Higatangan, other Eastern Visayas islands eyed as luxury cruise stops

MANILA, Philippines — Eastern Visayas is positioning itself as a new luxury cruise destination with a French cruise operator assessing several islands in the region for possible inclusion in its 2027 to 2028 itineraries.

According to the Department of Tourism’s Eastern Visayas office, senior representatives of Compagnie du Ponant, along with partners Intercruises and Travel People Ltd., have been conducting site visits across the region over the past few days.

The assessment has so far covered Baybay City in Leyte, Higatangan Island and Maripipi Island in Biliran, and Kalanggaman Island in Palompon, Leyte, the DOT regional office said. The team is expected to continue visits across Leyte, Southern Leyte, Samar and Northern Samar.

The DOT said Eastern Visayas first caught Ponant’s attention in 2018, when its luxury cruise ship L’Austral visited islands off Leyte, introducing international travelers to the region’s island destinations and local culture.

Higatangan Island in focus

In Biliran, the local government of Naval said it is actively pushing Higatangan Island as a future luxury cruise stop.

According to the Naval municipal government, an incident management team met ahead of a scheduled site inspection to coordinate logistics, transport and safety preparations for visiting cruise representatives and government agencies.

A Ponant executive paints a boat at the boat making station on Higatangan Island, as seen in a photo from the Department of Tourism on Jan. 31, 2026.

DOT Eastern Visayas

“The visit represents a major step toward positioning Higatangan Island on the international cruise tourism map,” the Naval local government said in a statement.

The assessment team toured key areas of Higatangan Island to evaluate its readiness, highlighting its natural environment, coastal scenery, and cultural offerings, according to a Philippine News Agency report.

Building on early cruise visits

Local officials said Higatangan has already hosted international cruise guests, including an Australian cruise ship that returned to the island in December 2025 for a cultural immersion activity.

Higatangan Island, home to about 2,000 residents, is known for its shifting sandbar, underwater chapel, cliff-diving spots, and scuba-diving areas.

Tourism officials and local stakeholders said the potential inclusion of Eastern Visayas islands in luxury cruise routes could support sustainable tourism, provided environmental protection and community readiness are maintained.