DOT Region 2 Champions Youth Innovation Through the Tourism Start Up Challenge 2025 – Provincial Vetting

The Department of Tourism (DOT) Region 2, together with the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) Region 2, successfully conducted the Provincial Vetting of proposals for the Tourism Start-Up Challenge (TSC) 2025 on January 16, 2026 at the CHED Region 2 Auditorium, Tuguegarao City, Cagayan.

The TSC is a flagship nationwide initiative of the DOT, launched under the leadership of Tourism Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco, designed to inspire young minds to create innovative and sustainable tourism solutions that celebrate destinations, empower communities, and strengthen the tourism industry.

As part of the program’s journey from concept to implementation, student proposals were carefully reviewed based on their alignment with the National Tourism Development Plan and their integration of at least one of the program’s six priority pillars. These include the development of facilities and demonstration laboratories within existing school campuses, immersion and career development opportunities, technology innovation and digitalization, start-up and incubation centers, research and development, and tourism education and education tourism.
During the provincial vetting, promising tourism ideas from Cagayan, Isabela, Nueva Vizcaya, and Batanes were reviewed by panels composed of DOT tourism practitioners and CHED academic experts, ensuring that each proposal reflects both industry readiness and educational excellence.

Advancing to the next stage are the following institutions and projects:
•Cagayan State University (Cagayan Province) – Tour PALMIRA: Integrating Biodiversity Conservation into the PALMIRA S&T Agro-Tourism Hub

• Saint Mary’s University (Nueva Vizcaya Province) – 4PAUSE
• Isabela State University (Isabela Province) – Innovation in Action (InAction): Establishment of ISU’s Ecotourism Technology Trail for Sustainable Development
• Batanes State College (Batanes Province) – Batanes State College EduTourism Hub Proposal

These student-led tourism innovations will move forward to the Regional Vetting on 11 February 2026, bringing them closer to national recognition and the opportunity to receive up to five million pesos in grant support for project implementation.
With the TSC, the DOT empowers the next generation of tourism leaders to turn creative ideas into meaningful experiences that uplift destinations, engage communities, and contribute to a thriving and sustainable Philippine tourism industry.