Calendar of Events - Travel Trade Shows and Exhibitions

List of leading travel trade shows and exhibitions with respective dates and venues

As we receive many requests for advice as to what the top / best travel trade shows in the world are, we try to answer this query as best we can below with a brief summary of the main shows and links through to more in-depth analysis of the events.

Be sure to also check out our Latest Travel News section with all the latest news from trade shows, airlines, hotels etc.

The ITB held each year in Berlin, is the biggest travel trade show in the world and a must for anyone in the travel industry. Book flights and accommodation well in advance as Berlin gets very busy. The second largest is the WTM in London which is held annually in November, this is again another big show and is a very worthwhile show to attend. The EIBTM and IMEX are without a doubt the best Incentive shows in the world although AIME and IT&CMA are also good events aimed at the MICE market but with a more Asia Pacific flavour.

Another must attend event is the Arabian Travel Market, which is an excellent show especially if you are interested in selling the Middle East or attracting customers from the wealthy Middle Eastern markets. The Arabian Travel Market grows in size each year and has become a great meeting place for many within the industry from all over the world. The show will only continue to increase as the Middle East markets finally begin to open themselves to tourists. To make the most of this show try and do a little pre-show work and get to know who you want to meet. It is also an idea to try and do sales trips after or before the show to some surrounding areas such as Saudi Arabia, Qatar etc.

For Asia, there has traditionally been two major shows in the region. The ASEAN Tourism Forum, or ATF as it is more commonly known, and also the PATA Travel Mart. Unfortunately, both of these shows while filling a niche for years, have never really attained "must attend" status. Instead, they were shows which a lot of people did attend quite simply because there were was very little else. That was until now.

In 2008, Messe Berlin the organisers of the mammoth ITB Berlin, put their full weight behind the inaugural ITB Asia. Despite it being an inaugural show, and with a global economic recession on the horizon, Messe Berlin not only achieved their objectives but surpassed them impressively. Exhibitor and buyer response was tremendous, and the 2009 ITB Asia was bigger and better than the first. If you have to choose one show to attend within Asia then we would definitely advise it to be the ITB Asia. You can see video from ITB Asia 2009 in our growing Video Section.

For the Japanese markets the JATA World Travel Fair is the best. For more detailed information, statistics etc on each show and the full calendar of events see below.

If you manage a travel or travel trade show which is not listed, or you would like more info on one of the travel shows below please send us the information by contacting us.

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In addition to the major travel shows listed above, there are also hundreds, if not thousands of conference events, which cover every topic imaginable. These conference-type events are not exhibitions, instead they tend to have speakers, panels and discussion groups, and can be very expensive to attend. As with anything, some are useful, but the majority are just pure money making exercises. We have attended some, which while very interesting, were not worth the thousands of dollars that the organiser was trying to charge. Some events have so many speakers that their entire audience is made up of speakers!

To combat this growing trend, a lot of the leading travel trade shows such as the ITB Berlin, ITB Asia, WTM, ATM, ATF etc have conferences attached to the show, some are official and some not, so do check with the organiser what conferences are available. These conferences, which are attached to the trade shows, are generally of a higher quality than stand alone events and also enable you to save money and time by doing both at the same time.

See other recent news regarding: Airlines, Airports, Awards, Flights, Codeshare, Lounges, First Class, Business Class, MICE, GDS, Rewards, Miles, Hotels, Apartments, Promotions, Spas, Yoga, Retreat, New Hotels, Traffic, Visitor Arrivals, Cruises, Free Deals, Interviews, Videos