The Department of Tourism (DoT) and the Commission on Higher Education (CHEd) on Tuesday honored the winners of the 2025 Tourism Start-Up Challenge, awarding millions in grants to student-led projects aimed at modernizing the nation’s travel industry.

During an awarding ceremony at Seda Vertis North, three national winners representing Luzon, the Visayas and Mindanao were each awarded a P5-million grant to implement their projects.

Additionally, 17 regional winners each received P250,000.

The annual competition encourages college students to develop innovative tourism projects that align with the National Tourism Development Plan.

Assistant Secretary Christine Joy Cari credited educators for shaping student-innovators who promote inclusive and culturally grounded travel.

“May this challenge continue to show the value of investing in our youth, honoring our culture, and innovating with purpose,” Cari said.

The national winners were the Naga College Foundation Inc. for “Go Dare” in Luzon, Siquijor State College for “SiquiScan: Smart Destination Management System for Sustainable Tourism,” a digital platform designed to improve island management in the Visayas.

For Mindanao, DoT feted Ateneo de Davao University for “Kuyog,” a mobile application and digital travel companion that connects travelers with local tour guides.

The 17 regional winners included the University of the Philippines Asian Institute of Tourism for the National Capital Region, the University of the Cordilleras for the Cordillera Administrative Region, and the PHINMA-University of Pangasinan for Region I.