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The ASEAN Tourism Forum happens annually, hosted by a different member of the ASEAN countries in rotation, where discussions on the tourism objectives and goals of the region are addressed together. Running concurrently with high-level discussions, the ASEAN Travel Exchange (TRAVEX) takes place in the Mactan Expo Center to connect buyers and exhibitors to facilitate travel trade in the ASEAN region. In addition, the ATF includes hosted media briefings where over 70 media representatives from all over the world gather to hear briefings from the ASEAN countries on the latest developments and offerings in both leisure and MICE. I was lucky enough to be a hosted media this year, and here’s what attending the ATF is like from a media perspective.
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The ASEAN Travel Exchange (TRAVEX)
The TRAVEX takes place in the Mactan Expo Center, with exhibitors setting up booths that showcase their country’s culture. This year, the host country, the Philippines, has the biggest booth, with tour companies, hotels, and attractions from different regions gathered together.
I was also able to try the Kaulayaw coffee, which is a sustainable local coffee brand that is a sponsor of the event and offers the best caramel latte attendees can drink for free at the back of the Philippines stand.
Malaysia also has a large pavilion where tea tarik, local snacks, and shoe beading were showcased as well. They organized a tea tarik pouring display on the second day and welcomed many attendees to try!
Media Briefings
The main objective for hosted media is to attend the media briefings by the tourism boards of ASEAN countries to learn about the latest developments.
Not all 11 countries gave a briefing; we had 8 briefings in total, each around 45 minutes from:
- Philippines
- Indonesia
- Vietnam
- Malaysia
- Singapore
- Timor-Leste
- Cambodia
- Laos
You can go into more detail about my learnings from the ASEAN Tourism Forum media briefing here.
How to Become a Hosted Media and Media Obligations
I applied to be a media representative on the official website of the ASEAN Tourism Forum 2026, which has its own website that you can still look at here.
As a hosted media, once confirmed, you are entitled to:
- Airfare covered based on a calculated budget; media will buy their own tickets and be reimbursed at the end as long as they have attended the required amount of briefings (7 out of 8).
- Flights must not stop at any location apart from the home city for longer than 24 hours for transit.
- 5 nights of hosted stay; we must arrive by 26/1 and leave after 31/1 (the ATF conference days were 28-30/1).
- Pre-tour subject to availability on 27/1.
- Post-tour at an additional fee, subject to availability.
We had breakfast at the hotel, and lunch and dinner were provided or hosted by a tourism board during the conference. However, it was not mandatory for us to attend the meals or events.
ASEAN Tourism Forum Events
Aside from the media briefings, there are also a few events going on during the ATF, most notably the opening and closing ceremonies.
ASEANTA Excellence Awards Night
The ASEANTA Excellence Awards Night took place at JPark Island Resort.
ATF 2026 Opening Ceremony Hosted by Tourism Promotions Board Philippines
The ATF 2026 opening ceremony was an outdoor fiesta at the Mactan Statue. It felt like I was attending a festival with a red carpet that led us through teens and children dressed in traditional costumes dancing.
Each ASEAN country also had a food station where they served their signature dishes. I tried my best to have one from every stall, but it was not possible!
The standout dishes to me were the simple yet delicious rice with beans from Timor-Leste, Singapore’s satay, and the pickled tea salad from Myanmar.
After everyone had eaten, we moved to sit by the stage to see the opening ceremony!
ATF 2026 Closing Ceremony Hosted by Tourism Promotions Board Philippines
The closing ceremony took place at Nustar Hotel and Convention Center in Cebu City, and we actually had a police escort to bypass the traffic and get us there! It was a big event with all the ASEAN delegates, as well as buyers, exhibitors, and media, coming together for the banquet and show. It was preceded by the ASEAN Tourism Standard Awards, which was for invited delegates only.
The Philippines had a small fair there to showcase the nature, culture, and marine tourism offerings, as well as a coffee and matcha stand, which was much appreciated!
Before the doors to the hall opened, there were also canapés and cocktails by Destilleria Limtuaco, the oldest distillery in the Philippines, which was established in 1852 and has its own museum in Manila. I tried their calamansi and orange liquors, and they were both fantastic!
The dinner spread was also really good with signature Filipino dishes and cultural performances.
Food at ASEAN Tourism Forum
For the full three days of the conference, we had breakfast at the hotel, and then lunch and dinner were provided or hosted by a tourism board. Overall, the food was pretty good, although there weren’t many vegetarian dishes.
TRAVEX Lunch Hosted by Tourism Malaysia
Our lunch on the first day of the ATF was hosted by Tourism Malaysia in Dusit Thani Mactan. We got to see the Sun Bears, watch cultural performances, and try Malaysian dishes prepared by chefs who flew in to cook for us.
The transfers were also organized for us to go from Mactan Convention Center, which was a 20-minute ride.
Reception & Dinner Hosted by Singapore Tourism Board
The reception and dinner hosted by the Singapore Tourism Board were held at Nustar Hotel and Convention Center, which was about an hour’s drive from Mactan Convention Center. Unfortunately, I did not manage to go as I had a conflicting schedule, but other media who went said they had a great time.
Crimson Hotel Sundowner
On the second night, there was the Crimson Hotel Sundowner, which was next to the Reef Mactan. The hotel recently opened the Azure Beach Club, where you can see the evening dance performance by the hotel pool as well as the golden hour on the beach.
They set up food stations for the night for buyers and media, and everything from the seafood skewers to the dessert crepes was delicious. The wine and cocktail selection was also very lovely, and they had a great jazz band as well.
Hosted Media Accommodation: The Reef Hotel Mactan
We stayed at the Reef Hotel Mactan, which was a 5-10 minute drive from the Mactan Convention Center, right by the beach.
It’s a modern hotel with a block for residents and a block for hotel guests, featuring an infinity pool on the lobby floor overlooking the beach and the sea, as well as a smaller kids’ pool.
The rooms are spacious and clean, with either a small or larger balcony depending on your floor. The only downside to the hotel, in my opinion, is that the lifts can take a long time due to the fact that you have to change lifts at the lobby level to access the separate block for hotel guests. Additionally, there are no service lifts for staff, and the three lifts run on two separate systems.
Facilities at The Reef Hotel Mactan
Swimming Pool and Beach
The stretch of beach in front of the Reef Mactan was set up with sunbeds on two levels and direct sandy beach access. There is also an overhang on the right side facing the sea that makes for a nice photo spot and a shady place to relax.
The snorkeling right off the beach is also fantastic, with abundant sea life. Even in ankle-deep water, there were plenty of fish, and I saw many starfish and even found clownfish!
Spa
The Reef Hotel has an onsite spa that runs from 10 AM until 10 PM. We were lucky enough to receive a discount for being ATF media delegates, but the prices were reasonable to me from a Hong Kong standpoint! I tried the traditional Haliot Massage, and while it was overall pleasant, I found the pressure and technique to be slightly inconsistent in parts.
You can see the menu here.
Gym
The gym at the Reef Mactan is one of the most comprehensive gyms I have come across.
They have a weights station, treadmills and stationary cycles, and ellipticals facing the ocean, as well as a variety of leg and arm machines that I usually only see in large gyms.
Breakfast at the Reef Hotel Mactan
The breakfast spread at the Reef Hotel Mactan covered both Western and Asian palates. There was a wide selection of pastries and bread with a toasting machine, a salad bar, an egg station, and also bacon and hash browns.
The majority of the cooked dishes were Asian, with rotating Filipino dish selections as well.
Pre-tour and Post-tour
There are pre-tours and post-tours organized by the ATF and Philippines Tourism boards for buyers and media. I did not participate in any of the pre-tours, but there were five different tours that visited destinations near Mactan.
There are six post-tours that each explore a different part of the Philippines for 5 days and 4 nights. Sadly, the two Palawan tours were full even before I could apply, and since group sizes were 25-30, I decided to opt out and headed down to Moalboal to revisit some of my favorite places again.
