The Tourism Promotions Board (TPB) Philippines officially opened the Philippine Travel Exchange (PHITEX) 2026 at Conrad Manila on September 8, bringing together 74 foreign buyers and 102 Philippine travel sellers for two days of business-to-business meetings.
Now in its 30th year, the country’s largest government-organised travel trade event runs under the theme “Connecting Markets, Creating Opportunities: From Conversation to Collaboration through Sustainable Tourism Partnerships.”
In her welcome address, TPB’s chief operating officer Maria Margarita Montemayor Nograles emphasised a shift toward high-value, niche tourism segments alongside local community engagement.
“We continue to place greater emphasis on product-focused segments, such as dive, golf, wellness and culinary, sun and beach, English as a Second Language, while alongside it, we craft authentic experiences within our communities,” Nograles said.
While acknowledging the role of technology and data in tracking traveler behaviour, Nograles noted that human connection remains central to the Philippine tourism value proposition.
To complement the B2B sessions running September 8 and 9, the event includes curated familiarisation tours across key destinations. Buyers explored Manila’s heritage sites during pre-event tours on September 7, with post-event tours scheduled for September 10 to 14 covering Ilocos, Palawan, Cebu, Bohol, and Davao.
Established in 1996, PHITEX serves as the TPB’s primary marketing platform to link global travel trade buyers with local tourism operators.
