suspended on Monday 14 and Tuesday 15 September, after Mt Etna erupted once again.
This latest eruption caused an ash cloud that rose approximately 4kms above the volcano, and resulted in Catania Airport suspending all flights, as well as the closure of airspace C1.
Last month Mt Etna’s volcanic activity resulted in nearly 2,000 cancelled flights, plus more than 600 diverted flights to Comiso Lamezia Terme, Palmero and Trapani, between August 6-12. Additional train services were also provided to assist travelers with alternative options.
Europe’s Largest Airbus A220 Carrier Files For Bankruptcy.
airBaltic, Latvia’s flag carrier, filed for a Chapter 11 “Bankruptcy” this week. It cited the cancellation of 4,670 flights in the summer of 2025, and impacts from the Iran war as contributing factors to their financial woes.
The carrier has filed the Chapter 11 in the United States but it should be noted this isn’t an outright Bankruptcy notice. By filing a Chapter 11 in the US the airline will be able to access a €350M restructuring package which could yet see them survive this difficult period.
Lufthansa holds a 10% share in the airline, with the remainder shares owned by the Latvian Government.
Tourists And Residents Evacuated From Croatian Island.
More than 500 people were evacuated from the island of Brač in Croatia after out-of-control wildfires swept across 3,000 hectares of land.
Speedboats, fishing boats and naval and port authority vessels were commandeered for a mass evacuation by sea, of tourists and island residents.
223 firefights and 69 fire vehicles were deployed to tackle the fire, which spread from the village of Ložišćeunder.
Travellers have been advised to follow the Croatian local authorities’ advice, or call Croatian emergency services, if the area that are in is affected by wildfires.
As of September 16, the Croatian National Tourist Board has advised the wildfire in Brač was finally brought under control.
Spain’s Tourism Strategy To Promote Lesser Known Destinations.
In attempt to reduce overtourism and its impacts on Spain’s most popular destinations Carlos Ruiz González, Director of Spanish Tourist Office for the Gulf region at Turespaña, has said efforts will be made to promote lesser-visited attractions, cities and experiences.
Spain is on target to welcome more than 100 million international visitors in 2026, which is great for the economy but not so great for residents and locals.
In recent years there have been a number of large-scale protests by residents against tourism, particularly its impacts on the environment, accommodation availability and affordability for locals.
At the recent Arabian Travel Market in Dubai, Ruiz González explained that Spain’s Tourism 2030 plan is being developed in consultation with more than 200 tourism experts, residents businesses and government bodies.
“The government of Spain decided this has to be a full government policy – a country policy – and not just tourism. All the ministries, all the sectors in Spain are aligned.” Carlos Ruiz González, Director of Spanish Tourist Office for the Gulf region at Turespaña.
The plan will include promoting the less-visited areas in the country, which are becoming easier to get to with improvements made to the country’s High-speed rail network.
Eurostar To Introduce Double-Decker Cocktail Bars!
Eurostar is on course to introduce the delights of a two-storey cocktail bar for passengers aboard their new double-decker trains, which will also be fitted with air con.
Sadly, we have to wait until 2031 before we can try them out though, as that is when the new Celestia’s will begin operating.
30 of the double deckers are already on order, and will operate across all of Eurostar’s destinations throughout Europe from May 2031.
UK Flight Chaos Cause Revealed
The cause for UK flight cancellations and delays during the week of 8-13 September has been revealed after an investigation into the incident was completed today.
The air traffic service Nats announced that a “software defect occurred in the space of a millisecond“, resulting in more than 2,000 flight cancellations and delays for passengers flying in and out of the UK.
Nats Chief Executive said the defect, which started at 10am on September 8, was “very, very obscure” and resulted in reduced information available to air traffic controllers.
Restrictions across UK airspace were not lifted until 7.30pm that same day leading to delays to, and cancellations of, more than 2,000 flights.
Did you miss last week’s Industry News Updates where we covered the UK’s flight chaos? Read it now!
