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<div style="line-height:1"><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px;display:block" width="960"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1771395721839TTE day.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/><span class="fr-inner">Festive Travel Tour Expo 2026 attended by more than 100,000 participants and guests. <em>Photo source: PTAA </em></span></span></span></div><p style="line-height:1">An estimated number of 120,000 participants joined the recent Philippine Travel Agencies Association (PTAA) flagship Travel Tour Expo at the SMX Convention Center last February 6 to 8. More than just a travel sale, the event showcased the booming tourism economy in ASEAN. The Filipino spirit of adventure and discovery lifted an industry that accounts for 34% of the country&#x27;s employment of 16-M in hospitality, transportation, food, among others. Recently, the Philippines was recognized as the largest tourism economy in ASEAN, according to the latest World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) <a href="https://wttc.org/news/philippines-travel-tourism-sector-set-to-inject-a-record-php-5-point-9tn-to-the-economy-2025" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">data</a>. </p><div style="line-height:1"> </div><p style="line-height:1">&quot;The TTE 2026 was not merely a travel fair. It was a declaration that Filipino wanderlust is alive and thriving and this is very helpful to the Philippine economy, &quot; said Jaison Yang, PTAA President.</p><div style="line-height:1"> </div><p style="line-height:1">What truly set this year&#x27;s expo apart was the energy in every aisle—the conversations, the deals struck, the itineraries planned, and the dreams made tangible for over a hundred thousand Filipinos eager to see the world.</p><div style="line-height:1"> </div><p style="line-height:1">That achievement, according to the WTTC, reflected the country&#x27;s economic contribution from tourism. The Department of Tourism&#x27;s ambition is to employ 30M by 2028 and the TTE 2026 is indeed a giant leap forward as it brought together 350 exhibitors from across the globe, offering thousands of exclusive travel packages spanning six continents. Tourism Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco connected the statistic to the sector&#x27;s workforce.</p><div style="line-height:1"><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px;display:block" width="960"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/177139558924101 (3).jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/><span class="fr-inner">Tourism Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco leads the gathering of industry stakeholders and participants. <em>Photo source: PTAA </em></span></span></span></div><div style="line-height:1"><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px;display:block" width="960"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><br/><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/177139521429401 (2).jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/><span class="fr-inner">Tourism Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco leads the gathering of industry stakeholders and participants. <em>Photo source: PTAA </em></span></span></span></div><p style="line-height:1">&quot;Tourism helps people to gain livelihood, gain from each other,&quot; stated Frasco. She described the government&#x27;s role in sustaining growth through a ground-level approach. &quot;The work is about showing up. Be on the ground, listen to stakeholders.&quot; </p><div style="line-height:1"> </div><p style="line-height:1">Mariegel Tankiang-Manotok, PTAA TTE 2026 Chair of the Organizing Committee echoed this view, saying tourism offered a collaborative framework for the private and public sectors.</p><div style="line-height:1"><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px;display:block" width="960"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/177139515651701 (1).jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/><span class="fr-inner">PTAA Chairperson Mariegel Tankiang-Manotok highlights tourism&#x27;s role in supporting Filipino enterprises and regional development. <em>Photo source: PTAA </em></span></span></span></div><p style="line-height:1">International destinations mounted prominent displays alongside booths promoting Philippine regions from Palawan to Pangasinan. These exhibits served as direct channels for strengthening the domestic market that supports the country&#x27;s position in Asia. The atmosphere focused not only on booking travel, but also on supporting the broad economic network tied to tourism.</p><div style="line-height:1"><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px;display:block" width="960"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/177139511349601.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/><span class="fr-inner">Participants engage with exhibitors and local tourism groups, reflecting the wide network of communities supported by the travel industry. <em>Photo source: PTAA </em></span></span></span></div><p style="line-height:1">Behind the data on tourism&#x27;s economic standing were the people on the expo floor. They were reflected in regional representatives promoting local destinations, small agencies competing for bookings, tour operators, hotel staff, drivers and small business owners whose livelihoods depend on steady visitor arrivals and the rise and fall of the industry&#x27;s performance.</p><div style="line-height:1"> </div><p style="line-height:1">The challenge now, as articulated by both Yang&#x27;s visionary ambassadorship and Frasco&#x27;s stakeholder-focused pragmatism, is to steward the accolade of the country when it comes to the tourism economy. This position demands travel that is sustainable, inclusive, and worthy of the communities that form its foundation.</p><div style="line-height:1"> </div><p style="line-height:1">&quot;The lessons of TTE 2026—the partnerships, the innovations, the sheer scale of what a united private sector can accomplish—will fuel every step toward an even greater gathering next year,&quot; declared Tankiang-Manotok, as she expressed her profound gratitude to the Department of Tourism and Tourism Promotions Board as co-presentors, Bank of Philippine Islands as bank partner and Philippine Airlines, Kaban Hotel and Casino, Philippine Long Distance Telephone Company (PLDT), PAGCOR, Duty Free Philippines and Hotel 101 as sponsors. </p><div style="line-height:1"><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:633px;display:block" width="633"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1771395001314organized co presentpor bank partner (1).png" style="width:633px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="633"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:center"><em>Photo source: PTAA </em></span></span></span></div><div style="line-height:1"><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:633px;display:block" width="633"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1771393535840TTE SPONSORS v2.png" style="width:633px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="633"/><span class="fr-inner">PTAA Travel Tour Expo 2026 sponsors. <em>Photo source: PTAA </em></span></span></span></div><p style="line-height:1">PTAA is looking ahead to the VisMin Travel Tour Expo in SMX Davao with the renewed   energy of an industry that has proven that it is resilient, innovative, and committed to bringing the world close to every Filipino. </p><div style="line-height:1"> </div><p style="line-height:1">The journey is just beginning for PTAA, its partners, and over a hundred thousand Filipinos who left the SMX with hearts full. </p><div style="line-height:1"> </div><p style="line-height:1">For more information on future events and promos, visit the <a href="https://web.facebook.com/www.ptaa.org.ph" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">PTAA Facebook page</a> and <a href="http://traveltourexpo.ptaa.org.ph/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">website</a>.  </p><div style="line-height:1"><br/></div>

<p>The Travel Tour Expo 2026 concluded with more than discounted packages on offer, as government and industry leaders reflected on tourism's expanding economic footprint and its responsibility to the workforce behind it.</p>

The Travel Tour Expo 2026 concluded with more than discounted packages on offer, as government and industry leaders reflected on tourism's expanding economic footprint and its responsibility to the workforce behind it.

Travel expo highlights Filipino hope

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Travel expo highlights Filipino hope

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Published February 18, 2026 04:35 PM PHT

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