HRRACI charts five-year tourism roadmap, puts Cebu workforce at center of growth

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THE Hotel, Resort & Restaurant Association of Cebu, Inc. (HRRACI) is laying out a five-year roadmap to strengthen Cebu’s position as a globally competitive tourism destination, with workforce development at the center of its strategy.

As the Cebu Tourism and Hospitality Awards (CTHA) enters its fifth year, HRRACI President Mia Singson-Leon said the organization is looking beyond recognizing industry achievers and focusing on building the people and capabilities needed to sustain Cebu’s growth.

“Our vision is simple: Cebu as a globally competitive, people-driven tourism destination,” Singson-Leon said.

Over the next five years, HRRACI aims to further position Cebu as a leading destination for meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions (MICE), develop globally competitive tourism professionals who will choose to build their careers in the province, and ensure that tourism growth remains grounded in sustainability, culture and community.

“We want Cebu to deliver service that can seriously compete with the top MICE destinations,” Singson-Leon said.

“At the same time, we want to become a training ground for world-class tourism workers and grow the industry without losing what makes Cebu, Cebu,” she added.

She said the emphasis on developing the local workforce comes from lessons learned during the industry's recovery from the pandemic and Typhoon Odette.

“Since the first CTHA, Cebu tourism has gone through three clear phases: survival, recovery and reinvention,” Singson-Leon said.

The survival period saw hotels and resorts close, tourism workers displaced and businesses brought to a standstill. The recovery phase followed with the reopening of establishments, resumption of flights and efforts to rebuild traveler confidence.

But Singson-Leon said the industry's recovery also exposed a deeper need to strengthen its human resources.

“But we quickly realized that buildings alone wouldn't make us

competitive. That's why we entered the third phase: building our people,” she said.

HRRACI is now placing greater emphasis on service excellence, leadership development, career growth and sustainability through training programs and other initiatives aimed at preparing

Cebuano tourism workers for a more competitive global industry.

“To compete globally, especially in MICE, you need more than facilities. You need people with skill, heart and consistency,” Singson-Leon said.

The workforce strategy is particularly important as Cebu seeks to expand beyond its traditional strength as a leisure destination and establish itself as a major MICE hub.

Singson-Leon said the fifth CTHA represents this shift, positioning Cebu as a destination capable of serving both leisure travelers and the growing MICE market.

“This fifth CTHA milestone represents that evolution. It marks our shift from being known just for leisure to positioning Cebu as the leading destination in the Philippines for both leisure and MICE,” she said.

The 2026 CTHA carries the theme “Roots and Resilience,” reflecting both Cebu’s cultural identity and the tourism industry's ability to recover and reinvent itself following years of disruption.

CTHA Chairman Ron Manalang, Cluster General Manager of Seda Central Bloc Cebu and Seda Ayala Center Cebu, said the theme recognizes the industry's cultural foundation while highlighting how hospitality businesses adapted and rebuilt.

Infrastructure improvements have also helped support Cebu’s tourism recovery, including the expansion of the Mactan-Cebu International Airport and the development of new hotels in Cebu City and Lapu-Lapu City, Manalang said.

He added that Cebu is attracting a wider range of visitors through MICE activities and cultural tourism, while the industry is increasingly focusing on sustainability and high-value visitor experiences rather than simply increasing tourist arrivals.

At the center of these developments, however, are the people who deliver the visitor experience.

“CTHA puts the spotlight on the people making this level of quality and maturity happen every day—with a smile, with heart and with dedication,” Singson-Leon said.

“This fifth year says: we survived, we adapted, and now we will lead,” she added.

The CTHA recognizes outstanding workers and industry leaders through awards for Front of the House Employee of the Year, Heart of the House Employee of the Year, Supervisor of the Year, Manager of the Year, Hospitality & Tourism Educator of the Year, Sustainability Champion of the Year and Best Marketing Campaign of the Year.

The awards also serve as a benchmark for the qualities HRRACI wants to cultivate across Cebu's tourism workforce.

Judges consider not only technical competence but also the nominees' impact on their organizations and communities, including their ability to mentor others, produce industry-ready graduates, generate measurable business results and advance sustainability.

For HRRACI, the CTHA has therefore evolved beyond an annual awards program. It has become part of the industry's effort to encourage tourism professionals to pursue long-term careers in Cebu and raise the standard of hospitality services in the province.

As Cebu enters the next phase of its tourism development, HRRACI sees workforce investment as essential to making its five-year vision possible.

The goal, Singson-Leon said, is not simply to bring more visitors to Cebu but to build an industry capable of competing internationally while preserving the culture, identity and communities that make the province distinct.(MyTVCebu)