Who would have thought that sports blends in great motion with the thriving tourism sector?

Philippine Sports Commission Chairman Patrick "Pato" Gregorio has unlocked this potential by tapping key partners, both public and private, in hosting tournaments in a variety of levels which, in retrospect, attracts a much wider audience that give a good portion of arrivals from foreign delegations — athletes themselves, families, and even friends.

A maverick just warming up on his seat with less than eight months of tenure in his office, Gregorio has spearheaded a number of international competitions the country could have never imagined we will actually watch live.

“PSC’s success is not just about single authorship. We succeeded because we had help from government agencies, the private sector, foundations, organizations, and individuals who believe in our vision,” said Gregorio during his acceptance speech after being named the Executive of the Year during the PSA Awards last Feb. 16.

True enough, sports, in general, has been active in hosting events without sacrificing the need to address the welfare of national teams.

Just last month, Filipino fans were treated as Alex Eala competed in the inaugural Philippine Women's Open, the first WTA-sanctioned tournament the country had staged.

Though Eala fell short of advancing to the semifinal, the magnitude it brought to the local tennis scene was well talked about.

And her opponents, many of who are from the west, tagged along with their coaches, families, and compatriots who traveled thousands of miles to support their own.

Now that is revenue, from airfares, hotel accommodations, transport, and food, which, for sure, also generated jobs and pumped life to businesses across the field from the organizing committee up to the small vendors selling merchandise on P. Ocampo Street outside the refurbished Rizal Memorial Sports Complex.

It was in the same manner the PSC supported the Philippine Golf Championship at Wack Wack Golf and Country Club in Mandaluyong City, where more than half of 144 listed players were foreigners who booked rooms for an entire week at the lavish EDSA Shangri-La.

The restaurants around the vicinity enjoyed an influx of hungry diners who spent many dollars after rounds of solid golf. And these same players booked taxis and other transport services to visit Manila's many attractions.

Arriving in big waves last year were participants in the FIVB Men's World Championship, which gathered 32 teams from different countries, and the FIFA Women's Futsal World Cup, which had 16 squads coming in droves for more than two weeks of competition.

There's also the FIG World Junior Artistic Gymnastics Championships and the World Surf League, both high-level tournaments that not only featured the best athletes but also became a stage to showcase the impeccable Filipino hospitality.

In global travel last year, sports tourism alone took a share of 10 percent in expenditure, and forecasts suggested it will continue to grow up to 2030.

We are on track to getting a big slice of these numbers, and the right leader to steer the wheel toward greater heights.

And he was empowered to do so after President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. signed Administrative Order No. 38 last Nov. 2025 which created the National Sports Tourism–Inter Agency Committee (NST-IAC) to lead the country’s sports tourism agenda.

The NST-IAC is mandated to promote initiatives that align with national laws, oversee bids for major international tournaments, and spur domestic activities to boost local economies.

“We are looking forward to making each hosting bigger and better in the years ahead. Beyond the competition itself, this effort is about charging up the local economy and positioning our country as a global sports tourism driver,” Gregorio said.

(Ramon Rafael Bonilla is the editor of Manila Bulletin's Sports section.)