Creative tourism summit ignites bold vision for PH travel

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The Tourism Promotions Board (TPB) Philippines successfully hosted the Creative Tourism Conference (CTC), a landmark event that brought together tourism leaders, creative visionaries, and policymakers to chart a new direction for Philippine tourism.

Held from September 3 to 4, 2025, at the historic Metropolitan Theater in Manila, the conference underscored the growing power of culture and creativity in transforming the travel industry.

With the theme “Crafting Pathways: Synergizing Tourism and Creativity,” the event explored how creative expression—from food and fashion to film and technology—can drive inclusive growth, deepen traveler engagement, and shape uniquely Filipino tourism experiences.

“We convene innovators, policymakers, and our dynamic youth to ignite the transformative power of creativity in shaping unique tourism products to ensure that Filipino stories live not only in our galleries, theaters, and museums, but also in the hearts and memories of every visitor,” said TPB COO Maria Margarita Montemayor Nograles.

In her keynote, Department of Tourism Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco emphasized that leveraging culture and creativity is central to the country’s new tourism strategy.

“Because this is what deepens engagement with travelers and ensures greater yield for our communities,” Frasco said. “When visitors experience our food, our design, our art, our music, our crafts, they do not just come here. They stay longer, they spend more, and they invest in the lives of our people.”

The plenary sessions featured prominent speakers such as Garlic Garcia of VIU Philippines, who discussed content tourism; Atty. Annette Gozon-Valdes of GMA Network, who highlighted media’s role in heritage storytelling; and journalist and UN Women Goodwill Ambassador Karen Davila, who called for inclusive, community-centric tourism programs.

“Women don’t want charity. Women want opportunity. Women want to take the lead,” Davila said. “When you hire and uplift women in tourism, the whole community is uplifted.”

NCCA Commissioner Dr. Ivan Anthony Henares spoke about empowering Filipino creatives, while Ayala Land’s Jeremy Sy explored destination branding, and digital advocate Janette Toral presented tech innovations such as AI itineraries and AR maps.

Breakout sessions tackled topics like theater and film tourism with experts including Fernando Josef, Dexter Santos, Pat Valera, and Gino Gonzales, while Lifestyle Asia’s Kerry Tinga discussed storytelling as a tool for inspiration.

The culminating panel, “Towards a Tourism × Creativity-Led Nation,” gathered UNESCO Creative City leaders Marie Venus Tan (Baguio), Butch Carungay (Cebu), and Leny Ledesma (Iloilo), along with DOT Director Dr. Paulo Tugbang, in a discussion moderated by British Council Philippines’ Andrei Nikolai Pamintuan.

They emphasized how global recognition in crafts, gastronomy, and folk arts can attract investment and fuel sustainable, inclusive growth in creative tourism.

In his closing remarks, Manila Mayor Francisco “Isko” Moreno Domagoso pledged full city government support, saying, “We’re very excited that you’ve done this… I hope this will bring more tourists, particularly to our city.”

Negros Occidental 3rd District Rep. Javier Miguel “Javi” Benitez described creative tourism as a vital area of development and urged more cross-sector collaborations.

“I truly hope that this conference will only open more collaborations, projects, and actual outcomes for the tourism sector, utilizing our country’s creative assets,” Benitez said.

The two-day conference reinforced the Philippines’ potential to lead in Asia’s creative tourism scene by spotlighting Filipino ingenuity—from crafts and cuisine to digital innovation and performance art.

It was made possible through the support of the Department of Tourism and a broad network of partners, including the NCCA, Metropolitan Theater, City of Manila, Intramuros Administration, Primer Group of Companies, and The Travel Club.