buyers from 49 countries are expected to attend the week-long Pacific Asia Travel Association Travel Mart which kicks off in Singaporetoday.
An estimated 27% of the expected 265 buyers are from the UK, while at least 110 are first-time buyers from countries such as Estonia, Greece, Hungary, South Africa, The Netherlands and Turkey.
They will be able to make contact with a total of 317 companies from 38 countries who will be exhibiting at the event being held in the Singapore International Convention and Exhibition Centre.
As Travel Weekly went to press, Reed Travel Exhibitions, which jointly organises the event with PATA, said 75% of the buyers have all their daily appointments fully scheduled, while the rest will register on-site on Wednesday April 14.
Jackson Loy, project director (Asia Pacific) of Reed Travel Exhibitions Singapore, said:”Our successful scheduling shows PATA Travel Mart’s effectiveness as a business platform for both new and past buyers and sellers.
“The on-site scheduling allows all buyers and sellers to complete their appointment calendars and gives last-minute registrants the opportunity to schedule appointments.”
A trade visitor day is being held for the first time this year, on Friday. Admission on the day will be ú3 for pre-registered visitors and ú9 for on-site registrations.
Indonesia is hoping to use the event to raise the profile of its tourism industry which has been battered by the country’s recent political and social unrest.
Some 40 companies from all over Indonesia will be attending the event with the aim of making contact with overseas buyers.
Indonesia’s minister of tourism, arts and culture, Marzuki Usman, will host the Travel Mart ’99 official opening ceremony in the ballroom of the Singapore International Convention and Exhibition Centre tomorrow evening.
This will be the first time that a country has hosted the opening ceremony and the first time that Marzuki has addressed an international overseas event.