MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Tourism and travel platform Klook are expanding their partnership in a renewed push to turn lesser-known Philippine destinations into bookable experiences for both Filipino and international travelers — with provincial tourism businesses expected to play a much bigger role.
The DOT and Klook signed a new multi-year Memorandum of Understanding on September 1, extending a partnership that will combine government destination development with Klook’s digital booking platform, marketing network and access to travelers across multiple international markets.
But the bigger story may not be the destinations themselves.
The renewed alliance puts micro, small and medium enterprises — particularly tourism operators outside the country’s established hotspots — at the center of the government’s attempt to make Philippine tourism more digitally accessible and globally competitive.
Provincial tourism businesses move closer to global travelers
Under the agreement, Klook will work with DOT regional offices, local governments, communities and tourism operators to develop curated experiences that travelers can discover and book online.
Tourism Secretary Ma. Bernadita “Dita” Angara-Mathay said the department wants provincial experience providers, especially MSMEs, to participate more meaningfully in the digital tourism economy.
The objective is straightforward: a small tour operator, community attraction or locally developed experience should no longer depend solely on walk-in customers, traditional travel agents or social-media inquiries to reach visitors.
Once those products become digitally listed and bookable, local operators potentially gain access to travelers who may never have encountered them otherwise.
Klook Philippines General Manager Michelle Ho said expanding access to local merchants could make authentic Filipino experiences easier to discover while helping position the Philippines more prominently among travelers choosing destinations around Asia.
Cordillera, Panay, Negros and Bukidnon among first areas in focus
While the official announcement broadly speaks of destinations across Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao, additional reporting provides a clearer picture of where the effort may begin.
BusinessMirror reported that the initial focus will include the Cordillera Administrative Region, Panay, Negros and Bukidnon, with Klook supporting DOT regional offices and local government units in developing tourism products, particularly those involving smaller operators.
That could help shift tourism traffic beyond destinations that already dominate Philippine travel itineraries.
Instead of concentrating demand almost exclusively in established names such as Boracay, Cebu, Palawan and Bohol, the partnership is intended to make emerging attractions and community-based experiences easier to find, compare and purchase before a traveler even arrives.
NewsWatch Plus likewise reported that the renewed agreement is specifically aimed at drawing visitors beyond traditional tourism hotspots through destination development, digital booking access and coordinated marketing.
Partnership builds on an earlier digital-tourism push
The new agreement is not starting from zero.
Klook and the DOT entered an earlier partnership in January 2025 aimed at accelerating tourism digitalization and making offerings under the government’s Philippine Experience Program available to travelers through Klook.
That program highlighted Philippine culture, heritage and local experiences through regional tourism circuits, with digital distribution seen as a way of giving local operators access to a much larger audience.
The 2026 renewal widens that strategy.
Rather than simply promoting destinations, the partnership is increasingly focused on making the tourism product itself — tours, attractions and experiences — commercially accessible through a platform travelers already use when planning trips.
‘Discover More to Love’ becomes part of the push
The renewed Klook alliance also supports the DOT’s “Discover More to Love” domestic tourism campaign.
Launched earlier in 2026, the campaign encourages Filipinos to travel within the country through partnerships offering travel deals, accommodation choices and tourism experiences.
Manila Bulletin reported in June that participating companies include Philippine Airlines, Cebu Pacific, AirAsia Philippines, Sunlight Air, AirAsia MOVE and Klook. The campaign also includes an enhanced DOT website intended to help travelers find destinations and offers from accredited tourism partners.
That matters because domestic travelers remain a crucial part of the tourism economy, particularly for destinations that may not yet have enough international visibility to sustain year-round demand.
Philippine tourism is growing — but competition is intense
The partnership also comes as the Philippines tries to accelerate visitor growth amid fierce competition from neighboring Asian destinations.
BusinessMirror reported that the Philippines welcomed about 4.11 million foreign tourists from January through August 2026, up around 3.7% from 3.97 million during the same period in 2025.
One particularly significant rebound has come from mainland China.
Arrivals from China reached 310,088 during the first eight months of 2026, up 69.15% year on year, according to figures cited by BusinessMirror from eTravel data.
Earlier DOT figures showed that the Philippines had already received nearly 2.96 million international visitors by mid-June, representing 6.16% growth from the comparable period a year earlier.
For perspective, the country recorded about 5.94 million foreign visitor arrivals in 2025 based on Bureau of Immigration figures, plus more than 543,000 returning overseas Filipinos. DOT estimated inbound tourism receipts at roughly ₱694 billion for the year.
Digital visibility could become the real battleground
For the Philippines, simply having attractive destinations is no longer enough.
Travelers increasingly expect to research prices, check reviews, compare experiences and complete bookings digitally before reaching a destination. That creates a disadvantage for small tourism businesses that remain difficult to discover or transact with online.
The DOT-Klook partnership is an attempt to close that gap.
If successful, a local operator in Bukidnon, the Cordilleras, Panay or Negros could compete for the same traveler’s attention as attractions in Bangkok, Bali, Tokyo or Seoul — not because the Philippine experience suddenly became better, but because it finally became easier to find and book.
That is also where the biggest challenge lies.
Digital exposure alone does not guarantee sustainable tourism growth. Provincial destinations still need reliable transportation, competitive pricing, consistent service standards, infrastructure and enough capacity to absorb additional visitors without damaging the communities and environments that make those places attractive in the first place.
The renewed DOT-Klook partnership can put Philippine hidden gems in front of the world.
The real test is whether those communities can turn new visibility into lasting tourism income — before travelers click on another destination instead.
WWC ONE MEDIA J.M.D
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