Now under construction, the Mactan Expo Center in Lapu-Lapu City, Cebu is in the running to become a potential venue for next year’s Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Tourism Forum (ATF.)
Philippine tourism secretary Christina Frasco made the announcement yesterday, 26th June.
The ATF will also feature the ASEAN Tourism Ministers’ Meeting, which is slated to convene in Cebu in January 2026.
The event is one of several regional meetings taking place in the country as the Philippines assumes ASEAN chairmanship next year.
Frasco declared: “We are confident that with Megaworld on board, the Mactan Expo Center can serve as a very attractive and viable destination for the ASEAN Tourism Forum.”
She added that this will serve as a recognition of Cebu’s position as a premier destination for meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions (MICE).
Rising in the south
Worth an estimated PHP 1.5 billion and currently in development by Philippine real estate firm Megaworld, the Mactan Expo Center is due for completion by December of this year.
The infrastructure, which can accommodate up to 2,600 people, is the latest among the growing number of MICE and event spaces in the province which are currently dominated the NUSTAR Convention Center and IC3 Convention Center in Cebu City.
Frasco also pointed out that her department is presently coordinating with both local government and local tourism stakeholders to fully maximise the opportunities the ATF may offer to the southern province.
Likewise, the ATF will also feature a travel exchange component connecting ASEAN buyers with sellers offering a diverse range of destination products and services.
