The Tourism Promotions Board (TPB) Philippines will host on September 19-23 the Philippine Travel Exchange (PHITEX), the biggest government-organized travel trade event in the country. The event will be at Subic Bay and will be, the second of its kind during the pandemic.
In an advisory on Thursday, TPB said Philippine sellers may now register online to participate in the upcoming expo, which will be held in a hybrid format in light of the global health crisis.
TPB Chief Operating Officer Maria Anthonette Velasco-Allones said last year’s PHITEX “was about pivoting and we had to face the challenges of going hybrid and leveraging on technology more than ever to conduct our business. Thankfully, it was a resounding success, so we are very much excited to pick up where we left off but with a clearer perspective this time around because we are no longer adjusting.”.
This year’s theme will highlight safe, smart, and sustainable tourism as part of the TPB’s strategic marketing plan for the new normal.
In 2020, PHITEX was held as a hybrid event for the first time in Panglao, Bohol being one of the first tourism destinations to reopen during the pandemic.
It successfully secured 76 on-site bookings with projected revenue of over PHP42 million and has established 3,946 contacts and generated 1,205 leads.
TPB said this year’s PHITEX targets more than a hundred buyers and sellers. Philippine sellers who are interested to join must be DOT-accredited or TPB member.
Foreign buyers, meanwhile, must be companies that are already selling the Philippines as a destination but would want to enhance their tour programs or those looking to include the country in their respective programs.
Participation in PHITEX 2021 is on a pre-registration and a first-come, first-served basis. For interested buyers and sellers, registration is free at the official website http://www.phitex.ph.