2 NEWS PREFACE Finding
2 NEWS PREFACE Finding the opportunities As travel distribution becomes more complex in a challenging market, with competition coming from all angles, at the same time there are opportunities opening-up from others. The industry players opening the gates to success will no doubt be those with the most innovative strategies. These strategies must be based on a clear understanding of industry trends, underlining the vital nature of the keynotes and conferences at ITB Asia. The conference sessions this year are set to deliver a series of themes, including Corporate Travel, Destination Marketing, Muslim Travel and Travel Technology. Attendees will have the opportunity to experience over 200 sessions led by more than 260 speakers. Alongside this event, ITB Asia 2019 will share the Sands Expo and Richard Barnes Editor-in-chief Convention Centre at the Marina Bay Sands with its inaugural co-event, MICE Show Asia. At MICE Show Asia, attendees will get to hear about forecasts for the global meeting and events industries in 2020, and how the industry is transforming. Keynote sessions (outlined on page 7) explore practical applications for businesses to keep pace with technological developments in the travel industry. In particular, the Keynote session on Day Three will also highlight evolving opportunities presented by the new Chinese traveller. This exceptional knowledgebase, an integral part of ITB Asia, is a not-to-be-missed part of your visit. The goal is to leave with more (mental) baggage than you arrived with – which is okay, as it’s easy to carry! New ideas… new exhibitors… It’s all about diversity. As with other ITB shows, exhibitors at ITB Asia 2019 are drawn from a wide range of companies and representatives from travel agencies and operators, business travel and MICE, travel technology, accommodation, and transport. The eleventh edition of ITB Asia last year saw more than 127 countries represented, making this the most international travel trade show in the region. The show proved to be an especially effective business platform, with one in two buyers signing contracts with exhibitors. The strongest participation this year comes from Asia, with Southeast Asia well represented, and newcomers Myanmar and RTO, Jakarta, taking part. North Asia will see an expanded South Korean contingent with RTOs from Gyeonggi, Jeju and Seoul securing their own booths. South Asia will also see a larger presence as new exhibitors such as Bhutan, the Maldives, and Sri Lanka join the show, while Central Asia is represented by Uzbekistan which will be taking part for the first time. Europe has seen a 37.8% increase in the number of exhibitors buoyed by an increased interest from Southern and Eastern Europe. The Balkan states of Macedonia, Montenegro and Serbia will be taking part for the first time along with the Czech Republic and Estonia. Compared to previous years, Hungary and Russia will also bring larger contingents. New RTOs from East Bavaria, Franconia, Frankfurt and Magdeburg will also be part of a larger German contingent with existing destinations like Berlin and Saxony, present at ITB Asia 2019. This year will see oneworld, taking part as the Official Airline Alliance for the first time. The stunning growth in exhibitor demand is fuelled by growth in tourism globally. The UNWTO, highlighted that tourism is one of the most powerful drivers of economic growth and development. The predicted target of 1.4 billion international tourist arrivals by 2020 was reached in 2018. The Asia-Pacific region contributed 343 million international tourist arrivals into the region for 2018, a growth of 6% compared to the previous year ITB ASIA NEWS is a CLEVERDIS Publication. 65 av. 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