Athens 2014: TBEX Europe Is Attracting Great Interest

The Parthenon, Athens. Photo © Shutterstock

Already 450 registrations from 53 countries have been made for the TBEX Europe event to be held in Athens, Greece, this fall.

According to the Athens Development and Destination Management Agency (ADDMA), this is an increase of some 147 percent, compared with the registrations of the previous event in Europe (Dublin), during the same time period.

TBEX Europe is the largest and most popular annual meeting of the international community of travel bloggers and travel media writers and will be held 23-25 October 2014 in the Greek capital by the Municipality of Athens, ADDMA, the Athens Convention and Visitors Bureau (ACVB) and with the support of the Tourism Ministry and the Greek National Tourism Organization (GNTO).

Athens from above. Photo © Facebook – ΟΙ ΟΜΟΡΦΙΕΣ ΤΗΣ ΕΛΛΑΔΑΣ ΜΑΣ

Athens in the spotlight

The selection of Athens as the host city for the event is an important development for the position and the image of the city but also for Greece in general in the international travel and tourism industry.

Greek Tourism Minister Olga Kefalogianni. Photo © GTP

“The TBEX Europe event constitutes an especially important one for Greek tourism and particularly for Athens, which is now on a developing course—rebounding and regaining its leading role in tourism events, as it rightfully deserves,” Greek Tourism Minister Olga Kefalogianni said.

The destinations that host TBEX obtain great and immediate promotion via all interactive platforms of social and professional networking (blogs, podcasts, YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, Flickr, Google+ and others). Millions of impressions, mentions, and uploads are made before, during and after the event, as all the participants upload articles and interactive material in real time, from the TBEX conference as well as from the fam trips in which they participate.

“For the Tourism Ministry, the Internet and social media constitute a cost effective, modern and dynamic form of communication with great added value in the development of Greek tourism which is found in the core of our communication strategy and activities,” Mrs. Kefalogianni added.

Syntagma Square, Athens center. Photo © Maria Theofanopoulou

Fams trips to Athens, Greek destinations announced

During the fam trips in the Greek capital for TBEX 2014, travel writers and bloggers will discover that – in less than 30 minutes – Athens is a city by the sea! Photo © ACVB

TBEX Europe gathers approximately 1,000 tourism reporters, bloggers, writers, content creators/contributors as well as professionals from the tourism market with activity in social media, from throughout the world.

According to ADDMA, 70 special itineraries and experiences have been designed – the majority of which have already been uploaded on the website especially created for TBEX Athens by ACVB http://tbex.thisisathens.org – in order for the bloggers to explore metropolitan Athens and the whole of Greece and have the opportunity to experience the high level of services and infrastructure of our country by promoting, through personal experience, our tourism product.

“Athens will find itself in the epicenter of interest for an entire week with thousands of bloggers transferring worldwide the city’s vitality, sounds and images,” Athens Mayor Giorgos Kaminis said.

GNTO is the co-organizer of the event. Platinum sponsors of the conference are the Athens International Airport, Aegean Airlines, and the Athens Urban Transport Organization. City Sponsors of TBEX EUROPE up to date are Aqua Vista Hotels, Incrediblue και Porto Carras Grand Resort. Sponsors of the fam trips include the Association of Licensed Tourist Guides, Dora Stratou Theatre, Vouliagmeni Lake, Museum of Greek Gastronomy, Athens Walking Tours, Dopios, Hydraiki-One Day Cruise, Grazy travel, Louis Cruises, Onassis Cultural Center and ReThink Athens by the Onassis Foundation.

GTP is among the main communication sponsors of TBEX 2014.