TravelCare Drives Cebu’s Sports Tourism Push Through Skating, Running

TravelCare is advancing its push to position Cebu as a sports tourism destination through initiatives that promote inline skating and road running, bringing together international sports advocates, local communities and the hospitality industry to create new opportunities for active travel.

The initiative began with the Skate the World Philippines Symposium on October 14 at Robinsons Galleria Cebu’s Movie World, featuring Austrian skating champion Matthias Stelzmüller, founder of the global Skate the World movement.

It will be followed by the Infinity Run 2026 on October 18 at the Mandaue City Sports Complex, an event presented by TravelCare in partnership with the Hotel, Resort & Restaurant Association of Cebu, Inc. (HRRACI).

Through these activities, TravelCare seeks to broaden Cebu’s sports tourism offerings by encouraging participation in recreational and competitive sports while creating opportunities for the tourism and hospitality sectors to benefit from events that draw visitors to the province.

Bringing inline skating to Cebu

The symposium introduced inline skating as a potential addition to Cebu’s growing sports tourism landscape, highlighting the sport’s capacity to connect communities, encourage an active lifestyle and inspire travel through shared sporting experiences.

Stelzmüller, a 16-time Austrian national champion in short track speed skating and a European Cup winner who has competed at the World and European Championships, has traveled on skates across more than 75 countries to promote skating as a means of fostering international connections beyond competition.

His visit provided an opportunity to explore how Cebu could cultivate a stronger local skating community and eventually host activities that attract local and international participants.

For TravelCare, developing inline skating as a tourism activity also opens possibilities for collaboration among sports communities, accommodation providers, restaurants, transport operators and other local businesses.

Clinics, community gatherings and future skating events could encourage visitors to extend their stays and explore more of Cebu.

By supporting initiatives that combine sport with travel, TravelCare aims to help create experiences that go beyond conventional sightseeing and encourage visitors to engage more actively with local destinations.

Infinity Run 2026: One Race, Limitless Journeys

Continuing its sports tourism campaign, TravelCare will stage the Infinity Run 2026 on October 18 at the Mandaue City Sports Complex, in partnership with HRRACI.

Carrying the theme “One Race, Limitless Journeys,” the event will offer 5-kilometer and 10-kilometer race categories, bringing together runners and fitness enthusiasts in an activity that promotes wellness, community participation and destination engagement.

HRRACI’s involvement underscores the role of Cebu’s hospitality industry in supporting events that can generate tourism activity.

As hotels, resorts and restaurants work alongside event organizers, sporting activities can serve as platforms for showcasing the destination and encouraging visitors to experience its accommodation, dining and other tourism offerings.

The Infinity Run also complements TravelCare’s inline skating initiative by demonstrating how different sporting disciplines can contribute to a broader sports tourism strategy.

From running events to international skating exchanges, these activities can help create more reasons for visitors to come to Cebu, participate in local experiences and return for future events.

Building partnerships for sports tourism

TravelCare’s initiatives are supported by partners and sponsors that share an interest in promoting sports, tourism and community engagement.

Supporters of the Infinity Run 2026 include Philippine Airlines, EVA Air, China Airlines, the City Government of Mandaue, the Mandaue City Sports Office, Daikin, Heritage Appliances, The Freeman and The Philippine STAR.

Through its collaboration with HRRACI and other stakeholders, TravelCare is working to strengthen the link between sports and tourism, with the goal of creating activities that benefit participants, local enterprises and Cebu’s wider visitor economy.

By bringing together inline skating, road running and hospitality partners, TravelCare is championing a more active and diverse tourism experience for Cebu—one that connects people through sport while opening new possibilities for destination discovery and community development.