Your ten minute roundup of Philippine and Global Hospitality and Tourism Industry News Updates for the week ending September 4, 2026.
Industry News Updates – Headlines:
- September Is PH Tourism Month
- 37th Philippine Travel Mart Underway This Weekend
- DOT Eastern Visayas Frontliner Focus
- General Santos Tourism Investment Forum Held
- Luxury Hotel & Resort Market Fastest Growing Sector in Philippines
- Manila, MY Manila Launches Expo
- International Arrivals Up by 5.4% First Half of 2026
- Lind Hotels Set To Expand Into Coron in 2027
- Megaworld Breaks ₱12-billion Wellness Estate Ground
- Coffee Plz 2026 Brews Up Fest At Ayala Malls Circuit
- Nepal Missing And Death Toll Continues to Rise
- 8 Dead 18 Missing After Cypriot Ferry Capsize
- Rome Wages War On Golf Carts!
- Thailand Cuts Visa Free Stays
- Google Introduces Flight Price Tracking in AI Mode
Philippines Hospitality & Tourism Industry News Updates
September Is PH Tourism Month
It’s September! The first of the “Ber” months leading up to Christmas, and Tourism Month in the Philippines. Expect to see lots of events, activities, training and opportunities being promoted by your local DOT Offices. Follow their socials for up to the minute information.
37th Philippine Travel Mart Underway This Weekend
The 27th Philippine Travel Mart will take place this weekend, September 4-6, at the SMX Convention Center, Pasay City, Manila.
This massive expo is the perfect opportunity to get ideas and deals for your next domestic vacation. 16 regions will be vying for your attention with cultural displays and activities, food and crafts, and even DJs.
If you’re a hospitality or tourism business the expo offers a number of B2B (Business To Business) sessions, serving to connect local tourism stakeholders and showcasing the diverse destinations and experiences across the Philippines.
Also included in the program is The Health and Wellness Conference and Expo (HWONFEX) 2026, which we covered in last weeks Industry News Updates.
HWONFEX aims to position the Philippines as a leading wellness destination in ASEA, and brings together wellness enthusiasts, practitioners, industry stakeholders, and trade buyers and sellers.
DOT Eastern Visayas Frontliner Focus
The DOT Eastern Visayas Office held its first Tourist Driver as Tourism Frontliner Seminar this week.
The Seminar took place across two days starting September 2, and was held at Hotel Rodolfo, Tacloban City. It was attended by 51 participants from DOT-accredited Tourist Transport businesses operators across the Eastern Visayas region.
Sessions included a focus on the role of drivers as one of the first points of contact for tourists, and the importance of professionalism, courtesy, and delivering positive experiences, underpinned by genuine Filipino Hospitality.
General Santos Tourism Investment Forum Held
The Department of Tourism SOCCSKSARGEN Office hosted an investment forum on September 4 aimed at stimulating travel and business to General Santos and Sarangani.
The forum had a strong focus on the investment incentives available to key financiers, property developers, Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions (MICE) investors and tourism enterprises, especially dive tourism, looking to develop or expand in the area.
Forum partners included the Philippine Retirement Authority (PRA) and highlighted prospective ventures for the region’s retirement hub, wellness facilities, and eco-tourism destinations.
Luxury Hotel & Resort Market Fastest Growing Sector in Philippines
The luxury hotel and resort market is the fastest growing sector within the Philippines’ hospitality industry with 12,000 new keys in the pipeline via 50 new projects.
And it would seem that the market for luxury is there, despite financial pressures being faced by people around the world.
The luxury hotel segment in the Philippines achieved an 86% occupancy rate in the first quarter of 2026 (Jan-March) despite commanding room rates of between P11,000 to P12,000 a night. Read more at Hospitality Asia Media
Manila, MY Manila Launches Expo
Manila, MY Manila has announced the dates for the My Manila Tourism Expo, which will be held on 25-27 September, 2026 at Foro De Intramuros.
The event will be open from 9am to 9pm each day with spaces to discover, people to meet, and opportunities to see Manila from a different angle. Follow their Facebook Page Manila, MY Manila for details
International Arrivals Up by 5.4% First Half of 2026
International visitor numbers are up by 5.4% in the first half of 2026, when compared to 2025.
3.16million international visitors have been recorded arriving in to the Philippines since the start of the year, with strong growth particularly from the Chinese and Indian markets.
Lind Hotels Set To Expand Into Coron in 2027
The Lind Hotels has announced its next venture – 2027 will see the opening of The Lind Coron, a 91 room and villa resort, with restaurants, a dive center, infinity pools and a Spa Wellness center.
The Lind Hotels has earned numerous national and international awards and accolades for its Boracay resort, including a spot in the Michelin Guide. But what may surprise you is it wasn’t the brands first-choice destination – Coron was.
And now Coron is the focus once again.
“Coron offers a rare combination of natural beauty and untapped potential. Our goal is not only to be part of its growth, but to help shape its future by bringing a new standard of hospitality to the destination.” Pierre Henrichs, Chief Operating Officer, The Lind Hotels.
The Lind Hotels Coron private villas will each feature a private dipping pool, and a dedicated Villa Host to deliver personalized services throughout the stay.
There will also be facilities for events, meetings and celebrations with stunning views and amenities.
Megaworld Breaks ₱12-billion Wellness Estate Ground
Megaworld is now developing its 25-hectare San Benito Private Estate in Lipa City, Batangas, right next to well-known wellness retreat The Farm at San Benito.
The project is worth ₱12 billion and will be built over five to seven years, in partnership with CG Hospitality, the group behind The Farm.
Half of the property will stay as green space, including forests and nature trails, with views of the Malarayat Mountains. The estate will have private villas, condominiums, an international hotel, commercial spaces, wellness centers, a sports hub, and a special center for active seniors.
Because it connects directly to The Farm, residents will get access to its health and wellness programs. Megaworld CEO Lourdes Gutierrez-Alfonso said the goal is to build a “community where health is a way of life.”
CG Hospitality’s Rahul Chaudhary called it the “next evolution of wellness hospitality,” and said the company hopes to use San Benito as a model to expand into 15 to 20 similar wellness destinations worldwide over the next five years.
Some details are still under wraps, including the hotel brand, the designers involved, and the total number of homes planned.
Coffee Plz 2026 Brews Up Fest At Ayala Malls Circuit
Coffee lovers have a new hangout at Ayala Malls Circuit Makati, but for one weekend only!
Coffee Plz 2026, running from today until September 7, has over 100 coffee and lifestyle brands on hand, and is co-presented this year by Maya, which is rewarding shoppers who pay for their brew with their Maya Black Credit Card or Maya Wallet Card.
The festival opened with a party that put Manila on the map alongside two award-winning bars: Vietnam’s Workshop 14 and the Philippines’ own The Problem Child, both recent entrants on Asia’s 50 Best Bars list.
Together they served up coffee-based cocktails for the night, mixing espresso and rum into inventive drinks that had guests lining up for seconds. Organizers see it as a sign of things to come, with a Philippine Cocktail Week already planned for early 2027.
For those heading to the mall this weekend, Maya cardholders can rack up bonus miles or cashback on purchases, plus grab freebies like a coffee or matcha tasting voucher at the Maya booth.
Global Hospitality & Tourism Industry News Updates
Nepal Missing And Death Toll Continues to Rise
The numbers of people listed as missing, and bodies recovered continues to rise in Nepal. At least 5,083 people remain missing and 1,287 bodies have been recovered so far.
Hundreds of bodies began washing up in Bharatpur this week, which is 200 kilometers away from the start point of the Flash floods. Many have had to be tagged and buried in mass grave areas as hospitals have no space or facilities to store the bodies.
So far, 324 foreign nationals have been rescued, or have made their survival known to authorities, but 590 tourists still remain missing. 10 Australian tourists, who had been listed as missing, made contact with family and tour operators this week.
There have also been successful rescues from hydropower tunnels, with more expected in the next coming days, and from buildings buried in mud.
8 Dead 18 Missing After Cypriot Ferry Capsize
8 people have been confirmed dead, and 18 are still missing presumed dead after a ferry capsized off the Northern Cyprus coach. 237 people were rescued from the sea, and from the upturned hull of the boat.
The ferry was carrying 270 passengers and crew when it capsized off the coast of Cyprus.
Passengers claim that they informed the crew and captain that the ferry was taking on water, just four nautical miles out of Kyrenia Port, but their concerns were ignored.
The ferry, which was a new vessel, was heading to the port of Taşucu in Mersin province, Turkey, when it began taking on water, and then listing.
Investigations are ongoing regarding claims of insufficient life jackets for the number of passengers, and of the captain abandoning ship with the first of the passengers. Searches continue for the remaining 23 missing passengers.
It is believed that the majority of the passengers were local Turks and Turkish Cypriots returning from Kyrenia, which is a popular holiday destination.
Rome Wages War On Golf Carts!
Rome is finally taking a stand on the 500 plus golf carts that have been operating as alternative tourist taxis around the city.
Rome’s Deputy Mayor for Sustainable Mobility and Transport, Eugenio Patanè, is working towards cutting the number of authorized vehicles coming in to the historic center, to reduce congestion and emissions which damage the historic buildings and monuments.
He has already implemented an admission fee which – unusually – includes Electric Vehicles (EVs) resulting in a 25% drop in vehicles entering the area.
He intends to introduce further regulations that will cap the numbers of Golf Carts, and implement fixed tour routes.
Golf Cart bookings through Viator, just one Tour Operator offering the service, have jumped by 147% since 2024 according to TripAdvisor, at a time when the city is struggling with overtourism.
A new tour operator association (Metur) was launched in December 2025 to attempt to bring in standards and operational procedures. Its President, Pascal van Duijnhoven, has stated that he sees Golf Cart tours as a solution rather than a problem.
Residents, however, just see the unregulated carts as adding to the congestion, especially when there are only 4,300 regular on-street parking spots available which is already insufficient for their needs.
Thailand Cuts Visa Free Stays
Foreign nationals from 90 different countries will stop benefitting from a 60 day visa free stay in Thailand, from September 15, 2026.
A visa free allowance will still exist but it is being reduced to 30 days. After that EU passport holders, and visitors from other countries (see our Industry News Updates May 29) will need to apply for a Visa or leave the country.
The move has, allegedly, come about in response to escalating criminal activities by foreign nationals ranging from drug offences, to operating businesses without the correct permits, and sex trafficking. Last week we reported on the arrest of nearly 30 foreign nationals who were circumnavigating business procedures and requirements.
Other nationalities – who we can assume do not feature as heavily in arrests in Thailand – will see their visa free allowance increase from 60 days to 90 days. This includes visitors from Peru and Brazil.
Tech Hospitality & Tourism Industry News Updates
Google Introduces Flight Price Tracking in AI Mode
Google has introduced a flight price tracking feature for its AI Mode, which will enable users to set alerts and email notifications when flight prices change.
The feature can also display hotel and flight prices in air miles or loyalty points for current partners Accor, Hilton, Hyatt, Marriott and Wyndham, and American Airlines and Lufthansa. As well as Booking.com, Expedia, Hotels.com, Priceline and Trip.com. Other business partners will be onboarded in the next 6 months.
What this means is that travelers can now search for and compare hotels and flights, check reviews, book and pay all without leaving Google AI Mode.
Missed last weeks Industry News? Catch it here.
