SUPER SPORTS TOURISM GROUP FORMED: Sports Turismo Alliance Supports It

Sports Turismo Alliance, Inc (STA) applause the formation of the National Sports Tourism Inter-Agency Committee (NST-IAC) as approved by President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr through Administrative Order No 38 signed on October 29, 2025.

Under the NST-IAC, the committee, headed by Patrick Gregorio, Chairman of the Philippine Sports Commission, has been tasked to manage and oversee the development, promotion, and implementation of sports tourism initiatives.

“We welcome the formation of the NST-IAC and many of our partners in the  Alliance, are elated with this development,” exclaimed Charles Lim, President and CEO of STA. “We have been looking forward to this day for a very long time.”

He further explained that many countries, prominent in sports and popular tourist destinations prosper with both sectors under one administration. ” Look at Thailand, Vietnam and South Korea. How successful they have been in boosting tourism through sports. They are all under one Ministry of Sports and Tourism. Some of them embrace the Culture portfolio as well.”

“From the point of view of event organizers and sports associations bidding for major events, I would likened this to doing business in a one-stop shop,” said Lim.

Gregorio heads this newly created inter-agency group as chairman with Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco of the Department of Tourism (DOT) as vice-chairman. and the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG), Department of Budget and Management (DBM), Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone (TIEZA) and Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) as members.

Lim first conceptualized an educational planning workshop series, Sports Tourism Forum (STF) in 2004, under his public relations company, Selrahco. STF has since held no less than twenty fora for local governments and eight DOT regional offices across the country in sports event management, sports marketing, bidding and budgeting, and in measuring the economic and socio impact and the boost to certain sport development and popularity in the host cities.

The next STF is scheduled in Clark Freeport, Pampanga on November 7, 2025 at the SMX Convention Center, presented by the Bases Conversion and Development Authority, Clark International Aviation Corporation, Department of Tourism and Clark Development Corporation.

STA sees itself playing a vital role in sports tourism, deeply rooted in the private sector. Lim, who is also founder and chairman of the annual Philippine Sports Tourism Awards now in its seventh year, claims that the sports tourism sector has made big strides in the last decade with several international tournaments such as the FIBA World Cup in 2023, the recently concluded FIVB World Championship and the forthcoming FIFA Women’s Futsal World Cup and the Junior World Artistic Gymnastics Championships in Manila are good testament

During a meeting in Malacañang recently with the President, the Private Sector Advisory Council – Tourism Sector Group (PSAC-TSC) headed by Lance Gokongwei of the JG Group, also recommended adopting a marketing strategy focused on sports.

Sports Turismo Alliance, Inc gained membership into the London based International Association of Event Hosts (IAEH) in 2022, being the sole representative from the Philippines ever since. IAEH has over 50 members worldwide.