ITB ASIA ENDS FOR REUNION TOURISM ON A HIGH NOTE
(Posted 07th November 2014)
For the second consecutive year did Reunion participate in ITB Asia in Singapore which ran from 29th to 31st of October. Arguably the most important tourism exhibition in the Asia-Pacific region, this show is a must visit for professionals in the international tourism industry. Under the theme of sustainable and responsible tourism, the sixth edition of ITB Asia was a prime opportunity to showcase the destination and make contacts with regional tour and travel operators to send clients to Reunion.
Present at this year’s ITB Asia were a large number of tour operators from China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Korea, United States, Australia, New Zealand and other countries in the ASEAN region, keen to see what new exciting destinations were on the market.
The Reunion Island Tourism stand was a joint operation with the island’s home airline Air Austral which was official partner of IRT for the event.
For Stéphane Bonneau, responsible for the Asian market place, the presence of the island of Reunion in the ITB Asia had several objectives:
- · develop awareness of the destination and inform the general public and professionals about the destination’s attractions
- · capture foreign customers;
- · effectively showcase the wide range of attractions
- · create partnerships with tour operators and encourage them to include the island in their vacation offers
(Stéphane Bonneau and the delegation of the Association of Chinese Travel Agents)
For three days was Stephane able to contact and interact with nearly fifty professionals, mostly tour operators. Said Stéphane Bonneau: ‘We had high profile meetings about our destination with tour operators in Southeast, that is China, India and Anglophone countries of the Pacific, such as Australia and New Zealand who are looking for new and original destinations’.
For him, the presence at ITB Asia needs to be a regular trade fair to be attended in the future too to meet the demand of tour operators present at the ITB Asia for information about Reunion. It was pointed out to agents that tourists can travel from Singapore to the island of Reunion without a visa, via Bangkok with Air Austral or via Mauritius with Air Mauritius. ‘Asia is a new market which potential must be developed’ did Stephane say in closing.
For added details on Destination Reunion click on www.reunion.fr
