Philippines Launches 'FlyViaCebu' Campaign for Visayas Tourism

The Philippine Department of Tourism, in collaboration with Mactan-Cebu International Airport (MCIA) and the Visayas Island-Chamber Tourism Alliance, has launched the 'Discover the Visayas, #FlyViaCebu' campaign. Formalized through a memorandum of understanding signed on October 23, 2026, the initiative aims to streamline the travel experience for both domestic and international visitors. By positioning Cebu as the primary regional gateway, the campaign provides structured travel information and logistics support to help tourists combine visits to multiple islands, including Lapu-Lapu, Panglao, Boracay, and Siargao, in a single trip.

The campaign addresses the logistical challenges often associated with island-hopping in the Philippines. By centralizing information and coordinating transport links, the initiative seeks to increase the average length of stay and total spend per visitor. This strategic move is part of a broader effort to distribute tourism benefits more evenly across the Visayas region, moving beyond single-destination travel patterns.

This campaign is aimed at international and domestic tourists planning multi-destination trips within the Philippines. It is particularly beneficial for travellers who want to explore the Visayas region but are unfamiliar with the local transport connections between islands.

Makutet anticipates that this initiative will significantly improve the ease of travel in the region, likely leading to a measurable increase in visitor numbers for secondary destinations. By simplifying the 'gateway' experience, the Philippines is effectively reducing the friction that often discourages travellers from exploring beyond the most popular islands, which should drive long-term growth in the regional tourism economy.