Davao tourism officials push 'bleisure' travel to sustain growth amid El Niño

Tourism officials in the Davao Region are courting more business-and-leisure travelers to keep visitor numbers up and soften the possible impact of the El Niño phenomenon on the industry, according to The Mindanao Times' sister outlet thechronicle.com.ph.

Department of Tourism (DOT) Regional Director Tanya Rabat-Tan said combining work trips with recreation, a market often called "bleisure," could help hold up arrivals, especially during off-peak months. She said there are many opportunities in business-leisure activities that the region hopes will continue and that it can cater to.

Bleisure falls under the Meetings, Incentives, Conventions, and Exhibitions (MICE) sector, which Davao has been building up. Rabat-Tan said the region has enough facilities and attractions to host corporate travelers, particularly incentive trips that companies organize for employees and sales teams.

She said the DOT plans to strengthen partnerships among tour operators both inside and outside the region to promote incentive travel packages. While Davao already hosts many conventions and exhibitions, she noted that drawing more corporate incentive groups could further grow the region's MICE market. Officials said corporate meetings, conferences and incentive trips could also offset slower tourism during lean seasons and periods of extreme weather.

At the Third Hospitality and Tourism Experience Conference, Davao City Tourism Operations Office officer-in-charge Willenito Tormis said the city is encouraging business visitors to extend their stays and see local attractions after their meetings and events. Among those being promoted are the city's countryside destinations, cultural sites, food establishments and agricultural tourism sites.

Tormis said MICE-related visitors made up a significant portion of the roughly 1.5 million tourist arrivals recorded in Davao City as of August 2026. Tourism officials said expanding the bleisure market could bring in more revenue, encourage longer stays and strengthen Davao's standing as a major MICE destination in the country.