Almaty is preparing to host the largest international conference for travel content creators and tourism industry representatives, Travel Bloggers Exchange (TBEX), in 2026, El.kz cites qaztourism.kz.
The event is expected to attract over 300 renowned experts, journalists, and travel bloggers from around the world, reaching an overall audience of approximately 300 million people. This global event will showcase the country’s tourism potential and unique offerings to the international tourism community. This was announced at a press conference in Almaty by TBEX President Rick Calvert.
For the first time in the history of the CIS countries, this significant event will take place in Kazakhstan. The application to host the TBEX conference was submitted by JSC “Kazakh Tourism,” and as a result of the selection process, Almaty was chosen as the venue for such a large-scale event.
During the press conference, the CEO of TBEX, representatives from «Kazakh Tourism» NC» JSC and the Almaty Tourism Bureau discussed preparations for the upcoming conference, its significance for the region, and the opportunities it will open up for the tourism market.
«There are many factors why we chose Kazakhstan. It’s the beauty of nature, culture, history, and gastronomy. We will gather several hundred creative travel creators from all over the world here. While they are here, they will create tens of thousands of materials for social media and other media outlets. Our goal is to attract more visitors to Kazakhstan and collaborate with Kazakh Tourism», - emphasized TBEX President Rick Calvert.
This landmark event will provide a unique opportunity to promote Kazakhstan’s tourism potential on the international stage. The conference will enable local entrepreneurs to establish collaborations with key foreign specialists, media representatives, and content creators.
«The leading organization TBEX conducts conferences in various parts of the world and tells about this country, its culture, and gastronomy. This contributes to the popularization of Almaty and Kazakhstan as a tourist destination and increases the number of travelers in our country. The arrival of travel bloggers and content creators from around the world during the off-season also has a positive economic effect for Almaty. I want to emphasize that events of this format are organized by the organizers themselves. We provide them with administrative support and offer tourism proposals, promoting cities as tourist destinations», - noted Deputy Chairman of «Kazakh Tourism» NC» JSC Daniel Serjanuly.
TBEX-2026 will serve as a unique platform for discussing new trends and strategies in the tourism market, the impact of digital media on the industry as a whole, as well as exchanging experiences between tourism industry representatives and travel content creators.
«According to a sociological study by Pew Research, 11% of adults worldwide rely on influencers’ opinions when planning trips, and 53% of social media users made a purchase after viewing a specific post. Therefore, holding the Travel Bloggers Exchange conference in Almaty is particularly significant and opens up new opportunities for promoting our city as a tourist destination on the international stage. TBEX gathers opinion leaders and influencers from around the world whose platforms influence tourists' choices and their travels. This is an important step in developing our city as a MICE tourism hub and attracting a new audience»,- noted Askat Zhanbosynov, Chief Specialist of the Tourism Development Department at the Almaty Tourism Bureau.
It should be noted that TBEX is one of the largest conferences in the world for professionals, journalists, and content creators in the tourism industry and travel blogging. Since its inception in 2009, TBEX has become a leading event where participants from around the world exchange experiences and discuss new trends in the tourism market. Previously, the conference has been held in Europe, North America, and the Asia-Pacific region.