MANILA, 19 June 2024: The Tourism Promotions Board (TPB) Philippines was recognised at this year’s GovMedia Conference and Awards 2024 as the recipient of the Philippines Public Sector Initiative of the Year – Tourism award.
It won recognition for its “outstanding success” in implementing its flagship programmes, specifically 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 prioritise 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 digitalisation 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 PHP341.5 million.
The GovMedia Conference & Awards is a prestigious event that light bulbs outstanding government projects and initiatives in Asia. Last year, TPB’s PHITEX received the National Tourism Initiative of the Year award at the 2023 GovMedia Awards.
ABOUT TPB
An attached agency of the Department of Tourism, the Tourism Promotions Board (TPB) exists to market and promote the Philippines domestically and internationally as a world-class tourism and MICE destination in strategic partnership with private and public stakeholders.
