Can Jisoo save Cebu’s tourism?
In her latest Netflix show, Boyfriend on Demand, Cebu — or well, specifically, the beaches of Shangri-la Mactan, Cebu — is featured early on. Jisoo steps into the role of Seo Mi-rae, an unlucky-in-love webtoon producer who signs up for a virtual dating subscription service to help her meet her ideal matches.
In the first episode, Jisoo can be spotted soaking up the sun on the hotel’s beach while posing by a large “Love the Philippines” sign. “I had the best time in the Philippines last summer,” says her character Seo Mi-rae. (Did she also feed her morning buffet bread rolls from Tides to the fishes? Or play with the giant chessboard outside the resort’s ice cream shop? One can only imagine.)
The series, which ranks as the top third show on Netflix Philippines as of this writing, may just be what the Queen City of the South needs to boost Korean tourism. In 2025, tourist arrivals from South Korea to Cebu reportedly dropped by 18 percent, raising concerns, especially since South Korean travelers have long been one of the island’s most important foreign markets. Earlier this January, tourism leaders from ASEAN countries, as well as the Republic of Korea, Japan, and China, met in Cebu to discuss working together to boost tourism cooperation across all regions.
Besides Shangri-la Mactan, Boyfriend on Demand also features other resort locations around the island, including Bluewater Maribago Beach Resort and NUSTAR Resort Cebu.
In the last few days, both Jisoo and the Department of Tourism have promoted the Cebu location on their respective social media platforms. The singer shared several behind-the-scenes photos of filming on the beach with her co-star, Seo In-Guk.
