TPB holds biggest international travel trade event in the Philippines for 2019
The Tourism Promotions Board (TPB)
Philippines, the marketing and promotions arm of the Department of Tourism
(DOT), is set to boost tourism in the Philippines as it simultaneously mounts
the Philippine Travel Exchange (PHITEX) and MICE Buyers Invitational (MICECONnect)
2019 on October 20 to 27 to promote the Philippines as a prime tourist
destination for both leisure and MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conventions, and
Exhibits/Events).
Now on its 18th year, PHITEX is considered
to be the biggest travel trade event in the country, with close to 200 sellers
and 200 buyers participating. The main highlight of the event is the one and a
half day business-to-business (B2B) session between foreign buyers and local
sellers to encourage tourism-related discourse among the participants, and open
doors for business opportunities.
“PHITEX is mounted annually as a support for
stakeholders in the travel trade industry,” says TPB COO Marie Venus Tan.
“Instead of working as individual operators and sellers, we provide a platform for
them to connect to hundreds of buyers from all over the world in one venue,
which saves them precious time and money. The event also gives buyers a more
comprehensive view of the different destinations and packages that they can
sell to consumers, either as individual or bundled tours.”
Participants also took part in the PHITEX
educational seminar where industry leaders discussed new trends in tourism
marketing as well as marketing strategies in mature and emerging markets while
keeping the theme of “Philippine Tourism: Trailblazing Responsible Travel and
Inclusive Growth,” in mind.
Giving their insights were Thomas Graham,
Co-Founder of Make A Difference (MAD) Travel, Carlos Mori Rodriguez, the Chief
Innovation Officer of EON The Stakeholder Relations Group, and Nelly Nuezca Dillera,
CESO III, the Deputy Executive Director of the Philippine Trade Training Center
- Global MSME Academy, who ended the seminar on how DTI is building capabilities
for halal development and certification."
Meanwhile, MICECONnect 2019, aims to
accelerate the Philippine MICE industry by gathering MICE suppliers to showcase
the country as a premium destination for international events and conferences.
Happening simultaneously with PHITEX,
MICECONnect 2019 is the continuation of a two-year program as a comprehensive
educational seminar for local MICE stakeholders to learn new and effective
global trends, approaches, and methods. This year’s focus is conducting
business networking opportunities to further develop the country’s MICE
industry.
MICECONnect 2019 likewise features B2B
sessions for Philippine and foreign MICE buyers, and include a hotel and MICE
venue inspection. Moreover, MICECONnect delegates will be treated to post-event
tours to highlight some of the country's premier MICE destinations including
Iloilo City, Bacolod, Davao, Boracay, Cebu, Bohol, Palawan, Tagaytay, Manila
and Batangas.
More importantly, both PHITEX and MICECONnect
2019 enable TPB to support and raise awareness on sustainable community-based
tourism. Apart from promoting what the Philippines can offer, TPB also
advocates for the protection of natural assets and expanding the benefits of
tourism to communities that are directly and indirectly affected by the industry,
consequently helping DOT towards achieving its goals for the 2030 Agenda for
Sustainable Development.
To know more about PHITEX and MICECONnect
2019, visit the following websites: https://www.phitex.ph/, https://www.micecon.ph, https://www.tpb.gov.ph/, or https://www.facebook.com/tpbphl/.
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