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ITB Asia 2017 wraps up 10th anniversary with record highs

The show closed with a spectacular 77% growth from its inaugural edition and a record 22,000 business appointments captured
2017-11-01 16:14 1536

SINGAPORE, Nov. 1, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Asia's leading travel trade show, ITB Asia 2017, organised by Messe Berlin (Singapore) Pte Ltd, has completed its milestone anniversary event with record-breaking numbers. The tenth edition of ITB Asia came to a close today at the Sands Expo and Convention Centre, Marina Bay Sands in Singapore.

VIPs at the ITB Asia 2017 Opening Ceremony. From L to R: Mr Lionel Yeo, CEO of the Singapore Tourism Board; Ms Sim Ann, Senior Minister of State, Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth & Ministry of Trade and Industry; Dr Christian Goke, CEO of Messe Berlin; Mrs Gloria Guevara, President and CEO of World Travel & Tourism Council
VIPs at the ITB Asia 2017 Opening Ceremony. From L to R: Mr Lionel Yeo, CEO of the Singapore Tourism Board; Ms Sim Ann, Senior Minister of State, Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth & Ministry of Trade and Industry; Dr Christian Goke, CEO of Messe Berlin; Mrs Gloria Guevara, President and CEO of World Travel & Tourism Council

Over three days, the event hosted about 940 exhibitors from 113 countries, an 11% increase over the previous year. ITB Asia 2017 also welcomed its strongest ever buyer participation across the Corporate, MICE and Leisure sectors. Since 2014, ITB Asia has experienced a 1:1 ratio for exhibitors and buyers. This year, there were over 22,000 business appointments recorded during the show.

Unveiling its largest exhibitors showcase yet, ITB Asia 2017 reported a spectacular 77% growth from its inaugural edition, featuring new exhibitors such as the Rwanda Development Board, Tourism Tunisia, Promote Iceland, Tourism & Foreign Affairs Department of Almaty City, Republic of Kazakhstan, Jeju Convention and Vistor Bureau, amongst others. Exhibitors also invested more in the quality of their booths, with Greece, Japan, Russia and Korea putting up impressive and engaging experiences.

This year's conference programme looked at the role of technology, setting the tone for the changes that the industry is likely to see in the next ten years. Speakers from big names IBM Asia Pacific and Google delivered insights on the potential of Artificial Intelligence, Ctrip presented its global strategy, while fast-growing start-ups Hiverlab, Zebra Design and Savioke shared on the exciting realities and opportunities for augmented reality and virtual reality in hospitality and tourism.

"In view of ten years of ITB Asia, we've taken every effort to celebrate the past as well as to provide attendees with a useful view to the future. While we are very pleased with our achievements in terms of the quality and numbers, what brings us most satisfaction is bringing together all the different stakeholders across the industry to network and inspire each other. The relationships built and strengthened will continue to boost our efforts in making ITB Asia the region's go-to event and a hub for unforgettable content and enriching experiences for many years to come," said Katrina Leung, Executive Director of Messe Berlin (Singapore), the organiser of ITB Asia.

ITB Asia will continue to be held in Singapore, following the past ten years of consistent support from the Singapore Tourism Board and the Singapore Exhibition Convention Bureau. Following this year's successful show, ITB Asia has received the highest exhibitor rebookings for ITB Asia 2018. As early as now, the surge in interest for next year's show has been seen from destinations such as Greece, Middle East, Africa, Spain and the Scandinavian region as well as continued strong support from Asian markets such as Thailand and the Philippines. Melia Hotels International and Global DMC Network by the JTB Group have also confirmed their stand bookings for the 2018 show.

ITB Asia 2018 will be held from 17-19 October 2018 at Sands Expo & Convention Centre, Marina Bay Sands. Interested exhibitors may email exhibitor@itb-asia.com.

For more information on ITB Asia 2017, please visit www.itb-asia.com

High-resolution images of ITB Asia 2017 can be downloaded via this link: http://www.itb-asia.com/press/mediagallery2017-2-2/

Videos of ITB Asia 2017 key highlights are available at: https://youtu.be/_MtzBzNAKAc and https://youtu.be/InCqFSc_dBk.

About ITB Asia

ITB Asia is organised by Messe Berlin (Singapore) Pte Ltd and supported by the Singapore Exhibition & Convention Bureau. The event will feature hundreds of exhibiting companies from the Asia-Pacific region, Europe, the Americas, Africa and the Middle East, covering not only the leisure market, but also corporate and MICE travel. Exhibitors from every sector of the industry, including destinations, airlines and airports, hotels and resorts, theme parks and attractions, inbound tour operators, inbound DMCs, cruise lines, spas, venues, other meeting facilities and travel technology companies are all expected to attend.

Press contacts

Messe Berlin
Julia Wegener
Press and Public Relations Manager
Corporate Communication

ITB Berlin
PR Manager
Julia Wegener
Messedamm 22
D-14055 Berlin
(+49)-30-3038-2269
j.wegener@messe-berlin.de  
www.messe-berlin.com

ITB Asia PR Contact for the Asian Region
Amanda Lee / Sabrina Ghazali
Klareco Communications
(+65)-6333-3449  
alee@klarecocomms.com / sghazali@klarecocomms.com  

Photo - https://photos.prnasia.com/prnh/20171101/1980766-1

Source: Messe Berlin Singapore Pte Ltd
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