PTM: Spotlight on new destinations

Slated to be held from September 13-15, 2017, in Macau, this edition marks PATA Travel Mart’s 40th year of fostering business in APAC’s travel and tourism industry.

Asia’s premier trade show, PATA Travel Mart (PTM) has been instrumental in gathering industry professionals together to learn about new developments, attractions and activities, as well as interact and expand business networks since its inception 40 years ago. The edition will take place in the Venetian Macao Resort Hotel where B2B meetings, complimentary tours, seminars, networking dinners and an awards ceremony will be held over three days. Throwing some light on the participation numbers, Mario Hardy, CEO, Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA), reveals, “We are expecting more than 1,000 delegates for PTM 2017. From South Asia, there are more than 45 organisations which have registered for the event with 20 from India.” While Hardy asserts the trade show is not the only one that stems from the region, and its modest size is quite incomparable, he emphasises its ability to draw the spotlight to newer destinations.

He explains, “The reality is that PTM is not the only travel trade show in the region, as many have developed over the years. However, PTM is still the only one that is hosted in a new location every year. There are still many destinations that are waiting to be discovered and we believe that we can help by bringing PATA Travel Mart to them. We know that PTM is not the largest travel trade show in the region, but we sincerely believe that a human size event offers far greater opportunities for businesses to network and build genuine relationship.” This strategy could also be looked upon as an effective tool for even dispersal of tourists to avoid overcrowding, something Hardy had highlighted during his interaction with Indian trade professionals in New Delhi last year.

This year, two half-day forums will be held on Wednesday, September 13, with the first one focusing on the travel experience in Asia. Aptly termed ‘Travolution Forum Asia: Redefining the Travel Experience, this forum will look at strategies, business models and current technologies that encourage customer loyalty and repeat bookings throughout the complete cycle of the customer journey. The second forum, the Influencer Marketing Forum: The Most Effective Influencer Marketing Strategies in Travel in 2017 provides an overview of the influencer marketing landscape in 2017, a breakdown of the most effective strategies, and a list of best practices for maximising the results with influencers.

From South Asia, there are more than 45 organisations which have registered for the event with 20 from India. Mario Hardy