The only event of its kind to be held on the continent, the Cinnamon Travel Bloggers’ Conference 2018 (TBC Asia 2018) will present the third edition of its biennial pre-tour, conference and awards programme, from 25 to 30 October. Organised by Cinnamon Hotels & Resorts, TBC Asia 2018 aims to harness the combined prowess of the world’s most eminent online influencers and industry practitioners who have transformed and redefined the sphere of travel content creation and marketing in the digital era. Starting off with an exclusive  five day pre-tour and culminating in a prestigious awards ceremony, TBC Asia is the largest regional event of its scale and magnitude and will once again help to uplift and spearhead the growth of the travel and tourism sector in Sri Lanka and Asia. Conducted over the course of five days, the TBC Asia pre-tour will cover 40 iconic locations spanning across four regions in Sri Lanka. Participating in the all-expense-paid tour will be 60 of the world’s best travel bloggers who have been chosen through a rigorous screening process. With the opportunity to pick an itinerary of their choice, each of the bloggers will be taken on a one-of-a-kind journey that showcases the very best of Sri Lanka’s most famed highlights and attractions - from its spectacular biodiversity and World Heritage Sites, to expansive tea plantations and golden beaches. Centred on the theme of ‘Creating Transformational Digital Content for Travel’, TBC Asia 2018 will also feature ground-breaking discussions and learnings from expert speakers and top industry practitioners from around the world. With over 70 travel influencers and digital marketing experts participating in the forum, TBC Asia 2018 will explore a wide array of topics that are of direct relevance to the modern digital world and tourism industry. The conference will focus on the shifts and trends that are shaping the travel industry, whilst shining a light on the pivotal role that content plays in promoting destinations and building robust travel brands. This year’s conference will unravel a broad range of current market and content trends and delve into important discussions such as ‘Creative excellence in a technology driven market’, ‘Using information to create an experience driven marketing strategy for travel content’ and ‘The evolution of the connected customer’. Also featured in the conference will be crucial topics such as ‘How to leverage user generated content to fuel the travel booking cycle’, ‘Future of travel - the China rise and blockchain technology’ and ‘Connecting the dots - how to use data to create a seamless travel marketing strategy’. Tackling these all-important areas and avenues will be a hand-picked panel of globally-acclaimed speakers and trailblazing experts such as Liz Ward – Managing Director of Tourism Tribe, Sonali Chatterjee – Sales Director (India & South Asia) of CNN International, Karla Cripps – Senior Digital Producer of CNN Travel Asia-Pacific, Giuliana Riitano – Industry Manager, e-Commerce & Classifieds of Google, Abhay Khanna – Regional Manager of the Expedia Group and Zan Wu – Founder & CEO of Zanadu, China’s leader in premium and luxury travel. Concluding the highly anticipated conference will be the TBC Asia 2018 Awards ceremony which will celebrate the most influential and trailblazing bloggers in an array of fields and scopes. Comprising ten key categories including Adventure, Culture, Photography and Food, the awards programme will recognise online bloggers and influencers whose works have had transformational impact on various facets of the global travel industry. First conducted in 2016, the TBC Asia Awards was established to acknowledge the important role that bloggers play in the modern tourism industry, whilst recognising the importance that their contributions have on the growth of the global travel and hospitality sector at large. Commenting on Cinnamon Hotels & Resorts gearing up to host TBC Asia 2018 this October, Dileep Mudadeniya - Vice President John Keells Group and Head of Brand and Marketing, Cinnamon Hotels & Resorts and CEO, Cinnamon Life Mall stated:

“We are looking forward to launching the third installation of TBC Asia, a thought-leadership initiative that has gained substantial momentum and played a significant role in driving innovation and growth within the tourism sector of Sri Lanka and the region over the years. In this digital age where online blogging and digital marketing is on a steep rise, we believe that a conference of this nature is highly apt, as it will pave the way for brands and influencers to connect and work together towards fostering growth in the industry. Moreover, this year’s five-day pre-tour will take a select group of world-class bloggers across Sri Lanka, offering them a heightened and full-on experience of the island’s rich cultural and natural heritage. We hope that this initiative will create a wave of exposure for the island and generate a fresh burst of engaging content about Sri Lanka. Summing up the grand event will be the TBC Asia awards ceremony which will recognise the world’s most influential online bloggers whose contributions have reshaped and redefined the digital travel content arena.”

Cinnamon has always been committed to exploring diverse ways in which it can promote the local travel industry. This is one such event which will enable the Sri Lankan and Asian tourism industries to engage and communicate with some of the world’s best travel bloggers, global experts and industry professionals who represent top international organisations and work across a broad range of fields. The Cinnamon Travel Bloggers Conference in the only event of its kind in Asia that features a pre-tour, conference and awards programme. Visit www.cinnamonboffice.com to purchase tickets for TBC Asia 2018, an early bird discount of 10% is available for all ticket purchases till the end of September.