DOT: Philippines To Host TBEX Asia-Pacific 2016

One of the biggest events in travel blogging, the Travel Blog Exchange (TBEX) now has its next host for the 2016 Asia Pacific edition — the Philippines.

Slated on Oct. 13-16, the TBEX is the world’s largest gathering of travel bloggers, writers, new media content creators and social savvy travel industry professionals.

The event will be held at the Philippines International Convention Center (PICC) in Pasay City, Manila.

It will be hosted by the Department of Tourism (DOT) marketing arm, the Tourism Promotions Board (TPB).

“I’m pleased to announce to everyone that the phl will be hosting TBEX Asia in 2016,” TPB Media Relations and Communications Division Officer-in-Charge Arnold Gonzales said in a TBEX promotional video.

“They (participants) will experience Philippine hospitality, they will experience the culture of the Philippines, they will experience everything that has to do with the Philippines—our history and what we are as a people,” he added.

Aside from its Asia Pacific edition, TBEX also partners with host destinations in North America and Europe to bring the travel industry’s most creative minds together to learn, network and do business.

TBEX North America will be held in Radisson Blu Mall of America, Bloomington Minnesota on May 29-31, while the TBEX Europe will be held in Stockholm Waterfront Congress Centre, Stockholm, Sweden on July 14-16.

The first TBEX was held in 2009 after an email was sent to six friends, since then, it has grown into the world’s largest travel community, with conferences held annually in North America, Europe, and Asia Pacific.

Each TBEX conference attracts 600 to 1,000 delegates from around the world, making it the best opportunity for domestic market organizations (DMOs), travel brands, public relations (PR) firms and their clients, to engage with the most influential travel bloggers and leading digital content creators.

In the same video, TBEX CEO Rick Calbert expressed excitement over having the Asia-Pacific edition being set in the Philippines.

“(The Philippines is) an amazing destination. I think people are going to be really really excited and it’s going to be a really great TBEX,” Calbert said.

Founder of travel blog Our Awesome Planet, Anton Diaz, meanwhile echoed Calbert’s statement noting that the Philippines made the perfect host for the event being known as the “Social Media Capital of the World.”

“I’m so excited that the Social Media Capital of the World will be welcoming the top fun-loving travel bloggers in the world,” Diaz said.

“The Philippines is one of the secret destinations in travel…this is a time that the Philippines really gets discovered,” he added. (PNA) BNB/ANP