The Philippine Travel Exchange (PHITEX) stands as the country’s foremost government-organized travel trade event, with a legacy dating back to its establishment in 1996. The event attracts esteemed qualified buyers from around the globe, affording them the opportunity to engage in meaningful table-top business appointments with distinguished Philippine sellers. Moreover, it enables participants to experience the allure of various Philippine tourism destinations through post-event tours, all with the overarching goal of bolstering tourist arrivals in our beloved nation.
Over the years, PHITEX has emerged as a pivotal annual marketing occasion that strengthens the Philippines’ brand image and fosters a spirit of collaboration among participants in promoting affordable and competitive tourism packages.
Notably, even amid the challenges posed by the pandemic, TPB demonstrated resilience and innovation in September 2020 by hosting the PHITEX 2020 Hybrid Edition in Panglao, Bohol, an online travel trade show that opened new doors to tourism stakeholders across the globe. It offered a novel hybrid e-conference environment, facilitating the exploration of fresh opportunities and markets, while providing invaluable updates to global buyers on the latest and most enticing Philippine tourism offerings.
Building upon the momentum, PHITEX ventured outside of Metro Manila in 2021, choosing Subic as its host, and in 2022, the event made its triumphant return to Metro Manila, marking the first time since the pandemic that international buyers were able to physically attend. Coming out of the pandemic, the PHITEX was once again conducted purely physically and was held in Cebu in 2023, after its first hosting 16 years ago.
This year, PHITEX returns to Metro Manila on 03-05 September 2024. Targeting 80 international buyers and 80 Philippine seller companies, the event will have a two-day face-to-face Travel Exchange (TRAVEX), PHITEX Educational Program (PEP) Talk, and Post-Event Tours for Buyers.
The Philippines
The Republic of the Philippines is an archipelago consisting of 7,641 islands and islets lying about 800 km off the southeast coast of Asia and stretching 1,850 km from north to south. It is bounded by the Philippine Sea to the east, the Celebes Sea to the south, and the West Philippine Sea to the west and north. The Philippines takes its name from King Philip II, who was king of Spain during the Spanish colonization of the islands in the 16th century. Manila is the national capital. It is located in Luzon, the largest island. Only about two-fifths of the islands and islets have names, and only 350 are larger than one square mile.
The Philippines is home to about 112 million people. Filipinos comprise 111 cultural and linguistic groups of Malay-Polynesian origin, with varying degrees of Chinese, Spanish and American influences. About 90 percent of Filipinos are Roman Catholic, with smaller numbers of Protestants and Muslims. The national language is Filipino, although English is the language of commerce and politics.
