Philippines Department of Tourism (DOT) Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco, Chair of the ASEAN Tourism Forum (ATF) 2026, called on Member States to pursue a tourism agenda guided by care, quality, and cooperation as the forum formally concluded on Friday, January 30, in Cebu.
In her keynote address at the NUSTAR Grand Ballroom, Secretary Frasco said ATF 2026 marked not an end, but a shared responsibility to carry forward the direction shaped through dialogue and cooperation over the past days.
“We gather this evening in Cebu to close the ASEAN Tourism Forum 2026 grateful for what we have shared, and mindful of all that we carry forward together,” Secretary Frasco enthused.
She situated the forum within Cebu’s historical and cultural context, citing the legacy of Lapu-Lapu as a symbol of dignity and courage, and the enduring presence of the Señor Santo Niño as a source of perseverance and renewal.
“It is fitting then that the ASEAN Tourism Forum was held here in Cebu and here in the Philippines, a country where hospitality is practiced with sincerity and heart,” she added.
As ATF Chair, Secretary Frasco highlighted the forum’s key outcomes, beginning with the Travel Exchange (TRAVEX), where ASEAN’s tourism marketplace brought together destinations, buyers, and partners through direct engagement, trust, and shared responsibility toward communities and livelihoods.
She said the ASEAN Tourism Conference enabled careful discussions that moved beyond recovery to focus on measurable sustainability, inclusion that reaches communities, and resilience embedded in policy planning and implementation.
The Philippine Regional Showcase, the Tourism Chief noted, demonstrated that tourism is ultimately local, rooted in regions and islands, expressed through culture and creativity, and sustained by communities whose pride and effort define the visitor experience.
At the policy level, she cited the 29th ASEAN Tourism Ministers Meeting, alongside engagements under the ASEAN Plus Three, ASEAN Plus India, and ASEAN Plus Russia frameworks, as key platforms for aligning priorities, strengthening cooperation, and advancing connectivity guided by readiness and responsibility.
The Tourism Chief underscored the importance of the ASEAN Tourism Standards Awards, emphasizing that quality and excellence underpin sustainable growth by protecting travelers, safeguarding communities, and honoring destinations under the ASEAN tourism brand.
“Taken together, these are not separate moments. They formed a shared direction. They showed an ASEAN tourism guided by care. Care for people. Care for culture. Care for place. Care for one another. This is where the work done in Cebu connects to the wider ASEAN journey. Courage gives direction. Faith gives endurance. And cooperation sustains progress. As Chair, we recognize what has been accomplished and the responsibility that continues beyond this gathering,” Secretary Frasco said.
She expressed gratitude to the people of Cebu and the Philippines, local government units, tourism frontliners, volunteers, organizers, and working committees for delivering ATF 2026 with professionalism and heart. She also thanked ASEAN Member States, dialogue partners, private sector partners, and the media for their continued support.
The ATF 2026 Closing Ceremony featured a Pasigarbo sa Sugbu cultural presentation highlighting the Rosquillos, Palawud, and Sinulog festivals. Cebu City Mayor Nestor Archival delivered the welcome remarks, followed by a suite of performances from Alice Reyes Dance Philippines, Acapellago, Huni Mandawe, and Christian Bautista.
The closing ceremony concluded with the formal turnover of ATF hosting duties to Singapore.
Philippines Department of Tourism (DOT) Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco, Chair of the ASEAN Tourism Forum (ATF) 2026, called on Member States to pursue a tourism agenda guided by care, quality, and cooperation as the forum formally concluded on Friday, January 30, in Cebu.
In her keynote address at the NUSTAR Grand Ballroom, Secretary Frasco said ATF 2026 marked not an end, but a shared responsibility to carry forward the direction shaped through dialogue and cooperation over the past days.
“We gather this evening in Cebu to close the ASEAN Tourism Forum 2026 grateful for what we have shared, and mindful of all that we carry forward together,” Secretary Frasco enthused.
She situated the forum within Cebu’s historical and cultural context, citing the legacy of Lapu-Lapu as a symbol of dignity and courage, and the enduring presence of the Señor Santo Niño as a source of perseverance and renewal.
“It is fitting then that the ASEAN Tourism Forum was held here in Cebu and here in the Philippines, a country where hospitality is practiced with sincerity and heart,” she added.
As ATF Chair, Secretary Frasco highlighted the forum’s key outcomes, beginning with the Travel Exchange (TRAVEX), where ASEAN’s tourism marketplace brought together destinations, buyers, and partners through direct engagement, trust, and shared responsibility toward communities and livelihoods.
She said the ASEAN Tourism Conference enabled careful discussions that moved beyond recovery to focus on measurable sustainability, inclusion that reaches communities, and resilience embedded in policy planning and implementation.
The Philippine Regional Showcase, the Tourism Chief noted, demonstrated that tourism is ultimately local, rooted in regions and islands, expressed through culture and creativity, and sustained by communities whose pride and effort define the visitor experience.
At the policy level, she cited the 29th ASEAN Tourism Ministers Meeting, alongside engagements under the ASEAN Plus Three, ASEAN Plus India, and ASEAN Plus Russia frameworks, as key platforms for aligning priorities, strengthening cooperation, and advancing connectivity guided by readiness and responsibility.
The Tourism Chief underscored the importance of the ASEAN Tourism Standards Awards, emphasizing that quality and excellence underpin sustainable growth by protecting travelers, safeguarding communities, and honoring destinations under the ASEAN tourism brand.
“Taken together, these are not separate moments. They formed a shared direction. They showed an ASEAN tourism guided by care. Care for people. Care for culture. Care for place. Care for one another. This is where the work done in Cebu connects to the wider ASEAN journey. Courage gives direction. Faith gives endurance. And cooperation sustains progress. As Chair, we recognize what has been accomplished and the responsibility that continues beyond this gathering,” Secretary Frasco said.
She expressed gratitude to the people of Cebu and the Philippines, local government units, tourism frontliners, volunteers, organizers, and working committees for delivering ATF 2026 with professionalism and heart. She also thanked ASEAN Member States, dialogue partners, private sector partners, and the media for their continued support.
The ATF 2026 Closing Ceremony featured a Pasigarbo sa Sugbu cultural presentation highlighting the Rosquillos, Palawud, and Sinulog festivals. Cebu City Mayor Nestor Archival delivered the welcome remarks, followed by a suite of performances from Alice Reyes Dance Philippines, Acapellago, Huni Mandawe, and Christian Bautista.
The closing ceremony concluded with the formal turnover of ATF hosting duties to Singapore.
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