ITB Asia News 2019 Day 3
FRIDAY 18 OCTOBER 2019 DAY 3 EDITION CONTENTS 2 NEWS 9 TRADE TALK 10 EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW 11 SPECIAL FEATURE: SUSTAINABLE TOURISM 12 SPECIAL FEATURE: ADVENTURE TOURISM 13 REGIONAL SPOTLIGHT: MIDDLE EAST & AFRICA TRADE TALK Tim Hentschel Group CEO, HotelPlanner.com and Meetings.com I think there will be much more movement towards Singapore when it comes to MICE. See page 9 SPECIAL FEATURE SUSTAINABLE TOURISM Bernadette Romulo-Puyat Tourism Minister, Philippines We are creating a culture of Sustainable Tourism by prioritizing the enforcement of environmental laws in major tourist destinations. See page 11 REGIONAL SPOTLIGHT MIDDLE EAST & AFRICA ITB ASIA 2019: Travel business central More than just a showcase and conference, it’s where business is done… big business REGIONAL SPOTLIGHT: MIDDLE EAST & AFRICA For three days, Singapore becomes the world business capital of tourism, as a plethora of deals are done directly on the show floor, as well as important planning and sourcing for the coming season. This year’s ITB Asia has seen a 35% increase in approved buyers. Buyers have come from across the world but specifically from high-growth markets such as Southeast Asia, China and India. “As the leading travel trade show, we want to provide a dynamic and diverse platform for our stakeholders to forge strong business relationships,” said Katrina Leung, Managing Director of Messe Berlin (Singapore), the organiser of ITB Asia. “We are pleased to have attracted a greater number of buyers to this year’s show, specifically from markets which have shown to have huge growth potential in travel and tourism. By working closely with our exhibitors and through the new Elite Partner Programme, we hope to spur more business opportunities for both parties.” Speaking of partnerships, a highly important and fruitful relationship continues between ITB Asia and the Marina Bay Sands (see our exclusive interview with Mike Lee, Vice President of Sales, Marina Bay Sands, page 10). Mike Lee Vice President of Sales, Marina Bay Sands Jimi Kariuki Chairman, Kenya Tourism Board Our government sees tourism as a priority as it has a very positive impact on our economy. See page 14 With 67 million international arrivals, Africa experienced a 7% increase in international arrivals in 2018 compared to 2017. The growth was driven by good results for Tunisia, Morocco and Kenya. For the Middle East, growth in foreign arrivals reached 4% while the region generated 4% of all arrivals globally. While Africa only represents 5% of market share in terms of arrivals, it is one of the continents with the strongest growth dynamics. Read more, from page 13.
