WTM Connect Asia had opened last week with its inaugural conference being held in Penang. The event lasted for two days from 18-20 May 2016. It hosted buyers from China, SouthEast Asia, and the rest of the world while they met, networked, and had meetings with various exhibitors.

The WTM Portfolio launched a 1-2-1 ratio pod format to facilitate business in South-east Asian leisure travel market. The event was proved to be different from traditional format, proved to be successful amongst attendees with a very sober and effective set up for quality appointment schedules.

More than 1800 meetings took place in the course of two days, and potential buyers and suppliers met for 20-minute meetings and networked during breaks and evening dinners.

Shangri-La Rasa Sayang Resort and Spa was a stunning location for a beach gala dinner on Thursday 19 May. Exhibitors included: Malaysia Tourism Promotion Board, Ministry of Tourism Indonesia, Philippines Tourism Promotions Board, Penang Global Tourism, Kuala Lumpur Tourism Bureau, Visit Berlin, Jac Travel, Inner Maldives, Eskimos Iceland, Cox & Kings (India), Westfield, Travellanda, C Hotels, Discovery Overland Holidays Sdn Bhd, Marriot Vacation Club International, Banyan Tree Vabbinfaru and many more.

The pod concept was very much appreciated as it helped people to focus on their own meetings with the exhibitors. There were buyers from 25 countries that attended the show. They included: Antavaya, Beijing Luxtrip Holding Ltd, Caissa, Cathay Pacific Holidays, Gate 1 Travel, Interpark, Mayflower Holidays Sdn Bhd, Novatours Group and Uthing Travel.

The event generated a huge ROI as WTM Connect Asia brought buyers and exhibitors from leisure travel space in an exclusive setting. WTM Connect Asia procured a huge round of applause from the Ministry of Tourism and Culture Malaysia, Malaysia Convention & Exhibition Bureau, Tourism Malaysia and Penang Global Tourism both pre-show and onsite with over 20 VIPs in attendance.

Speaking on behalf of Penang Global Tourism, Ooi Chok Yan, CEO commented:

“Congratulations to Reed Exhibitions for successfully organising the first WTM Connect Asia here in Penang, Malaysia which is off to a good start and we’re very much looking forward to its continuity. The WTM branding has enhanced Penang’s status as a destination and this undeniably supports Penang to host more extensive and complex events”.

The inaugural WTM Asia had successfully concluded as it has contributed greatly in propelling the Asian travel market.  Throughout these three days, the event provided a great platform for Malaysian and international sellers to showcase their products, network with international hosted buyers and explore potential partnerships and business opportunities.

Source: eturbonews

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For the third consecutive year, the beautiful capital city of Cape Town will play host to WTM Africa, the leading B2B exhibition for the inbound & outbound African travel & tourism markets. It will be hosted at the Cape Town International Convention Centre next month. It is expected that this year, the event will play host to over 600 exhibitors coming from different domains. Along with that, the visitors will also get a chance to attend various insightful conferences and seminars. Here is a highlight of what you can expect at the event:

WTM Africa 2015,Cape Town,South Africa – Conference Theatre

#1- Social Media and Travel in Africa

Local businesses and destinations are now embracing social media to drive sales and create a global presence. People often get inspiration to travel from their social media feeds and brands can boost their sales by being visible to the right person at the right time. During this session moderated by Damian Cook, CEO, E-Tourism Frontiers, experts from leading social platforms will join to discuss the potential growth areas in online travel and the challenges in the digital marketplace. The panel will feature Musa Kalenga, Client Value Partner- Sub Saharan Africa, Facebook; Chad Shiver, DMO account manager, TripAdvisor and Sean Riley, Sales Partner, Twitter.

#2- Key trends for destinations in 2016

Destinations all over the world are exploring different mediums and channels to promote themselves but they have to keep adapting as the technology landscape changes. This session by Nick Hall, CEO and Founder of Digital Tourism Think Tank will highlight the key trends that will help destinations in the decision making process. The keynote will focus on new approaches to content, virtual reality, smart ads, mobile marketing among other trends.

#3- Travel sharing changing the game

The world of travel has been transformed by the entry of players like AirBnB and Uber. They have been received differently by different players in the industry and while some have looked at them as a threat, others have embraced the new opportunities. In this panel moderated by Damian Cook, Nicola D’Elia, General Manager- Africa, AirBnB and Jonathon Ayache, Operations & Logistics Manager, Uber will discuss on what the sharing economy model means for Africa and engage in conversation with the audience.

#4- Innovations and trends in digital hotel industry

Any online business is dependent on Google for growth and visibility to a large extent and the story is no different for the digital hotel industry. During this session, Sher Khan, Business Leader, Hotel Ads EMEA, Google will speak about the global trends and innovations in travel and the industry trends in hotel sector so that the brands can put together the best online growth strategy.

#5- Role of Digital in the local visitor experience

The modern traveller is fast adopting new technological developments that we see in travel and this gives the travel brands to explore new engagement opportunities. This session moderated by Nick Hall will feature Velma Corcoran, AirBnB Africa; Chelae Robinson, Tastemakers and Chantelle Cole, V&A Waterfront and they will share their vision on how travel brands can best leverage the new channels and provide an excellent on the ground digital experience.

#6- Measuring the impact of a digital marketing campaign

Travel brands that have recently adopted social media often question the return they get on their investments on social media however often they fail to notice the long term impact. Keith Jenkins, Publisher, Velvet Escape luxury travel blog and CEO of iambassador and Nicholas Montemaggi, Director of Marketing, iambassador will discuss on the benefits of working with influencers, creating effective digital marketing campaigns and how to measure them.

WTM Africa will be hosted from April 6 to April 8, 2016 at the Cape Town International Convention Centre. You can find more details about the event here.

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