Wow your colleagues with insights and knowledge of the latest Hospitality and Tourism Industry News for the week ending August 21, 2026.
Industry News Updates Headlines:
- P10Billion Border Control Modernization
- PAL Flight + Visa Card = 2026 MAMA Awards
- P-Pop Tourism Ambassador Microsites Launched
- Winners Announced At Megaworld’s 2026 F&B Conference.
- SM Delivers Fresh Start Hospitality Training
- Disney Okada Collaboration
- Plant-based Dining Gains Traction in the Philippines
- Iloilo Hosts First MICE VendExpo
- Tourists Rescued From Indonesia After Earthquake
- China’s Dark Tourism Rise
- American Tourist Killed By Lightning On Mt Etna
- Flight WiFi Cybercrime Investigated
- European Travel Agencies Face New AI Usage Rules
Philippine Industry News Updates:
P10Billion Border Control Modernization.
The Civil Aviation and Immigration Security Services (CAISS) has raised the profile of a 2023 border control project proposal once again.
The P10.74billion proposal would see the implementation of modernized border control across 11 international airports, 6 mobile border crossing stations and one major seaport, providing better protection against human trafficking, terrorism and security threats.
The Public-Private Partnership (PPA) border control modernization proposal would be a single integrated United Nations-compliant platform that provides:
- Advanced Passenger Information
- Passenger Name Record data exchange
- AI-driven risk assessment tools
- Biometric border control elements (e-gates with verification, and screening workflows)
- Enhanced regional interoperability and cooperation.
PAL Flight + Visa Card = 2026 MAMA Awards
Anyone that books an international Philippine Airlines flight through its website or app between August 14 until September 25, using a Philippine-issued Visa card, will be automatically entered into a raffle to win tickets to the 2026 MAMA Awards.
The two-day K-Pop event will take place on November 20 and 21 at the Kyocera Dome in Osaka, Japan.
To be in with a chance of winning ticket through the raffle you must book a PAL flight on PALs own website or App. The flight must be departing from either Manila or Cebu to an international destination but it can be a one-way or return ticket. You need to pay using a visa card which was issued in the Philippines.
Flight & Raffle Ticket Details:-
- One way Economy ticket = 1 raffle entry.
- One way Premium Economy = 2 raffle entries
- One way Business Class = 2 raffle entries
- RoundTrip Economy ticket = 2 raffle entries
- RoundTrip Premium Economy = 4 raffle entries
- RoundTrip Business Class = 4 raffle entries.
There will be 3 winners who will each receive a MAMA Awards package for 2 people The package includes: – PAL round-trip economy tickets, a Red Carpet Experience with tickets to the Awards and the Awards Ceremony, and 4D3N hotel accommodation with breakfast and airport and event transfers.
If you’re not planning on booking any international flights any time soon, you don’t need to miss out; the awards will be broadcast live worldwide via Mnet Plus.
Organized by CJ ENM, and sponsored by Visa, the theme of the 2026 two-day K-pop event is “Music Makes ONE”. Award categories include Artist of the Year, Song of the Year, Album of the Year and Fan’s Choice of the Year. Official nominees and performance line-ups will begin to be announced as the event date draws closer.
For full details about the promotion and how to qualify, visit https://flights.philippineairlines.com/en-ph/visa-mama-awards
P-Pop Tourism Ambassador Microsites Launched
The Department of Tourism (DOT) this week launched two new travel Microsites under its Discover More To Love domestic tourism campaign, which will give fans the opportunity to learn all about the favourite Philippine destinations of member of BINI and SB19.
The teaser launch for the microsites, which was only released across social media this Monday, has garnered hundreds of thousands of interactions and engagements.
Each of the dream destinations of BINI and SB19 band members include their own photos and captions, and offer discounted travel packages. The microsites are also interactive allowing fans to leave messages or respond to features.
The DOT hopes that the microsites will encourage foreign national and domestic fans to visit and explore the Philippines.
Winners Announced At Megaworld’s 2026 F&B Conference.
Megaworld Hotels and Resorts (MHR) concluded its 2026 F&B Conference, held this week at Boracay Newcoast.
The conference, which originally started life as an annual culinary event, has expanded beyond the kitchen and restaurant to include front of house hoteliers too.
The event concluded with a competitive Timpla Dinner which saw 16 MHR chefs and their kitchen teams go head-to-head preparing a dish and complimenting drink from scratch.
The Best Dish winners were:
Gold: Executive Chef Pao Aviso (Mercure Mactan, Lapu-Lapu city) with his Balbacua Pares prepared with noodles and chunks of ribeye steak, and a Green Mango mocktail. The team also received The Best Overall Showcase Experience award
Silver: Chef Chubby Timban (Kingsford Hotel, Parañaque, Manila) dished up Baka Tula-sog – braised beef, bagoong tablea sauce, yam and pineapple, alongside a whisky-base coconut cocktail companion.
Bronze: Chef Jhon Ryan German (Chancellor Hotel, Boracay Newcoast) presented skewered, grilled Lapu-Lapu with atsara and local pickles.
The 2027 conference is scheduled to be held at Grand Westide Hotel, Parañaque Manila
SM Delivers Fresh Start Hospitality Training
A program which aims to deliver a fresh start to previously imprisoned people via industry skills training, has been launched by SM Hotels & Conventions Corporation (SMHCC).
The program is operating in partnership with Park Inn by Radisson North Edsa, Radisson Blu Hotel Cebu, TESDA (Technical Education Skills Development Authority) and the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP).
It sees previously incarcerated people (Persons Deprived of Liberty) receiving rehabilitation support and training in industry-relevant skills
The concept was inspired by earlier initiatives No Juan Left Behind and No Woman Left Behind launched by Joy Belmonte when she was mayor of Quezon City.
Park Inn by Radisson have also been running programs that teach basic housekeeping training, and basic food and beverage operations training at Quezon City Jail and Cebu City Jail. Some of the recipients of this training have gone on to secure employment in Radisson hotels.
By working in partnership with SMHCC the goal is to expand the training programs across the country, reaching even more people and potential trainees.
“As one of the country’s leading hospitality groups with a nationwide footprint, SM Hotels is in a unique position to help turn this vision into reality by bringing together our properties, partners, and stakeholders to help more PDLs gain skills, find meaningful work, and move forward.” Peggy Angeles, Executive Vice President SMHCC.
Disney Okada Collaboration
Is Disney Coming to Manila? It is but maybe not in the way we hope!
Okada Manila has announced that it has entered into a collaboration with Disney which will deliver themed-dining, suites and shopping… for now!
It’s all a bit hush-hush and the full details of immediate and future plans will not be revealed until the official partnership launch later this year.
Plant-based Dining Gains Traction in the Philippines
Some of the Philippines’ major hotel and restaurant groups have committed to making at least 20-30% of their food and beverage menu offerings plant-based by 2028.
Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts, Dusit Hotels and Resorts, Bellevue Hotels and Resorts, and Megaworld Hotels and Resorts have all expressed commitment to achieving increased representation of plant-based dishes and drinks on their menus.
Both Shangri-La and Dusit are aiming for 30% plant-based menu options by 2028. Bellevue aims to meet their target of 25% by the end of 2026. Megaworld is looking to achieve a 20% plant-based food and beverage option across all its restaurants by 2028.
Facilitated alongside the Lever Foundation – an international NGO – this shift moves plant-forward dishes from niche requests into mainstream operations, and places Philippines as a regional leader in the effort.
Iloilo Hosts First MICE VendExpo
Iloilo hosted its first MICE VendExpo this week, which brought together hotels, convention centers, event organizers and suppliers, corporate buyers, travel agencies and other tourism stakeholders.
The 1st Iloilo MICE VendExpo took place from August 12 to August 14, 2026, at the Courtyard by Marriott Iloilo. The event aimed to promote Iloilo as a premier business tourism destination, providing opportunities to connect local businesses, event planners, and stakeholders from the MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions) industry.
Talking of MICE Expo’s the countdown to the 2026 Philippine Travel Exchange (PHITEX) is on!
The government-organized travel trade event will take place September 7–14, 2026, at Five E-Com Center, Harbor Drive Mall of Asia Complex Pasay City, Manila.
The theme for 2026 is “Connecting Markets, Creating Opportunities: From Conversation to Collaboration Through Sustainable Tourism Partnerships.”
MICE Tourism professionals from across the Philippines, and at least 80 key international buyers will be attending for business meetings, industry connections, and opportunities. They will enjoy destination and experience showcases, and have the opportunity engage in meaningful table-top appointments to negotiate deals with Philippine sellers.
Industry News Updates – Global News:
Tourists Rescued From Indonesia After Earthquake
Residents and tourists were rescued after Indonesia experienced a 7.7 magnitude earthquake just before 6am on Saturday August 15. At least 68 people have died, and more than 5,000 people have been displaced on the island of Flores, and in other parts of the country.
It is considered the deadliest earthquake since West Java in 2022. Many of the small villages remain currently cut off from help and supplies, and people are sleeping outside out of fear their homes may collapse from ongoing aftershocks.
The earthquake caused significant damage partly because it was a “shallow” quake; only 15km below the earths surface. Government buildings, and hospitals and clinics have been severely damaged hampering the organisation of rescue relief.
It is estimated that 1,200 foreign national tourists have been impacted by the earthquake. As of now, while deaths are being recorded there is little information determining how many are residents and how many are tourists.
Tourists have been steadily making there way to Labuan Bajo where the Komodo International Airport is located.
China’s Dark Tourism Rise
A newer form of tourism has been growing in popularity in China. Coined Dark Tourism or Grief Tourism it centers on tourists visiting sites that are linked to catastrophe and death. And now it’s morphed further.
Chinese tourists, looking to take it one step further, are signing up for extreme survival skills experiences where they get to throw themselves into simulated typhoons, floods and other catastrophic disasters.
The Hangzhou Lvxing Survival Experience Center or “Lvxing Base” – which opened in September 2024 – is said to be the first immersive natural disaster simulation center. Over 160,000 people have visited the center since it opened.
Experiences include simulated torrential rains, typhoons with winds up to 165km an hour, and flash floods for 899 Yuan (P8245.54).
The 5,000 Yuan (almost P46,000) “family package” teaches your whole family water rescue and wilderness survival, although some activities are limited and not available to children in the 6-14 age range.
Participants are kitted out with thermal suits and helmets, and the instructors providing the training are on hand to step in if any participants are struggling physically or emotionally.
Would you do it?
American Tourist Killed By Lightning On Mt Etna
A 30 year old American tourist was struck and killed by lightning whilst hiking on Mt Etna on Sunday August 16.
The tourist, who has not yet been named, was hiking on Mt Etna when a storm moved into the area. Emergency Helicopter Services responded to a distress call and flew him to a hospital in Catania.
The man could not be resuscitated from his cardiac arrest and was declared dead by hospital doctors.
It has been reported by various Italian news agencies that the tourist was found in an off-limits area closer to the summit, away from the designated hiking area.
Industry News Updates – Tech:
Flight WiFi Cybercrime Investigated
It has been reported that a passenger on a Delta Airlines flight launched a WiFi Hotspot designed to mimic the look of the airlines official WiFi connection and trick passengers into entering their personal and card details.
The incident occurred at the start of August but has only recently been reported on by TechCrunch. The fake WiFi network was set up or launched midflight, somewhere between Las Vegas and Atlanta.
Speaking on behalf of Delta Airlines, Morgan Durrant told TechCrunch that neither the inflight network, or the aircraft’s operating systems were compromised.
The incident came to light publicly after the pilots informed air traffic control of the fake WiFi Network. It is understood that they switched off the planes actual WiFi for 30 minutes once they became aware.
The perpetrator is yet to be identified and the incident is still being investigated by federal authorities. It is believed that some of the passengers on that flight were returning to Atlanta from a cybersecurity conference in Las Vegas.
European Travel Agencies Face New AI Usage Rules
New EU transparency rules under the EU Artificial Intelligence Act took effect on August 2, 2026.
These laws force European travel agencies and booking platforms to clearly disclose customer-facing AI interactions (Chat-bots), label synthetic media like AI-generated hotel photos or descriptions, and completely avoid illegal practices like socioeconomic price-targeting.
The EU Artificial Intelligence Act Core Transparency Mandates:
Chatbot Disclosures: Users must be explicitly told right away when they are talking to an AI system or voice assistant rather than a human.
Synthetic Labeling: AI-generated marketing images, videos, and descriptions must feature visible, machine-readable labels showing they are artificial.
Handoff Protocols: Customer service systems must allow a clear and transparent path to transfer queries from bots to human staff.
Prohibited Practices and Penalties Include:
Price Discrimination: Agencies cannot use AI tools to adjust or target pricing based on a customer’s socioeconomic background.
Steep Fines: Companies failing to comply face penalties reaching up to €15 million or 3% of their total annual worldwide turnover.
Read about how the industry is preparing for the new rules here. Do you think the Philippines should be considering similar standards and protocols?
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If you missed it, you can catch last weeks Industry News Updates here.
