Hospitality and Tourism Industry News Updates brought to you by MY RANGGO Hospitality Magazine, for the week ending 16 January 2026
Industry News Updates Headlines
- Visa Free Entry For Chinese Tourists
- Region 12 Tour Guide Opportunity
- Philippines Named “Most Exciting Food Destinations 2026”
- Camiguin Makes NYT’s 52 Places to Visit 2026
- Likhang Filipino Exhibition Halls Opens
- WSL World Junior Championships held at La Union
- New Payment Gateway for Industry Stakeholders
- DOT Meets with PHILTOA & ITATOA
- Cagayan Valley 1 Million Grant For Sports Tourism
- Trip.com In Hot Water With China
- US Extends Visa Bonds to 38 Countries
Visa Free Entry For Chinese Tourists
The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) announced on January 15, 2026 that Chinese nationals would be allowed to enter the Philippines Visa-Free – for up to 14 days – from January 16, 2026.
The Visa-free access is only valid for Chinese nationals entering the country through Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) in Manila, and the Mactan-Cebu International Airport in Cebu. It allows for a non-extendable 14 day stay. This means is can not be extended or converted to a different Philippine visa.
This visa pilot program will run for one year, with a review at the end of the year.
Chinese tourists and business people will be required to show confirmed hotel or accommodation bookings, and a return or onward travel ticket.
Chinese arrival numbers dropped during 2025 after the visa-free entry allowed for only a 7 day visit.
Region 12 Tour Guide Opportunity
The Department of Tourism – Soccsksargen Office (Region 12) is running a 30-day Regional Tour Guide training program starting in March.
The training is expected to a start on March 2, 2026 and will finish around May 8, and they are looking for people who are passionate about history, culture, traveling and sharing the beauty of SOCCSKSARGEN.
Applicants should:
- Be at least 18 years old by the training start date.
- Have completed Senior High School (or prior to the implementation of K-12 Program)
- Have good moral character, professional, and has strong interpersonal skill
- Able to communicate well in both oral & written using English language (fluent in other language is an advantage)
- Be Physically and Mentally Fit
- Able to demonstrate strong and comprehensive knowledge of SOCCSKSARGEN’s cultural, historical, and tourism landscapes
Applicants who are a DOT Accredited Community Guide are welcomed.
Deadline for registration is 31 January 2026. Trainees will undergo a Screening Process, IQ exam, and Final Interview.
The final list of participants will pay a ₱5,000 fee to cover Industry Immersion and Research Development.
Register here: https://forms.gle/FqdHbQmsDiMoRX6h8
For more information or inquiries contact: Ms. Christine Mae D. Recomite.
Tel: 520-1274 Email: recomite.christine@dot12.org
Philippines Named “Most Exciting Food Destinations 2026”
Michelin now lists the Philippines in its “Most Exciting Food Destinations 2026” guide.
The Guide recommends 16 destinations to travel to in 2026 if you are a “foodie”. The inclusion will hopefully serve to elevate the Philippines culinary reputation on the global gastronomy map.
108 Cebu and Manila and environ restaurants and eateries received Michelin stars, Bib Gourmand or Michelin-selected status back in October 2025.
The Philippines entry in the Most Exciting Food Destinations guide includes special mentions for adobo, inasal, sinigang and sisig, and highlights perfect blends of sweet, salty, and acidic flavors as a result of regional spices, fruits and cooking methods.
Camiguin Makes New York Times’ 52 Places to Visit 2026
Camiguin has been included in the recent The New York Times’s 52 Places to Visit 2026 list.
Described as “A water lover’s paradise with sandbars and hot springs” the listing describes “lush mountain peaks, black-sand beaches and towering coconut palms“, alongside Camiguin’s growing reputation as a sports tourism destination, and an island rich in local cuisine and cultural heritage.
Likhang Filipino Exhibition Halls Opens
The Likhang Filipino Exhibition Halls opened this January 15, offering a venue for local artisans to display and sell their wares.
The 6 Pavilions housing the Likhang Filipino Exhibitions will showcase the very best of Philippine craftsmanship, flavors, creativity, and design, and serve as a showroom for international buyers, visiting foreign delegations, and tourists.
The Opening Ceremony was attended by President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. and First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos.
It is understood that the current First Lady took the initiative to restore the pavilions, which were built back in 1979 under the eye of her mother-in-law, Imelda Marcos.
“Under one roof, we bring together our finest furniture and lighting, fashion and textiles, home decor, gifts, food products, and all sorts of other crafts. They each occupy a space here because they are particularly and exquisitely Filipino” – President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.
The Likhang Filipino Exhibition Halls can be found at The International Trade Center Complex – formerly The PhilTrade Center – on Roxas Boulevard, Manila,
Access for the general public begins on January 20, 2026, and the Halls will be open Tuesday to Sunday, from 10am to 7pm.
Further details can be found on the official website.
WSL World Junior Championships held at La Union
The WSL (World Surf League) World Junior Championships began this week in La Union. With Sponsorship by Magnolia and Purefoods, the heats are available to watch on the WSL Facebook page.
This is the 4th time the WSL has staged a competition in La Union. The 2026 World Junior Championship is being held at Urbiztondo Beach, San Juan. It began on 11 January, and the finals will take place on January 18.
January 20-24 will also see the La Union International Pro (Longboard Qualifying Series) at the same beach. This competition serves as a Longboard qualifier, with direct spots on the WSL Longboard Tour offered for competitors.
New Payment Gateway for Industry Stakeholders
The Department of Tourism (DOT) signed a Memorandum of Agreement with The Landbank of the Philippines (LBP) on January 13, 2025 for the adoption of LBP’s LinkBiz Portal nationwide.
Tourism stakeholders and clients will be able to settle DOT-related fees (accreditations, regulatory charges, penalties, and bidding documents) through LBP’s secure, real-time online transactions portal, nationwide.
A Government Purchase Card (GPC) has also been included within the agreement, enabling authorized DOT cardholders to purchase goods and services that are used for official DOT purposes. The aim is to reduce procurement time, admin costs, and improve financial oversight.
DOT Meets with PHILTOA & ITATOA
DOT Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco has met with officers of PHILTOA (Philippine Tour Operators Association) and ITATOA (Independent Travel Agency Owners and Tour Operators Association, Inc) this week.
The purpose of the meetings have been to discuss collaborating and aligning public and private industry initiatives in line with the National Tourism Development Plan 2023-2028. With a view to achieving a ‘resilient, inclusive and globally competitive’ tourism sector in 2026 and beyond.
The DOT Secretary also met with the DOT Regional Directors. The meeting reflected on the accomplishments of 2025, along with the difficulties experienced after a number of Super Typhoons and earthquakes rocked several significant tourism destinations in the country.
Cagayan Valley 1 Million Grant For Sports Tourism
The United Grassroots and Tribes Paragliding Association (UGATPAC) has been awarded a 1 Million grant by the Department Of Tourism Region 2’s Support to Sports Activities Program.
The program aims to further advance sports tourism in the Cagayan Valley region.
UGATPAC is composed of Indigeneous People who are athletes and pilot-scholars, and many of its members have competed for the Philippines at international level.
The Association’s HQ location, in Nueva Vizcaya, is also recognized as an emerging hub for Philippine sports and adventure tourism.
Global Industry News Updates
Trip.com In Hot Water With China
The Trip.com Group is facing an antitrust investigation by China.
Trip.com, the country’s leading online travel platform, advised that they had received formal notice of an investigation into its business practices, under China’s Anti-Monopoly Law.
The company is being investigated for alleged monopolistic behavior. The investigation aims to establish if the groups business practices have contributed to its market share and number 1 position. If evidence is found to support the allegations, Trip.com will face significant fines and anti-competitive measures.
US Extends Visa Bonds to 38 Countries
Despite increasing concern from the US travel and hospitality industry, regarding significant drops in international traveler arrivals in 2025, The State Department has announced that an additional 25 countries have been added to the Visa Bond Pilot Program.
The Visa Bond Pilot program was first launched in August 2025. From 21 January 2026, tourists and business travelers from the countries listed below will be required to post a bond of up to $15,000 before they can enter the US. This will bring the tally up to 38 Visa Bond Countries:
• Algeria
• Angola
• Antigua and Barbuda
• Bangladesh
• Benin
• Bhutan
• Botswana
• Burundi
• Cabo Verde
• Central African Republic
• Cote D’Ivoire
• Cuba
• Djibouti
• Dominica
• Fiji
• Gabon
• Guinea
• Guinea Bissau
• Kyrgyzstan
• Malawi
• Mauritania
• Namibia
• Nepal
• Nigeria
• Sao Tome and Principe
• Senegal
• Tajikistan
• Tanzania
• The Gambia
• Togo
• Tonga
• Turkmenistan
• Tuvalu
• Uganda
• Vanuatu
• Venezuela
• Zambia
• Zimbabwe
The US will also halt Immigration Visa applications and processing, from citizens from the 75 countries below:
- Afghanistan
- Albania
- Algeria
- Antigua and Barbuda
- Armenia
- Azerbaijan
- Bahamas
- Bangladesh
- Barbados
- Belarus
- Belize
- Bhutan
- Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Brazil
- Myanmar
- Cambodia
- Cameroon
- Cape Verde
- Colombia
- Côte d’Ivoire
- Cuba
- Democratic Republic of the Congo
- Dominica
- Egypt
- Eritrea
- Ethiopia
- Fiji
- The Gambia
- Georgia
- Ghana
- Grenada
- Guatemala
- Guinea
- Haiti
- Iran
- Iraq
- Jamaica
- Jordan
- Kazakhstan
- Kosovo
- Kuwait
- Kyrgyzstan
- Laos
- Lebanon
- Liberia
- Libya
- North Macedonia
- Moldova
- Mongolia
- Montenegro
- Morocco
- Nepal
- Nicaragua
- Nigeria
- Pakistan
- Republic of the Congo
- Russia
- Rwanda
- St Kitts and Nevis
- St Lucia
- St Vincent and the Grenadines
- Senegal
- Sierra Leone
- Somalia
- South Sudan
- Sudan
- Syria
- Tanzania
- Thailand
- Togo
- Tunisia
- Uganda
- Uruguay
- Uzbekistan
- Yemen
This halt also applies to immigration applications from immediate family members of US Citizens.
The reason given is that people from the 75 countries are – allegedly – more likely to overstay or be found accessing benefits.
The pause on visas will remain in effect until a review of vetting procedures has been completed. Tourists and business travelers from some of the 75 countries will also be subject to the Visa Bond requirement.
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