Heavy thunderstorms did not stop guests from filling the halls of SMX Convention Center on Friday, Sept. 4, 2026, to explore over 310 booths and major deals at the Philippine Tour Operators Association’s (PHILTOA) 37th Philippine Travel Mart (PTM), which officially opened this week under the theme ‘Nurturing the NextGen Tourism: Discover Your Philippines,’ with tourism officials and industry leaders calling on Filipinos to look past the country’s most familiar attractions and explore its emerging destinations, communities, and culture.
From food to textiles, local handicrafts, and offbeat destinations, this year’s PTM once again takes travelers on an instant tour of the Philippines, where one can sample the best of the different regions’ offerings, and help them plan their next travel itineraries that will take them beyond the usual tourist spots.
‘Today, people are looking beyond the usual attractions. They want to meet local people, taste local food, and experience a destination in a more personal way,’ said Department of Tourism (DOT) Secretary Dita Angara-Mathay in her opening remarks. The event is PHILTOA’s third installment of PTM’s ‘NextGen Tourism’ series, launched in 2024 with the theme ‘Love the NextGen Tourism’ alongside the DOT’s ‘Love the Philippines’ campaign. In 2025 with a push toward turning industry mindset into action, PTM’s theme was ‘Boosting the NextGen Tourism,’ and this year’s edition builds on that momentum that is supported by four pillars: digitalization, sustainability, inclusivity, and health and wellness.
PHILTOA president Maria Lourdes Japson encouraged PTM visitors to explore this year’s booths to avail themselves of the deals exclusive to the three-day fair-airfare and hotel discounts unique to the event.
With the participation of DOT regional offices from Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao, PTM is guaranteed to be a ‘truly national’ affair, said Japson, and provides everyone a taste of what the entire Philippines has to offer. The Capiz booth, for one, provides a high-tech visual exploration of their province through the use of virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR). Over in the Cordilleras booth, one is educated on and gets a free taste of the different kinds of coffee they grow. The Calabarzon booth trains the spotlight on pet-friendly destinations, for travelers who like taking their fur babies on vacation with them.
‘PTM is where people meet our markets, where destinations meet buyers, where stories meet opportunities,’ Japson said.
Building an industry for the next generation
Tourism Secretary Angara-Mathay also highlighted how PHILTOA, through PTM, is a key partner in shaping the Philippines’ tourism industry to not just become bigger but better-pointing to a shift in traveler behavior toward more personal, community-based experiences.
She cited several initiatives under the Philippine Experience Program designed around that shift, including ‘The Secret Kitchens of Samar,’ which she said lets visitors discover heirloom recipes and the family stories behind them, and a slow-food movement in Negros built around producers, cooks, and their communities. She also pointed to community-based weaving programs in Kalinga, Lake Sebu, and Zamboanga, where visitors ‘don’t just buy the fabric’ but learn directly from the weavers who make it.
Angara-Mathay tied the push to diaspora tourism as well, saying the department wants overseas Filipinos to ‘come not just for the grass, but with a deeper connection to who we are’ – journeys she said also create livelihoods for local artisans, farmers, cooks, guides, and transport providers.
A legacy handed to the next generation
Japson traced PTM’s roots to its founding under the then-Philippine Convention and Visitors Corporation (PCVC), which later evolved into the Tourism Promotions Board (TPB) before the fair found its current home with PHILTOA.
With this year’s theme, PTM is also a call for Philtoa and the rest of the tourism industry to build on nearly four decades of groundwork. ‘Every generation has a responsibility to build on what the previous generation started, and to prepare the next generation to take it even further,’ she said.
The 37th Philippine Travel Mart is presented by the Department of Tourism and the Tourism Promotions Board Philippines. It runs from September 4 to 6, 2026, at the SMX Convention Center in Pasay City.