It has been announced that the Thailand Travel Mart 2002 is to be held between
September 17-21, 2002 at the Bangkok International Trade and Exhibition Centre
(BITEC).
Tourism-related small and medium sized
enterprises (SMEs) of Thailand and the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS) will once
again showcase their new products and services to a broad range of international
buyers at the TTM 2002.
Because of the stress on promoting
regional destinations in addition to Thailand, the show is officially called
Thailand Travel Mart 2002 Plus Amazing Gateway to Mekong Region
(TTM 2002+).
It is being organised by the Tourism
Authority of Thailand (TAT) with support from Thai Airways International, Thai
Hotels Association (THA) and Association of Thai Travel Agents (ATTA), and other
airlines flying to Thailand.
The five-day event aims at connecting
international buyers with sellers of tourism products and services mainly from
Thailand together with other Mekong destinations of Cambodia, Laos
PDR, Myanmar, Vietnam and Yunnan, the southern province of China.
About 250 carefully-selected buyers from
major markets world-wide are expected to participate in this event. Organisers have
worked to ensure that the buyers are genuinely those who will produce business
for Thailand.
Designed to promote Thailand as a regional tourism hub, the TTM 2002+ will
be attended by about 350 sellers from Thailand and the Mekong region.
Sellers will be divided into nine specific
categories -- airlines, adventure / eco- and agro-tourism, entertainment, golf, hotel
and resorts, Mekong region, spa and health tourism, tour operators, and other
services.
Specific business appointments are being
organised to ensure that all the sellers, especially small and medium sized
enterprises, get maximum opportunities to meet the overseas buyers.
Registration fees are US$150 (7,000
baht) for hosted buyers and US$100 (4,500baht) for accompanying persons who are entitled
to attend only the opening and closing ceremonies and social functions.
Sellers who register by May 31 pay an
early-bird fee of 22,000 baht per booth (including one full-delegate and co-delegate). After May 31, the registration
fee will be 25,000 baht for each buyer booth.
TAT Acting Governor and Deputy Governor
for Marketing Mrs. Juthamas Siriwan commented, “Annual trade events like the TTM 2002+ will create new
opportunities for global travel agencies to promote the Mekong region’s new
products and services with international standards.”
“This will in turn boost the marketing experience of our tourism industry
executives and help them grow their source-markets. It will also provide an
opportunity for representatives of other economic sectors of Thailand to better
appreciate the value of tourism and the role it can play in the wider economic
progress of Thailand and the neighbouring countries.” |
