The Tourism Promotions Board (TPB) Philippines, the marketing and promotions arm of the Department of Tourism, will take center stage to mount one of its institutional events, the Philippine Travel Exchange (PHITEX) 2022.

PHITEX, known as the biggest government-organized travel trade event in the country, is scheduled on October 18-24 at the Marriott Grand Ballroom, Newport World Resorts.

First established in 1996, PHITEX hosts qualified buyers from all over the world to participate in table-top business appointments with Philippine sellers and experience Philippine tourism destinations through pre / post tours with an end-goal of increasing tourist arrivals in the country.

This year’s installment will open with the PHITEX Educational Program (PEP) Talk featuring big industry names, such as Sandra Carvao, Chief and Tourism Market Intelligence of the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO); Billie Dumaliang, the co-founder and Managing Trustee of Masungi Georeserve Foundation; and Jacques Christophe Branellec, the Executive Vice President and CEO of Jewelmer, among others, who are set to share significant information and updates to help enhance participant knowledge related to this year’s theme, which is “Embracing Responsible Tourism – Making better places for people to live in and better places for people to visit.”

The PEP Talk will be followed by the main event, the opening of PHITEX 2022 on the 19th, headed by Tourism Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco and TPB Chief Operating Officer, Maria Margarita Nograles, and the business-to-business (B2B) transactions that will return in hybrid format – happening simultaneously online and onsite at the Marriott.

Tours to Philippine destinations including Batangas, Siquijor, and Davao will also be offered for foreign sellers before and after the event. As of date, 117 buyers and 133 sellers have registered.

The PHITEX opening ceremony will be broadcasted live on the TPB Facebook Page on October 19 at 9am. The closing ceremony will also be broadcasted on the same social page the following day at 7pm.