Routes Conferences updates

UPDATES ON ROUTES AFRICA IN SEYCHELLES GENERATE ADDITIONAL INFORMATION FLOW
Regular reporting on the Routes Africa event which is scheduled for July in the Seychelles capital Victoria on the main island of Mahe has led to a flurry of additional information being availed, for the other Routes Conferences for the various regions around the globe. Following the regional Routes Conferences as shown below will the annual global World Routes then be held in Abu Dhabi, the capital of the UAE. Find the various important updates here below including links to the relevant websites.

WORLDWIDE EVENTS BY ROUTES UPDATE ISSUED AS SEYCHELLES TAKES ITS PLACE FOR AFRICA

Air service industry professionals and worlds leading Route Development experts are on the move when one looks at the planning just issued by Gerard Brown, the International Tourism Development Director for UBM Aviation Routes.
Well, its been a busy few months and I have been working with tourism authorities in SATTE Delhi, Seychelles, ITB Berlin and Cruise Shipping Miami. Its fair to say that the global tourism industry has had its fair share of knocks lately between the awful Concordia tragedy, Costa Allegra in the Seychelles, the continuing farce of APD and ETS, and yet the one constant is the need for all parties to sit down face to face in meaningful dialogue in order to continue development of our destinations. In many cases, particularly in Europe, our economies are so heavily burdened that increased tourism could in many ways be our savior and at Routes events every year, destinations are coming away with new air services all the time and pertinently, many destinations are losing air services. If there is no dialogue with the airlines then it cannot always be assumed that all is going well. Better to be proactive, as anyone in aviation will tell you, it is practically impossible to win an airline back once they pull out says Gerard Brown, International Tourism Development Director – UBM Aviation, Routes

Are you Ready for Routes?
The worlds airlines all agree that tourism authorities and key stakeholders can provide essential market information which can help them to justify a new air service. If you are going to attend any Routes events this year and meet one to one with the airline network planners in order to convince them to fly to your destination, it is essential that you understand exactly what they are looking for from you. After consulting with our airline contacts, we have begun working with the worlds leading Route Development experts ASM, in order to provide a 1 day Route Development course designed specifically for Tourism Authorities and Stakeholders.
Click here for more info on Route Development For Tourism Authorities

Routes Asia, 15-17 April, Chengdu
Route Exchange Live Briefings are set to grab the attention of the regions destinations yet again this year as Garuda Indonesia, Air China, Finnair, Emirates, Sichuan Airlines & Hainan Airlines all look to present their route network plans and strategies going forward. Last year, among others, Brussels walked away with a new Hainan Airlines flight. Will your destination benefit from new air services at Routes Asia this year? Scheduling of meetings for Routes Asia in Chengdu will close on Thursday 5th April, just two weeks from now! Register and get your meeting requests in as soon as possible to avoid disappointment.
Register for Routes Asia

Routes Europe, 20-22 May, Tallinn
With Airline briefings from Aer Lingus and Easyjet among others, Routes Europe is set to be the event to meet all of the European carriers and convince them that your destination is underserved and that you have the evidence to support new air services. In addition, our Hosts, Tallinn Airport, together with their partners from the Estonian Tourist Board, Tallinn City Tourist Office & Convention Bureau, are keen that delegates attending this years Routes Europe event in Tallinn should make sure that they take some time, before or after the event to really take in the sights of this small, cosy and easy-to-explore historic city. For delegates wishing to discover Tallinn on their own, Tallinn City is offering a complimentary Tallinn Card. The Tallinn Card is your all-in-one ticket to the very best the city has to offer and is accepted in nearly 100 locations. The card presents a simple way to explore Tallinn on your own, choosing the sights that interest you most whilst providing you with many benefits.
Register for Routes Europe

Routes CIS, 24-26 June, Ekaterinburg
In addition to meeting the carriers from the CIS region, this second Routes CIS will also play host to a lively route development strategy summit. The topics to be discussed include:

· Accessing the CIS Market – Bilaterals and Barriers to Entry
Attracting the Outbounnd CIS Leisure Market
Investment, Infrastructure & Improvements – Airport Development in the CIS
The CIS as the Cargo Gateway between Europe and Asia

The Forum is expected to be a lively event and the moderators will encourage debate between panel members and the audience. It is open to all Routes CIS delegates and promises to be a stimulating
and enjoyable part of the event which should not be missed.
Register for Routes CIS

Routes Africa, 08-10 July, Seychelles
After attending their first Routes event in Berlin last September, Seychelles Tourism were quick to see the benefits which Routes events can have on a destination. Shortly afterwards, they placed their bid to become the host for Routes Africa and this week it was announced that they will host the event on 08-10 July. This will be the first time Routes Africa has been held in the Indian Ocean and it is anticipated that there will be a strong presence from the whole region.

World Routes, 29 Sep-02 Oct, Abu Dhabi
The 18th World Route Development Forum will provide more opportunities for air service industry professionals to meet and do business than ever before.

This years event, which will take place later this year in Abu Dhabi, will see the addition of a third day of pre-scheduled meetings giving Chalet Owners and Exhibition Stand holders extra opportunities to meet with their target carriers. During the afternoon of Sunday 30th September, from 14:00-17:00, stand holders and Chalet Owners will be able to take advantage of a pre-scheduled diary of 20 minute meetings which will take place in their respective Chalets or exhibition stands.

Speaking about these additional meeting opportunities Paul Winfield, Airline Relations Director for Routes explains: The 17th World Route Development Forum in Berlin saw 500 key decision makers from over 300 of the worlds leading airlines attend the event, and the overwhelming feedback was for further opportunity to visit the exhibitors to understand the market data and information they can provide.

Stand holders and Chalet owners will now have the ability to request five pre-scheduled twenty minute meetings that will take place on their stand, or in their chalet during Sunday afternoon and this reflects the demand for meetings which continues to grow. Since 2008 when World Routes took place in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, there has been a 31% rise in the number of pre-scheduled meetings.

The five extra meetings, which must be taken on the afternoon of Sunday 30th September, will be in addition to the number of strategic or double slot meetings which are already offered to Chalet and HNS holders at World Routes.
Meeting with an airport or tourism authority at their hosted Networking Stand or Chalet can allow for more private and in-depth discussions to take place as there is more scope for airlines to grasp a real understanding of the destination through videos, images and stand activities. Larger meetings with more participants can take place away from the airline meeting tables providing the tourism authorities or economic development agencies with an opportunity to support their airport in their presentations. These meetings will provide airlines with a more rounded picture for a potential new market and supply the right information from the right contacts whilst ensuring that airports gain further opportunities to introduce their destination to their target carriers.