Toral: Can global platforms empower local tourism?

Cebu’s tourism industry is no stranger to change. From its role as a major destination for domestic and international travelers to its resilience through pandemic-era disruptions, the sector has consistently adapted to new dynamics. Today, technology plays a larger role in shaping how travel is planned and experienced, raising questions about how travel platforms may influence local tourism businesses, especially those in emerging hubs like Cebu.

I recently got the chance to attend a briefing organized by Trip.com, a global online travel agency, which has been sharpening its focus on the Philippine market. While globally associated with destinations such as Boracay and Palawan, the platform appears to recognize Cebu’s growing relevance as both a leisure and business travel hub.



For local entrepreneurs in hospitality, tours and food services, this could signal an opportunity to access new audiences — but not without understanding how Trip.com fits into the broader digital travel ecosystem. Much of Trip.

com’s traction in the Philippines stems from its alignment with how Filipinos travel. Domestic bookings continue to drive usage, with Cebu among the key destinations. Importantly, Filipino travelers are known to be event-driven — planning trips around concerts, conventions, festivals and long weekends.

The platform adjusts its content and marketing in response to these trends, offering a responsive model that smaller tourism businesses may find advantageous — if they can plug into it. One of their promotional tools is Trip.Best, a curated ranking system powered by AI and user reviews.

While inclusion could offer increased visibility for local businesses, it raises questions about discoverability and access, especially for small enterprises unfamiliar with the platform’s criteria. The review system is reportedly limited to verified guests, and there are safeguards against false claims. For business owners, this controlled environment may offer peace of mind, but it also reinforces the need for consistently high service standards to remain competitive.

Trip.com also distinguishes itself with a merchant-friendly model that may appeal to Cebu’s diverse tourism players. All bookings are routed through the platform, and a system is in place to handle disputes and chargebacks.

Compared to other OTAs that provide little post-transaction support, this could be a differentiator — but one that requires closer scrutiny from stakeholders looking to understand the fine print of such protections. The company’s partnership with developers like Megaworld hints at a long-term investment strategy in Philippine tourism. With their hotel properties in Cebu included in Trip.

com’s promotional efforts, the surrounding tourism ecosystem — from local eateries to transport services — could potentially benefit. Whether this trickles down to micro, small and medium tourism enterprises remains to be seen. Trip.

com also promotes its tech-forward approach, with features like TripGenie — an AI-powered assistant that helps users with questions, real-time recommendations and booking modifications. While impressive, the impact of such tools on local tourism engagement depends on how well these technologies understand and integrate local travel contexts. It may help larger operations immediately, but smaller players might need guidance to benefit from these digital enhancements.

To its credit, Trip.com seems attentive to shifts in user behavior. The platform’s ability to detect travel trends and respond to them — especially in an event-centric market like the Philippines — offers potential for tourism entrepreneurs to ride the wave of growing demand.

But for this to be truly transformative, local businesses must be included in campaign planning, not just pulled in as backend vendors. As the tourism sector continues to rebound, platforms like Trip.com will likely remain part of the equation.

The question is how local tourism players can actively shape, and not just react to, this transformation. Entrepreneurs engaging with these platforms proactively could make the difference between visibility and obscurity in a rapidly evolving travel economy..