Discovering the gems of the Philippines

Tweet

Travel Blog Exchange (TBEX) Asia Pacific 2016 participants from across the world had the opportunity to experience the many wonders of the Philippines as part of the full-packed itinerary prepared for the world’s largest annual gathering of travel bloggers, writers, content media creators and industry professionals.

Presented by the Department of Tourism (DOT) and the Tourism Promotions Board (TPB), the tours provided not only an exciting visit to the world-famous white-sand beaches of Boracay and Palawan, but also a unique experience of Filipino culture, people, food and nightlife through equally tantalizing destinations from north to the south of the country. 

They got to visit UNESCO World Heritage sites including the historic town of Vigan, Ilocos Sur and the Rice Terraces of the Philippine Cordilleras in Ifugao. Their itinerary also included Pampanga, Batanes and Tagaytay.

The participants had a glimpse of the country’s rich history with a tour of Intramuros and Corregidor Island. A pubcrawl was also prepared for them to promote Manila’s nightlife, which is considered one of the best in Asia.

They also visited the historical Magellan’s Cross and Basilica de Santo Niño in Cebu and travelled to Siquijor – a province that is famous for its folk healing, myths of sorcery, and the supernatural.

The participants sampled adventure while traversing the rural land trail towards Mayon Volcano in Legazpi on ATVs, Kayak along the Bulusan Lake in Sorsogon, and white-water rafting and river trekking in the rapids of Cagayan de Oro. Taking a leisurely getaway, they were also given an A-list treatment in the picturesque towns of Siargao and Davao.

TBEX 2016 was made possible with the support of Philippine Airlines, Globe Telecom, Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority (TIEZA), and Duty Free Philippines. Other sponsors included Amorita Resort, The Lind Boracay, Fort Ilocandia Resort Hotel, Limketkai Luxe Hotel, Shangri-La’s Boracay Resort & Spa, Shangri-La’s Mactan Resort & Spa, Pearl Farm Beach Resort, Primer Group of Companies, The Funny Lion Palawan, Merrell Philippines, Lakan, Banana Peel, Le Spa at Sofitel, Park Inn by Radisson, Hotel Luna, Bluewater Maribago Resort and Spa, Sonya’s Garden, Museo Orlina, and Grab Philippines. 

The event was also made possible through the participation of volunteers from the University of the Philippines, Centro Escolar University, University of Santo Tomas, and Philippine Women’s University. 

By hosting international events such as TBEX in the country, the Philippines is eventually becoming one of the most sought-after destinations among travel experts and industry professionals.

Travel Blog Exchange (TBEX) Asia-Pacific 2016: A taste of the Philippines

Tweet

Delegates of the Travel Blog Exchange (TBEX) Asia-Pacific 2016, the largest gathering of travel bloggers, writers, content media creators, and tourism industry professionals, had a feast as they discovered Philippine cuisine. 

 

Presented by the Department of Tourism (DOT) and Tourism Promotions Board (TPB), in coordination with NMX Events, their journey of discovery began with a 15-hour food tour where they travelled to Pampanga, “the culinary center of the Philippines”, to try iconic Filipino dishes such as lechon, sisig, chicken inasal, and sinigang. They then went to Binondo to experience the country’s Chinese culinary influence on food.

The contingent was served an array of grilled fish, prawns, squids, and clams and tasted some of the native delicacies such as barquillos, turones, kutsinta, halo-halo, rice cakes including bibingka, cassava cake, and puto. 

The country’s tropical fruits were also a hit as the visitors sampled the sweetest mangoes, rambutan, lanzones and marang. Calamansi was a surprise to them for its versatility – from a refreshing fruit drink to an additional flavor to condiments. 

To complete their Filipino food experience, they were served some of the country’s exotic foods including balut, pako or fern salad, and sea urchin.

“I find it very interesting that the Filipino cuisine is influenced by so many other cultures and it creates a fascinating mix,” said Maria Haase who travelled all the way from Germany. “This food trip was very interesting and inspiring for me.”

Further making Filipino meals fun, the delegates experienced boodle feasts, which urged them not only to share their food but to interact and converse with one another. Trying Filipino dishes in this unique way was something the first-time visitors were able to enjoy. “This is such a simple pleasure to enjoy. It’s amazing that we get the time to eat together. I love this kind of culture,” said Chicago-native Rosemary Kimani.

TBEX Asia Pacific 2016 was made possible with the support of Philippine Airlines, Globe Telecom, Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority (TIEZA), and Duty Free Philippines. Other sponsors included Amorita Resort, The Lind Boracay, Fort Ilocandia Resort Hotel, Limketkai Luxe Hotel, Shangri-La’s Boracay Resort & Spa, Shangri-La’s Mactan Resort & Spa, Pearl Farm Beach Resort, Primer Group of Companies, The Funny Lion Palawan, Merrell Philippines, Lakan, Banana Peel, Le Spa at Sofitel, Park Inn by Radisson, Hotel Luna, Bluewater Maribago Resort and Spa, Sonya’s Garden, Museo Orlina, and Grab Philippines. 

The event was also made possible through the participation of volunteers from the University of the Philippines, Centro Escolar University, University of Santo Tomas, and Philippine Women’s University. 

The amazing variety of food – from savory dishes to sweet delicacies, and our wide array of fresh ingredients, diverse cultural influences, proves that the Philippines can stand out as an exciting culinary destination.

  

The future of travel media : TBEX Asia-Pacific 2016 set on October 13-16

Tweet

To visit and go someplace you’ve never been before.... Travel and Adventure is worthwhile. 

The Philippines is all set for the Asia-Pacific leg of the world’s largest conference of travel bloggers, writers, content media creators and tourism industry professionals - the Travel Blog Exchange (TBEX), on October 13-16, 2016 at the Philippine International Convention Center (PICC). 

Presented by the Tourism Promotions Board (TPB), in coordination with NMX Events, TBEX is expected to bring in hundreds of delegates from North America, Europe and Asia to the Philippines for the first time and will serve as the best venue for bloggers to acquire knowledge, as well as expand their networks and linkages. It will also create a good opportunity for the participants to experience the best of the Philippines through exciting tours.

Highlighting this event will be a series of talks presented by some of the world’s renowned speakers including New York Times #1 international bestselling author and veteran travel journalist Patricia Schultz, host of the award-winning podcast Slice of Sci-Fi Evo Terra, and Filipino travel blogger and founder of OurAwesomePlanet.com Anton Diaz. 

Talks will cover various travel-blogging topics such as the proper use of social networking sites, video blogging, content management, marketing techniques to building brands and challenges and opportunities in blogging. The conference will also allow the participants to interact with each other and have in-depth discussion on travel blogging opportunities. 

The group will also be treated with exciting tours to the country’s premier destinations including iconic landmarks, world heritage sites, scenic views, natural wonders, entertainment venues, lifestyle spaces, and top attractions. The list will include a visit to the historical walled city of Intramuros, the Eighth Wonder of the World Banaue Rice Terraces, the world’s Best Island Palawan, UNESCO World Heritage site Ilocos and the world’s most perfect cone-shaped Mayon Volcano.

By hosting this four-day event, the Philippines is once again set to take the spotlight for being a premier travel destination among the world’s most successful travel bloggers and the industry’s most creative and influential minds. 

To register and know more about the upcoming TBEX 2016, visit http://tbexcon.com/2016-asia/.