Agents can get a henna tattoo done at the Tunisian National Tourist Office stand. The organisation will be hosting an afternoon reception for agents and operators on Wednesday November 17. Conference and incentives will be at the forefront of the TNTO’s promotional activity at this year’s show.
The Turkish Tourist Office stand is hosting a Turkish traditional dancing troupe on Monday November 15 who will be performing at various intervals throughout the day.
For a real taste of Greece, visit the Halkidiki Hotel Association stand. The familiar Greek taverna is back, serving that most distinctive of drinks, ouzo. Wine is on hand for the faint hearted.
The Moroccan National Tourist Office stand will have as its centrepiece a replica of the Majorelle botanical garden in Marrakesh, owned by Yves Saint-Laurent. Agents will be able to find out what else Morocco has to offer from 70 representatives from the country including hoteliers, ground handlers and regional trade associations.
After a tough year, the Turkish Tourist Office will no doubt be glad to unveil its ‘Turkey for the new millennium’ tag at World Travel Market.
WTM provides the TTO with a vital opportunity to put the country back on track. The minister of tourism’s announcements will include details of the £1.5m which will be spent on co-operative advertisements with UKtour operators, as well as educationals and workshops for agents. Next year’s separate £2.5m UK advertising campaign will also receive attention.
In Italy, the millennium coincides with Holy Year, which provides the main focus of the Italian State Tourist Board’s stand. Director for UK and Ireland, Edoardo Betti, said massive investment has gone into restoration work in Rome.
Ryanair and Alitalia will both have representatives on the stand while Alitalia said it will be promoting its recent partnership with KLM.
Buoyed by 1999’s record-breaking 2.5m UK visitors, the Hellenic Tourism Organisation’s stand, at 567 square metres, is its biggest to date.
With an increased advertising budget to match – from £1m in 1999 to £1.6m for 2000 – Greece will use WTM to kick off next year’s promotional activities, focusing on, among other things, the investment for the 2004 Olympics in Athens, and the cultivation of a higher spending market as Greece continues to distance itself from the last-minute booking tag it has acquired. The Halkidiki Hotel Association will be pushing winter tourism.
This year’s exhibition is the first for the revamped Malta Tourism Authority and its new UK and Ireland director John Montague, who will be emphasising the island’s variety.
“Malta is only three hours away. We have to stress that it can offer everything from the oldest temples in the world to the most modern nightlife in Europe,” said Montague.
The Spanish Tourist Office will be marketing the new Costa Verde cruise product, a joint venture between the northern coast tourist offices of Asturia, Cantabria, Galacia and the Basque country.
Also coming under the spotlight will be the new Terra Mºtica theme park near Benidorm and Universal’s Port Aventura near Barcelona.
Portugal’s most popular region – the Algarve – will be unveiling its millennium programme to tour operators. This year-long programme, ranging from cultural to sporting events, will be promoted alongside Portugal’s new advertising slogan ‘Warm by nature’, seen at WTM for the first time.
The Lisbon Tourism Association will present details of its European marketing campaign, which aims to increase visitors to the city by 40% to 2.5m over the next three years.
Cyprus is confident of reporting a 15% increase in UK visitors – to 1.15m – by the end of 1999, largely thanks to an increased awareness of the diversity of breaks available.
This year’s WTM will see continued promotion of special-interest holidays, particularly for the winter months. In addition to water sports, hiking and cycling are popular, and there is a growing market for golf.