SINGAPORE, 26 October 2020: ITB Asia successfully rounding off the first virtual event in its 13-year history while confirming dates for a hybrid event in 2021.
The three-day trade show was hosted virtually on the newly established online platform, ITB Community in Asia (ITB Community).
All told the event clocked up 35,000 online visits by travel professionals for a collection of conference, business appointments and networking sessions.
Show organiser, Messe Berlin (Singapore)’s managing director Katrina Leung said: “The past three days have been a testament to the resilience of our peers with industry leaders coming together, united by a common purpose of paving the way forward in the face of the new normal.”
ITB Asia 2020 Virtual’s exhibition functioned entirely with virtual digital exhibition booths and gained support from major players prepared to experiment with an entirely new format.
They included Advantage Austria, Inspired by Iceland, Korea Tourism Organisation, Maldives Marketing & PR Corporation, Malta Tourism Authority, Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy of the Republic of Indonesia, Moscow Project Office for Tourism and Hospitality Development, Saudi Tourism Authority, Singapore Tourism Board, State Tourism Agency of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Visit Finland, Visit Rovaniemi and more.
First-time joiners included Department of Information and Tourism, Taipei City Govt, Park Hotel Group, Promotion Bureau of the Principality of Monaco, Sapporo Convention Bureau, Shizouka Prefectural Govt and Switzerland Tourism.
The event’s conferences saw more than 160 top speakers from major global brands lead more than 100 conference sessions focusing on helping travel industry professionals reinvent traditional business models to adapt to current times and prepare for the industry’s recovery.
Next year’s edition will adopt a hybrid format featuring real-time and online models. Scheduled to take place in Singapore from 27 to 29 October 2021, the organisers hope to bring back human connections through face-to-face business meetings and networking sessions.
However, critical functions of the show such as online business matching, on-demand content (insights articles and videos) for all-year-round business, networking and learning will further strengthen ITB Asia’s offering as the leading travel trade show.
Exhibition bookings have been Firmed up bookings by Advantage Austria, Best Western International, Inspired by Iceland, Korea Tourism Organization, ITB Asia’s official hotel partner, Marina Bay Sands, Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy of the Republic of Indonesia, and the State Tourism Agency of the Republic of Azerbaijan.
