Buyers applaud AIME
Indian buyers at AIME share feedback and challenges of travel to Australia
Exceptional planning
They've changed the module, especially the way they have made the networking zone. That said, I found that participation from international countries was less as compared to previous editions. Planning was done really well; the meeting schedule, the timely information and the App, everything was professionally managed.
CONNECTIVITY Challenges include logistics and connectivity. It would be helpful if capacity can be increased with more direct flights.
A bouquet of products
This was my fifth time at AIME. I think AIME is an excellent show. There were a lot of products from Australia and that was quite useful. Many regions have opened up and I can offer them to the Indian market as well now. People are quite keen on self-drive now, and these regions can be explored by them, making their holiday more of an adventure.
SELECTING A VISA TYPE Agents often don’t know which online visa to apply for. If the visa is not obtained in time, a lot of money is wasted.
Good knowledge sessions
The logistics and transfers were planned well. I loved the knowledge sessions, especially the one on Artificial Intelligence. My meetings were excellent and I was looking for new attractions in Sydney. I would like to see representatives from more attractions here. Gold Coast, Melbourne, and Sydney are the more popular destinations with Indians.
VISA TAKES TIME The challenge of conducting MiCE in Australia is that the visa process is lengthy. The turnaround time is 20 to 25 days.
Substantial representation from towns
The show was good, but smaller than previous editions. They had very few Asia Pacific destinations exhibiting as compared to previous times. I got to meet new exhibitors this time, especially in the hotel space. I also met representatives from satellite towns, which are up to two hours from main cities.
FEW FLIGHTS Connectivity remains an issue with travel to Australia. There should be more direct flights coming in from India.
Good for incentives
In my opinion, AIME is good especially for those interested in sending incentives to Australia. We were expecting more DMCs here and not finding them was slightly disappointing, especially since they are a one-stop shop for us. That actually gives us a fair idea about what the itinerary can be, the budget we are looking at, and how the logistics can be planned. It was good to meet representatives from convention centres, hotels, and tourism boards.
EXPOSURE The Indian market does not need an introduction to Sydney or Melbourne, but it does to off-beat places