Singapore – Singapore is set for a repeat of the splashy debut of TravelRave, a series of 10 co-located specialty conferences in October that offer attendees a comprehensive venue for networking and information on Asia’s booming travel industry.
The launch of TravelRave last Fall was considered a huge success with more than 8,000 attendees taking part. The 2011 TravelRave runs October 17-23 with new partners, including the World Travel and Tourism Council and the United Nations’ World Tourism Organization.
U.S. trade show organizer Questex Media Group will launch its Asia Pacific Hotel and Tourism Investment Conference as part of TravelRave. In all, the conference will be made up of 10 co-located events including ITB Asia, Aviation Outlook Asia and Asia Travel Leaders Summit.
Singapore has long been known as a destination for international business travelers. Its gateway location and its thriving financial district have not lost any luster, and economic growth throughout Asia has fueled a new round of expansion and interest from international trade show and corporate conference organizers.
International tourist arrivals to Asia are expected to grow between 7% and 9% in 2011, according to the Singapore Tourism Board (STB). TravelRave will play an important role for the industry as a platform for the exchange of ideas and building alliances.
Trade Shows Thriving
Singapore has capitalized with a strong recovery from the global recession. The latest Singapore Overseas Visitors Survey reported visitor arrivals grew 21.4% in 2010 to 11.6 million. Of that total, 27% were traveling on business and accounted for 40% of the total visitor spend.
Serene Tan, area director for the STB, said there were 108 new business events held in Singapore last year. Attendance at trade shows and other business events was up 15% to 20% over 2009. New hotel construction has added 10,000 rooms to the city’s inventory since 2005, raising the total to more than 47,000 as of 2010. Two more hotels were scheduled to open this year.
Tan told Trade Show Executive the landscape for trade shows in Singapore was changing for the better. “There has been a growing trend of exhibitions including a convention or meetings component,” she said. “We have also seen the launch of a number of shows related to sustainability and infrastructure, which leverages Singapore’s position as an urban-solutions hub for the entire region.”
Singapore has also seen an expansion in the lifestyle sector, which dovetails with the travel industry and TravelRave. “Lifestyle-related business events are a new wave that is in tandem with our rising position as Asia’s premier lifestyle hub,” Tan noted.
Reach Serene Tan at (212) 302-4861 or Serene_TAN@stb.gov.sg
