TBEX Europe 2023 Brings Added Value to Peloponnese Region and Greece

Family photo at the TBEX 2023 review meeting. Photo source: Peloponnese Region.

TBEX Europe 2023 Peloponnese event held earlier this month in Kalamata created added value for the region and Greece, said Peloponnese Regional Governor Panagiotis Nikas during an event follow-up meeting last week.

This year’s TBEX Europe conference, one of the largest travel bloggers and online content creators events in world, was hosted by the Peloponnese Region in Kalamata from May 8 to 11 under the motto: “Just Can’t Get Enough – Peloponnese Beyond the Obvious”.

Photo source: Peloponnese Region.

Some 360 travel bloggers participated in the networking events, fam trips and two-day conference and had the chance to visit main destinations in the Peloponnese and Central Greece. Athens hosted TBEX Europe in 2014.

“Never before has there been such a well-organized, systematic promotion of the Peloponnese Region. TBEX Europe 2023 generated significant benefits for the Peloponnese and the country in general,” said Nikas, adding that the 600,000 euros spent on organizing the event had already started to pay off and will continue to do so over the next three years.

In addition to the Greek Tourism Ministry and the Greek National Tourism Organization (GNTO), Nikas went on to thank more than 100 local businesses which “provided an excellent level of service to our guests”.

Peloponnese Regional Governor Panagiotis Nikas (2nd from the right); Deputy Regional Governor for Tourism Anna Kalogeropoulou (1st from the right). Photo source: Peloponnese Region.

According to Deputy Regional Governor for Tourism Anna Kalogeropoulou, TBEX bloggers and participants generated 7,000 mentions on social media and over 170,000 “likes” with posts reaching more than 20,000,000 people.

Kalogeropoulou went on to add that social media reach is expected to continue rising as content production continues. She said more material would be posted on digital channels for at least the next 90 days. “The advertising value for all of the above is estimated at over 1,500,000 dollars so far,” she said.

Photo source: Kalamata Municipality.

“Hoteliers, restaurateurs, activities organizers included in the trips, all hosts were delighted by the comments and posts. Enthusiasm across the Peloponnese and in Kalamata, which was the center of the event, hosting the networking evenings as well as the culinary week which gave the city’s restaurants the opportunity to showcase their culinary profile,” said Kalogeropoulou referring to the Peloponnese Food Stories happening, which served as the official welcome of TBEX participants introducing them to Peloponnese foods and products. Other highlights included a fam event for 150 official guests hosted by Costa Navarino at the W Costa Navarino.

In addition to the high value of social media reach during TBEX Peloponnese, Kalogeropoulou said post-TBEX activity was also very significant. “Many participants extended their trips to explore the region, others said they would be returning with their families, while some are organizing a new visit to the Peloponnese so they have the opportunity to discover the whole region,” she said.

The Greek Travel Pages (GTP) was a media sponsor for TBEX Europe 2023.