Cebu showcases NUSTAR Resort and Mactan Expo as ASEAN 2026 venues

CEBU, Philippines – Cebu is showcasing two tourism and trade sites as it hosts major ASEAN meetings from January 25 to 30, to be attended by thousands of foreign ministers, tourism officials, and entrepreneurs.

From January 25 to 29, the ASEAN Foreign Ministers (AMM) Retreat is happening at NUSTAR Resort in Cebu City. The ASEAN Tourism Forum (ATF), happening from January 26 to 30, will also be hosted at the resort.

The Mactan Expo will host the ASEAN Travel Exchange (TRAVEX), its first international event since its opening on Wednesday, January 21. The TRAVEX is one of the flagship events under the ATF.

Learn more about the host venues and what they’re offering for ASEAN 2026 in Cebu.

NUSTAR Cebu

RESORT & CASINO. The NUSTAR Cebu is a premier luxury resort right in the heart of Cebu along the South Road Properties. Photo Courtesy of NUSTAR Cebu.

Located in the South Road Properties in Cebu City, NUSTAR Resort is a five-star integrated resort that hosts a luxury mall, casino, and hotel.

The whole property is nine hectares big and sits on what used to be Kawit Island. The developer and owner of NUSTAR is Universal Hotels and Resorts Incorporated (UHRI), a subsidiary of the Gokongwei-led JG Summit Holdings.

The NUSTAR Resort and Casino opened in May 2022 and has since launched premier accommodations like the Fili Hotel and specialty restaurants like Mott 32, Il Primo, and Fina. NUSTAR also boasts a 2,499-sqm convention center that can accommodate up to 2,000 guests.

BALLROOM. The NUSTAR Ballroom is the crown jewel of the resort’s convention center with over 4,000 square meters of space for social and business gatherings. Photo courtesy of NUSTAR Cebu.

It’s worth noting that NUSTAR is less than an hour away from the Mactan-Cebu International Airport via the Cebu-Cordova Link Expressway (CCLEX), and is surrounded by tourist attractions like the Il Corso by Filinvest and SM Seaside City Cebu.

CITY VIEW. The NUSTAR Resort pool area gives guests a view of the Queen City and the iconic Cebu-Cordova Link Expressway (CCLEX). Photo courtesy of NUSTAR Cebu.

In a statement on Wednesday, January 21, NUSTAR announced that it would be welcoming delegates to a reception and dinner hosted by the Singapore Tourism Board at the NUSTAR Grand Ballroom on January 29, and for the ASEAN Tourism Standard Awards and ATF closing ceremony on January 31.

“We are honored to host the ASEAN Tourism Forum at NUSTAR. This milestone reinforces Cebu’s emergence as a world-class Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions (MICE) destination,” NUSTAR Resort chief operating officer Sean Knights said in a statement.

In 2025, NUSTAR Hotel was included in the Michelin Hotels Guide.

Mactan Expo

EXPO. Property developer Megaworld is making its debut into the MICE business with Mactan Expo. Photo courtesy of Megaworld

Located in the 30-hectare Mactan Newtown of Lapu-Lapu City, the Mactan Expo is real estate developer Megaworld’s entry into the MICE business.

“The P1.5-billion Mactan Expo will serve as one of the venues for the upcoming ASEAN Summit hosted by the Philippines, beginning with the TRAVEX, one of the major events under the ATF 2026, scheduled from January 28 to 30,” Megaworld said in a statement on January 21.

Lapu-Lapu City Mayor Cindi King-Chan confirmed in a Facebook post on January 12 that the ASEAN’s local organizing committee would be hosting the Opening Ceremony at the Mactan Expo and a welcoming dinner for 1,500 delegates at the Liberty Shrine, located next to Mactan Newtown. 

According to Megaworld, the Mactan Expo will feature a VIP lounge, Muslim-friendly prayer rooms, and an integrated showroom showcasing its conference spaces.

The TRAVEX is going to be the Mactan Expo’s debut international event, and leading the expo center is Louella Caridad, a former chief operating officer of World Trade Center Metro Manila.

“After Cebu, we will explore other key growth areas to expand this business as we aim to attract more international conventions and events, just like the ASEAN Summit, which will become a landmark hosting for Megaworld’s first-ever convention center,” Megaworld CEO Lourdes Gutierrez-Alfonso said in a statement. – Rappler.com