The Tourism Promotions Board (TPB) Philippines was recognized at this year’s GovMedia Conference and Awards 2024 as the recipient of the Philippines Public Sector Initiative of the Year—Tourism award for the outstanding success of one of its flagship programs, the Philippine Travel Exchange (PHITEX) 2023.
TPB Chief Operating Officer Maria Margarita Montemayor Nograles and Tourism Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco received the award during a ceremony at the Marina Bay Sands Expo and Convention Centre on Thursday, 13 June 2024.
“This recognition is a testament to our unwavering commitment to promoting sustainable and innovative tourism practices. I want to thank my team at the Tourism Promotions Board, our private stakeholder partners, and foreign buyers for making PHITEX 2023, the first purely in-person event since the pandemic, a resounding success,” said TPB COO Nograles. “Under the leadership of Tourism Secretary Frasco, we will continue to leverage technology and prioritize sustainability to enhance our tourism promotion efforts and showcase the best of the Philippines and our people to the world.”
Since its inception in 1996, PHITEX has played a vital role in fostering business partnerships and showcasing the finest tourism offerings of the Philippines. The 2023 edition embraced the theme “Tourism Sustainability in the Era of Internet of Things (IoT),” highlighting the country’s digitalization and sustainability efforts to meet global demands.
PHITEX 2023 successfully hosted 88 buyers from 19 countries worldwide for travel exchange sessions with 164 seller delegates from 119 Philippine companies. The event facilitated 4,063 business meetings, generating a projected revenue of over PHP 341.5 million.
Apart from the business-to-business sessions, PHITEX also functioned as an innovative knowledge-sharing platform for local stakeholders and academia members in the field of tourism through its Philippine Educational Program (PEP) Talk, which offered insights into the latest advancements in IoT, data privacy, and circular economies.
Pre and post-familiarization tours introduced participating international buyers to diverse community-based tourist sites, highlighting grassroots initiatives, local textiles, culinary treasures, and other eco-tourism activities in the Philippines.
The GovMedia Conference & Awards is a prestigious event that spotlights outstanding government projects and initiatives in Asia that contribute to the well-being of the people in the region. Last year, TPB’s PHITEX received the National Tourism Initiative of the Year award at the 2023 GovMedia Awards.