Draft:Blessy Townes
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Blessy Townes | |
|---|---|
| Nationality | Filipino |
| Alma mater | Polytechnic University of the Philippines (BA Journalism, Cum Laude) University of Santo Tomas Graduate School (MA Advertising, Cum Laude) |
| Occupation(s) | Hotel Digital Marketer, branding strategist |
| Employer | Discovery Hospitality Corporation |
| Known for | Hospitality digital transformation, branding, direct booking strategy |
| Title | Vice President and Head of Digital Marketing and Branding |
| Awards | |
Blessy Townes is a Filipino digital marketing executive and branding strategist. She is Vice President and Head of Digital Marketing and Branding at Discovery Hospitality Corporation, a hotel group based in the Philippines.[4] Townes has been cited in international publications such as HospitalityNet, TTG Asia, Asia Sustainable Travel, and the CirVath International Journal of Tourism for her work on digital transformation and marketing in the hospitality sector.[5][6][7][8]
Education
[edit]Townes graduated with Latin honors (Cum Laude) in both her undergraduate and graduate studies:
- Bachelor in Journalism — Polytechnic University of the Philippines
- Master of Science in Advertising — University of Santo Tomas Graduate School
She was also invited as a Professor for a Day at Hong Kong Polytechnic University’s School of Hotel and Tourism Management.[9]
Career
[edit]Townes has built a career spanning more than two decades, being one of the first SEO practitioners in the Philippines.[10]
Prior to joining Discovery Hospitality, she held leadership positions in digital strategy across the travel, retail, and media sectors.
Branding Leadership
[edit]- The rebranding of Discovery Shores Boracay and Club Paradise Palawan under the Discovery Resorts banner, which carries the ethos “Service That’s All Heart.”[11]
- The launch of Discovery Samal, the group’s first property in Mindanao under the Discovery Resorts identity.[12]
- The introduction of Manami Resort in Negros Occidental as part of the Signature Collection, positioned with a focus on luxury and sustainability.[13]
- The establishment of Kip & Kin, described as a lifestyle hospitality brand aimed at younger travelers, with planned developments in Siargao and El Nido.[11]
Thought Leadership
[edit]Townes is a founding member of the Triptease Hotel Heroes Council, contributing to its “Ask the Experts” series on personalization, guest journey mapping, and conversion optimization.[14]
At the Direct Booking Summit APAC 2023 in Bangkok, she delivered the keynote “Zero to Hero: The Digital Rise of a Filipino Hospitality Brand”, stating:
- You cannot have the acquisition strategy of a Ferrari with the engagement strategy of a Kia.
Her works include Creating a 2020-Ready Hotel Website (Triptease) and Solving the Puzzle of Conversion Attribution (Hotel Technology News), where she wrote that “at Discovery Hospitality, we believe that convenience drives loyalty.”[16]
Case Studies and Reports
[edit]- Triptease Case Study (2022): Discovery Hospitality achieved +18% growth in booking engine performance and +14% uplift in direct booking revenue.[17]
- Sojern Case Study (2022): Reported a 162% year-over-year increase in direct booking revenue.[18]
Features and Publications
[edit]- HospitalityNet: Featured in “Learn from the Brightest Minds in Hospitality.”[19]
- Asia Sustainable Travel (2023): Shared perspectives on generative AI in hotel marketing.[20]
- TTG Asia: Quoted as saying, “But social media is just one part of marketing the destination... If your business is not in Google, it doesn’t exist.”[21]
- CirVath International Journal of Tourism 13: Cited on Discovery Hotels’ targeting strategy:
- Discovery Hotels is aggressively targeting users who, despite their situation, exhibit travel intent or trip consideration on their digital channels.
- Digital Travel APAC Blog (2023): Wrote “Top digital marketing skills to conquer the era of AI technologies”, noting:
- Those who have command over AI (and ChatGPT) will have command over the web and trailblaze the industry.
Digital Innovation
[edit]Townes has led several hospitality digital transformation initiatives in the Philippines:
- Early Digital Transformation (2011): At Sofitel Manila, she introduced e-commerce systems that became benchmarks within the Sofitel network.[3]
- Chatbot and Live Chat (2018): Directed the launch of one of the Philippines’ earliest hotel chatbot and live chat platforms.[23]
- Direct Booking Strategy: Centralized Discovery’s “Book Direct” approach, leading to a 14% revenue uplift.[17]
- Metaverse via Roblox (2022): Launched Bogart & Friends, one of the first immersive virtual hospitality experiences in Asia.[24]
Awards and Recognition
[edit]- Top 25 Leaders in Artificial Intelligence (2025) — Digital Marketing, Advertising & Technology Confex, Singapore.[1]
- Top 25 Exceptional Women in Digital (2024) — Digital Marketing, Advertising & Technology Confex, Kuala Lumpur.[2]
- Hospitality Digital Marketing Leader of the Year – Asia-Pacific — World Business Outlook Awards (2023 & 2024).[25]
She has also served as a judge for:
- Marketing Excellence Awards Philippines (2023), organized by Marketing Interactive.[9]
- Marketing Events Awards Singapore (2023), organized by Marketing Interactive.[26]
Under her leadership, Discovery Hospitality received:
- Leading Hospitality Brand in the Philippines (2023 & 2024).[27]
- Best Hospitality Services Provider (2024).[27]
Speaking Engagements
[edit]International
[edit]- Digital Travel APAC (Summit & Series) – Singapore, 2019–2025
- Digital Travel Connect USA – California, 2023 & 2025
- Direct Booking Summit APAC – Singapore (2019), Bangkok (2023)
- World Women Forum – Las Vegas, 2023
- 4th Global Digital Marketing Summit – Virtual, July 22–24, 2021
- Digital Travel USA Virtual Event – Virtual, May 4–5, 2021
- A New Dawn for Travel: Mastering Digital Travel in the “New Normal” – APAC Virtual Event, September 22, 2020
- Sofitel SEA & India Regional Sales, Distribution, Marketing & Communication Conference – Vietnam, 2013
Philippines / Regional
[edit]- Digital Marketing Asia Philippines – 2025
- Hospitality Philippines Conference – Manila, 2022–2024
- ITB Asia – Travel Meet Asia – Manila, 2019
- Professor for a Day, Hong Kong Polytechnic University – Hong Kong, 2017
References
[edit]- ^ a b "Powered by DIGITALCONFEX Blessy Townes | Top 25 Exceptional Leader in AI #ai". YouTube.
- ^ a b "Presented by DIGITALCONFEX | Blessy Townes | Top 25 Exceptional Women in Digital". YouTube. 16 February 2024.
- ^ a b "Hotel Digital Marketing Expert in the Philippines | Blessy Townes". Hotel Digital Marketing.
- ^ "Homegrown success: Discovery Hotels built prestige, set benchmarks". Manila Standard. August 2025. Archived from the original on 2025-08-03. Retrieved 2025-09-04.
- ^ Holly Groom. "Learn from the brightest minds in hospitality". Archived from the original on 2023-04-04. Retrieved 2025-09-04.
- ^ "Philippines needs to define and retain USP, tourism players remind | TTG Asia". Archived from the original on 2023-03-24. Retrieved 2025-09-04.
- ^ "Generative AI in Marketing: How Can Hotels Leverage It Without Losing the Human Touch". Asia Sustainable Travel.
- ^ "CirVath International Journal of Tourism 13". 21 March 2023.
- ^ a b "Blessy Townes". 4 November 2021. Archived from the original on 15 July 2025. Retrieved 4 September 2025.
- ^ "Blessy Townes". 4 November 2021.
- ^ a b "Homegrown success: Discovery Hotels built prestige, set benchmarks". Manila Standard. August 2025. Archived from the original on 2025-08-03. Retrieved 2025-09-04.
- ^ "The future is now: How Discovery Hospitality is revolutionizing Philippine property management". BusinessWorld. 4 December 2023. Archived from the original on 7 November 2024. Retrieved 4 September 2025.
- ^ "Discovery Hospitality celebrated as 2024 Philippines' Leading Hospitality Brand". 2nd Opinion. 8 November 2024. Retrieved 2025-09-04.
- ^ https://www.triptease.com/blog/hotel-heroes
- ^ https://www.triptease.com/blog/direct-booking-summit-apac
- ^ https://www.hoteltechnologynews.com/2019/11/solving-the-puzzle-of-conversion-attribution
- ^ a b https://triptease-website.storage.googleapis.com/2018/072018/07/Triptease_Discovery_Customer_Stories.pdf
- ^ https://www.sojern.com/resources/case-studies/discovery-hospitality-case-study
- ^ Holly Groom. "Learn from the brightest minds in hospitality". Archived from the original on 2023-04-04. Retrieved 2025-09-04.
- ^ "Generative AI in Marketing: How Can Hotels Leverage It Without Losing the Human Touch".
- ^ "Philippines needs to define and retain USP, tourism players remind | TTG Asia". Archived from the original on 2023-03-24. Retrieved 2025-09-04.
- ^ "CirVath International Journal of Tourism 13". 21 March 2023.
- ^ "The future is now: How Discovery Hospitality is revolutionizing Philippine property management". BusinessWorld. 4 December 2023. Archived from the original on 7 November 2024. Retrieved 4 September 2025.
- ^ "Homegrown success: Discovery Hotels built prestige, set benchmarks". Manila Standard. August 2025. Archived from the original on 2025-08-03. Retrieved 2025-09-04.
- ^ "Hotel Digital Marketing Expert in the Philippines | Blessy Townes". Hotel Digital Marketing. Archived from the original on December 16, 2024.
- ^ https://awards.marketing-interactive.com/marketing-events-awards/blessy-townes/
- ^ a b "Discovery Hospitality celebrated as 2024 Philippines' Leading Hospitality Brand". 8 November 2024.
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