Palawan seems to have it all: It is repeatedly named one of the world’s best islands, its beaches and limestone landscapes are featured in international travel lists, and millions of visitors come each year.
Yet, ask travelers in some parts of Asia where Palawan is and the answer may be: Where is that?
The disconnect is at the heart of Palawan’s decision to take its tourism industry to Cebu in October for the World’s Best Island (WBI) Travel and Trade Expo 2026, a three-day event that aims to turn the province’s global reputation into something more tangible: more travelers, more business, more investment and more opportunities for Palaweños.
The expo is scheduled on Oct. 23–25 at Ayala Center Cebu under the theme “Beyond Paradise: Connecting Islands, Creating Opportunities.”
Led by the provincial government of Palawan under Gov. Amy Roa Alvarez, in partnership with the Palawan Tourism Council, WBI 2026 will be the first edition of the event to be held outside Metro Manila in 11 years.
But this is not simply about bringing Palawan’s beaches, resorts and tourism products to another city, according to Alvarez. She said it is about answering a more difficult question: How does a destination that is already internationally celebrated become more accessible, better known and more economically beneficial to the people who live there?
From paradise to business
Palawan welcomed 2.13 million visitors in 2025, generating an estimated ₱65.51 billion in tourism receipts and visitor spending. Foreign travelers accounted for 48% of total arrivals, according to provincial tourism data.
Those numbers are impressive, but provincial officials believe there is considerable room for growth.
WBI 2026 is designed to move beyond traditional tourism promotion by creating direct connections between Palawan businesses and the travel industry.
Hotels, resorts, tour operators and transportation companies will meet travel agencies, tour operators, corporate clients, MICE (meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions) buyers and consumers. The event will combine direct consumer sales with a curated business-to-business program and a tourism investment forum.
Organizers are targeting 8,000 visitors, 60 buyer companies, 250 business-to-business appointments, and ₱25 million in bookings generated during the expo and within 30 days afterward.
The goal is to make the event less about collecting brochures and more about closing deals, said Palawan Tourism Council president Rey Felix Rafols. He said that for Palawan’s tourism businesses, the real measure of success will come after the booths are dismantled and the visitors go home.
‘Not yet top of mind’
Rafols said Palawan still has an awareness problem. “We are not yet top of mind when international tourists say they want to visit the Philippines,” he said during a press conference on Aug. 19.
That may be difficult to believe for Filipinos who have grown accustomed to seeing El Nido, Coron and Puerto Princesa on international travel lists.
But the fact is that Palawan’s reputation is not necessarily as strong in neighboring Asian markets as it is in Europe and North America.
Rafols said the province has continued tourism missions to countries including South Korea and Germany, while recognizing the need to strengthen domestic and regional markets.
He also emphasized that Palawan’s story extends beyond beaches. “We want to showcase that Palawan is the best island, not just because of its resources, but because we have so much to offer. We have our people, we have our history, we have our heritage, and of course, everything nature has given us,” he said.
The larger goal, he added, is tourism that is accessible to more people and benefits more Palaweños.
Why Cebu?
The choice of Cebu is strategic.
Mactan-Cebu International Airport handled 11.6 million passengers in 2025, while Central Visayas recorded approximately 6.9 million tourist arrivals. Cebu is also connected by air to Puerto Princesa, El Nido and Busuanga, the gateway to Coron.
For Palawan, those connections create an opportunity to position the province not as an isolated destination at the end of a trip, but as part of a broader regional travel circuit.
The campaign’s message is almost conversational: “Duol ra diay ang Palawan” (Palawan is just near, after all).
Rafols said that message matters because accessibility remains one of the province’s biggest challenges.
Governor Alvarez said tourism promotion must go hand in hand with better connectivity and infrastructure.
When she assumed office, she said, Palawan’s tourism budget was smaller than the annual budget of some municipalities.
“We really need to get ourselves out there because our major industry here, other than farming, is really tourism,” she said.
The challenge has become more apparent during the low season, when the number of flights serving Palawan drops significantly.
Alvarez said the province has gone from having more than 20 flights a day in stronger periods to around seven during the low season.
And fewer flights can mean higher fares.
The governor also acknowledged a perception that Palawan is simply too expensive for many travelers.
“Everyone says, ‘Sobrang mahal ang Palawan,’” she said, noting that there are occasions when an international trip can cost less than traveling from Puerto Princesa to Manila.
That is not just a marketing problem. It is an infrastructure problem.
Building the next gateway
Alvarez cited airport improvements in Coron as one potential solution.
The provincial government has been discussing runway and terminal projects with the Department of Transportation, with completion targeted for the second half of 2027 subject to the national government’s timetable.
The runway improvements could allow larger aircraft to operate in Coron, while the installation of runway lights could extend flight operations beyond the current limitations of the airport.
More flights would mean more choices for travelers and, potentially, greater competition and lower fares.
For a destination whose natural attractions are already world-class, better connectivity could be transformative.
The investment opportunity
WBI 2026 will also feature a tourism investment forum, signaling another shift in Palawan’s tourism strategy.
The province is not only looking for visitors. It is also looking for investors who can help build the infrastructure, accommodation, experiences and services needed to support long-term tourism growth.
But the investment push comes with an important qualifier: sustainability.
Palawan’s environment is the foundation of its tourism economy. Development that destroys the very resources visitors come to experience would ultimately undermine the industry itself.
The province therefore faces the delicate task of increasing tourism capacity without sacrificing the natural and cultural assets that make Palawan distinctive.
Beyond being ‘the best island’
The World’s Best Island Travel and Trade Expo began in 2015 and was relaunched in February 2025 at Glorietta Activity Center in Makati, where it drew more than 80 exhibitors.
The Cebu edition represents a significant next step.
Palawan does not need another campaign telling people that it is beautiful. The world already knows that. What it needs is to make that recognition translate into access, awareness, investment and income for local communities.
Alvarez said the province’s new branding and promotional campaign, being developed with a Manila-based company, is expected to be launched next year after delays.
She also called for closer cooperation among local governments, national agencies and tourism stakeholders. “We have more minds that can work together toward a common goal. We can probably achieve it faster,” she said. CS
Read more: Want more tourists? Fix the airfare and infrastructure problems first
The author is the vice president-central of the Palawan Tourism Council.
