TBEX is an annual conference that unites over a thousand travel bloggers, content creators and writers from around the world in order to exchange and also to explore. Rick Calvert from TBEX on choosing to highlight the city of Athens this year: “It was very clear to us that the city felt the media had unfairly portrayed the impact the economy would have on travelers considering coming to Athens in a negative way. It was the organizers’ belief that the bloggers could come and help them tell the real story and get the word out that the city is alive and well. Right now could be the best time in years for travelers to visit Athens.”
Yesterday was my first day at TBEX, and it was the perfect introduction to Athens.
Upon landing at Athens International Airport Elefthérios-Venizélos last night, I quickly headed over to the Travel Massive party at the Impact Hub Athens where we were greeted with local wine & cheese (Kostarelos) and got to mingle with fellow travel lovers.
I met bloggers like Hannah and Adam from Getting Stamped, Jay F Kay from Hoomygumb, Milou van Roon from Explorista.nl and Henriëtte Bokslag from Travel Around With Me, and got to hear fascinating stories with adventurers who have traveled to many more places than I’ve ever visited in my life.
It’s mindboggling to imagine a thousand travel experts and enthusiasts all in one place!
For those of us who were hungry afterward, there were some opportunistic street vendors with tasty snacks.
As a Lindy Hopper, I always try to meet the local swing dance community whenever I can, and last night was no exception. After Travel Massive, I sped over to the Lost N’Found bar where I met local Athenian swing dancers.
And to finish off the night, I tasted some authentic Greek souvlaki for the first time. And I have to say, souvlaki seems to taste better here than back at home (in Canada!).
All in all, it was a wonderful first experience, and I highly recommend adding Greece to your list of next travel destinations. Thank you Athens for the warm welcome!
Alain Wong is the Director of Marketing & Communications at Busbud, and an avid Lindy Hop dancer. You can reach him on Twitter @alainwong or by email at alain@busbud.com