By Susmita Ghosh
Now in its eleventh year, the annual three-day B2B trade show and convention ITB Asia 2018 is taking place in Singapore from Oct 17 – 19.
ITB Asia, ‘Asia’s Leading Travel Trade Show,’ receives dedicated support from leading hotel groups as they focus on growth in Asia. In 2018, the travel trade show has seen 125 per cent increase of hotels signing up to the Hosted Buyer Programme.
Olivier Berrivin, Managing Director of International Operations in Asia, Best Western Hotels & Resorts said, ‘Best Western Hotels & Resorts has attended every ITB Asia every year since inception like more than a decade ago. It never fails to produce results, generating strong business for our hotels and improving our brand recognition. Hence we returned to ITB Asia, 2018 as well.’
Arthur Kiong, CEO, Far East Hospitality commented, ‘The Singapore Tourism Board recently announced that tourist arrivals are expected to continue growing until 2020. To cater to these changing demands, FEH recently announced its expansion into Sentosa with three hotels and two of which are new brands – The Outpost Hotel and The Barracks Hotel, while the third is Village Hotel at Sentosa. Given that ITB Asia not only covers the leisure market, but also corporate and MICE travel, it presents a good platform for Far East Hospitality to share more for the uptake in tourism and catering to the underserved mid-tier sector.’
Mark Flower, Vice President Commercial, South East Asia & Korea, IHG expressed, ‘Asia Pacific continues to be an important market for IHG and we are excited to bring our new upscale brand voice to the region – to cater for growing inbound travel to the region. As we grow our footprint, we continue to expand our sales efforts into new markets and increase our presence in key growth markets, with Singapore serving as a key hub for corporate and MICE business.’
Bernardo Cabot, Vice President Asia Pacific, Meliá Hotels International stated, ‘Meliá Hotels International looks forward to our continued partnership and exhibition at ITB Asia 2018. Our presence in Asia continues to grow and our commitment to the region is further strengthened in collaborations with trade shows such as ITB Asia. Our ambition for the future is to strengthen our leadership in the urban and leisure segment, drawing on our expertise accumulated over the past 60 years and the pursuit of excellence, responsibility and sustainability.’
Cinn Tan, Chief Sales & Marketing Officer, Pan Pacific Hotels Group said, ‘ITB Asia has been a key platform for us to connect meaningfully with quality buyers in the region. It is especially significant for us this year as Pan Pacific Hotels Group unveils our brand refresh with Pan Pacific and PARKROYAL brands, further cementing our position as an established player in the region.’
Christina Spykerman, Executive Vice President Asia Pacific, WorldHotels noted, ‘Since the inception of ITB Asia in 2008, we have been participating in the trade show annually. It has proven to be a successful platform for WorldHotels member hotels in Asia Pacific to increase visibility and gain new business leads. We are proud to be part of ITB Asia 2018 again and we are confident that it will continue to drive further revenue for our affiliate properties.’
Joon Aun OOI, President & Managing Director South East Asia and Pacific Rim, Wyndham Hotels & Resorts informed, ‘Asia Pacific is one of Wyndham Hotels & Resorts’ strongest travel markets and ITB Asia offers an excellent platform to meet with those trade contacts. This is a fantastic opportunity to meet with the region’s key buyers to demonstrate the breadth of our 9,000 strong global portfolio of hotels which offers a wide range of compelling experiences and price points across all segments.’