ATF 2026: from Southeast Asia to the world

# tags: Events , ATF , Exhibitions

The 45th edition of ATF - ASEAN Tourism Forum, which showcases the best of Southeast Asian tourism, began on Wednesday in Cebu, Philippines, and runs until 30 January.

The ATF - ASEAN Tourism Forum is a joint initiative of the Association of the Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to promote the region as a single tourist destination. The annual event involves all sectors of the industry from the eleven ASEAN members: Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Timor-Leste and Vietnam.

During the ATF, which brings together ministers from the region to outline joint strategies, the ATF Travex takes place, a fair showcasing the best of Southeast Asian tourism. This year, ATF Travex is being held at the newly inaugurated Mactan Expo Centre (MEC) and brings together a total of 876 delegates, including 261 exhibitors (airlines, trade fair, convention and incentive organisers, hotels, tour operators, among other sectors).

The exhibition also features 276 buyers (DMCs, event organisers, luxury travel agencies, PCOs, agents managing MICE events, companies with incentive programmes, among others) from 50 countries and territories, as well as 70 media outlets from 25 countries.

The MEC was recently built to support large-scale events, offering 2,600 square metres of exhibition space and complementary rooms dedicated to meetings and events.

With the theme “Navigating the future of tourism together”, ATF aims to showcase the region's collective commitment to regional collaboration and the importance of knowledge sharing and partnerships in addressing emerging challenges and promoting sustainable tourism growth across ASEAN.

ATF 2026 in the Philippines aims to be a platform for dialogue, trade exchange and partnership building, with a view to strengthening relationships, increasing the competitiveness of the destination and supporting more inclusive and future-ready tourism in the region.

*The journalist travelled at the invitation of ATF.