Construction of Travellers’ new gaming centers set for next year

Travellers International Hotel Group Inc., the leisure company led by tycoon Andrew Tan, is preparing to start construction of its $700-million gaming centers in Mactan and Boracay by next year, even as it prioritizes the completion of its flagship Westside Integrated Resort in Parañaque.

Travellers International President and CEO Nilo Thaddeus Rodriguez said the firm is finalizing plans and expects to begin awarding contracts in the coming months, with groundbreaking scheduled for 2026.

“The focus now is completing Westside and operating it as soon as we can,” Rodriguez said. “But in parallel, we’ve already started the planning and development for Mactan and Boracay. Groundbreaking will be sometime next year.”

The upcoming projects include the $400-million Mactan World Resorts within Megaworld’s Mactan Newtown township and the $300-million Boracay World Resorts in Boracay Newcoast. Unlike large-scale integrated resorts in Newport and Westside, the two new projects will be right-sized to their respective markets.

“These are not massive IRs, but boutique-scale gaming centers designed to fit the tourism estates they are part of,” Rodriguez explained. “Boracay will cater primarily to domestic visitors, while Mactan, being more accessible to the region, will serve a diverse Asian market.”

Both projects will complement existing Megaworld tourism and hospitality developments in Cebu and Aklan, including hotels, golf courses, and commercial hubs.

Rodriguez acknowledged the challenges facing the tourism industry, including weaker arrivals from South Korea and China and the growing popularity of online gaming. Still, he emphasized the resilience of the Philippine market.

“The fundamentals remain solid: a strategic location, an English-speaking workforce, a hospitality culture admired around the world, and a regulator committed to governance and innovation,” he said.

While acknowledging that online gaming has grown in popularity, Rodriguez said integrated resorts remain irreplaceable.

“Online play is not a substitute for the integrated resort experience. Our role is to anchor tourism, deliver culture and entertainment, and provide human connection—things online play can never replicate,” he said.

Travellers expects both Mactan and Boracay to open in phases, following the model being used for Westside Integrated Resort, which is targeted for a 2026 partial opening.

“By extending our IR footprint, we are not only scaling up but also creating new experiences for customers and growing the market itself,” Rodriguez said.