ITB Asia: We’re happy to be one-city show

SINGAPORE – ITB Asia has set its stall on becoming Asia’s pre-eminent travel trade show.

Exhibition space at the new event was booked out weeks ago and on opening day yesterday there were plenty of trade visitors who were there to assess the quality of the show and its potential to be Asia’s leading industry trade show.

Said one Indonesian delegate, “We’re here to look around and assess whether, in tough times, we should just be here rather than at PataMart or even World Travel Market.”

Raimond Hosch, CEO of Messe Berlin, called ITB Asia “the Formula One race for the tourism industry”.

He said ITB Berlin started 42 years ago with 12 exhibitors from seven countries and has grown, in 2008, to 1,100 exhibitors from 186 destinations.

While ITB Asia might not reach those heights, Hosch expected strong growth from this year’s inaugural event, which posted 651 exhibitors from 58 countries and territories.

Hosch said Messe Berlin was very comfortable to bed down its Asia show in Singapore and hoped to extend the current three-year contract with the Lion City.

“We believe it’s important to focus on one city – Singapore – to produce the best international travel show rather than copy the Pata model (of moving their show around the region).”