In 2023, ILTM Asia Pacific will take place in Singapore from June 19-22.
ILTM Asia-Pacific took place in Singapore last week (September 5-8, 2022) with some 800 attendees returning to take part in the APAC luxury travel event which has not taken place since the pandemic. Business, networking, education and parties brought the community together for 3 days and the industry hailed the return of the show. Shoppers united in their desire to do business, learn what’s new, and stay up-to-date for their customers now that the region has started to travel again.
Launch a search dedicated to the region entitled “Deciphering the mindset of luxury travel consumers”, Alison Gilmore The ILTM Portfolio Manager said: “The pandemic has had a fundamental impact on travel behavior, with some trends accelerating, some slowing and others stabilizing. The research surveyed nearly 500 validated affluent APAC travelers from 6 countries, a reliable barometer of luxury sentiment and habits in 2022”.
The show welcomed many new buyers from across the region as well as new exhibitors all eager to resume operations. Brent Wallace from SmartFlyer Australia spoke about energy at the event. “It was amazing – this show packed a punch. I didn’t stop and saw so many people that I didn’t expect. The energy is amazing and I got so much out of it. “
Eight Lim of Uniq Luxury Singapore say okay, “It has been wonderful to reconnect with all of our industry partners after so long. ILTM is the best place to meet luxury products suitable for our HNW customers.
Hanny Sutra Yunita of Travelplus Indonesia was a first time buyer at this year’s event and said; “I was very excited to attend. This show is on another level than the others. I met so many new products, new destinations, Ponant Expeditions, luxury trains from Belmond and many regions of Switzerland.
Ming Tanaporn Owner, world travel designer (WTD) Thailand was glad to be back. “I first attended in 2019, and it’s nice to be back. It’s great to have an update on all the new properties that have opened over the last 2 years and to find out more about which ones will open in the future. I loved seeing the Safari products and Rwanda in particular was very interesting. We are expanding our business for clients into safaris, so I was able to learn a lot. Our Wealthy clients are now booking for next year and Europe is also one of their choices.
Exhibitors learned from the research presented at the ILTM Opening Forum that the future of this region has enormous potential for luxury travel brands around the world. “Many affluent people are looking to start traveling in style again and almost half plan to spend more on vacation than pre-Covid travel,” he cites. At the same time, affluent travelers in APAC are also looking to use the services of a travel agency, with 92% of respondents saying they will use them in the next year.
Exhibitors were keen to make the most of their appointments with buyers to get their brands recognized again and seek out these wealthy APAC travelers through their pre-scheduled on-site appointments.
Victoria SerticVP Marketing and Communications for Accor in Southeast Asia, Japan and South Korea who were one of the exhibitors at ILTM APAC said “We were delighted to witness the return of ILTM Singapore after a two-year hiatus. “rapidly expanding its luxury network under renowned brands such as Raffles, Sofitel, Fairmont and Emblems. We look forward to introducing many more flagship addresses to this incredible region.”
Amia Jovanvic-Desire APAC Director, Australia and India Seychelles Tourism Board explained why the event is important to them. “ILTM Asia-Pacific is a great opportunity for us and really profitable. I’ve seen over 30 officers in the short time we’ve been here and had about 60 meetings in total. I managed to update many buyers from Australia which helps my business as I saved the cost of traveling there at the moment. Meeting the media was also very important as we don’t know them individually, so for us seeing journalists from the Asia-Pacific region and beyond with quick networking meetings, meant we could get the word out about Seychelles. I can call this whole experience mission accomplished.”
David Miro of the Catalan Tourist Office Asia-Pacific agreed. “It has been great. Coming back face to face and learning again from buyers has been wonderful. It’s great to hear that buyers want and need this event – so important to us as a tourism board here in the region”.
Steve OdellSVP General Manager Cruises in Oceaniasummarize their participation this year. “We have supported ILTM Asia Pacific from the start. There are a lot of new travel advisors and it’s important for us to get the word out about our product and our brand. ILTM is therefore the key show for us in Asia”.
In 2023, ILTM Asia Pacific will take place in Singapore from June 19-22.