SATTE 2012 : More countries to tap into India's potential this February

SATTE 2012, to be held at Pragati Maidan, New Delhi, from February 10-12, will see many first-time exhibitors from countries who have begun to realize the immense potential of the Indian market. For the first time at SATTE, Israel, Argentina, Japan, The Dominican Republic, and Macau will showcase the beauty of their nation to lure Indian tourists.

Additionally, as of today, SATTE 2012 has confirmed participation of the Ministry of Tourism, Government of India; 50 NTOs; 22 state governments; Indian and international hotel chains; and other travel and tourism products and services.

Some of the other exhibitors that are participating at SATTE 2012 are: Abu Dhabi Tourism, Accor Hotels, American Express, Axis Rooms, Best Western Hotels, Carlson Hotels, Chariot Beach Resorts, Chhattisgarh Tourism Board, Cox And
Kings Ltd., Creative Travels, Dubai- Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM), Department Of Tourism – Goa, Ezeego1.com, Fiji Tourism, Go India Journeys (LPTI), Himachal Pradesh Tourism Development Corp, Hilton Worldwide, Hong Kong Tourism Board, Hyatt Hotels And Resorts, Indonesia Tourism, Jharkhand Tourism, Karnataka Tourism, Kenya, Kerala Tourism, Kuoni, London&Partners, Madhya Pradesh, Malaysia, Maldives, Mauritius, Nepal, New
Zealand Tourism, Oman Tourism, Online Tourism&Freight P. Ltd., Punjab Tourism, Royal Orchid Hotels, Spain Tourism, SITA, Sterling Holiday Resorts India Ltd., Starwood Hotels and Resorts, The Lalit Suri Group, The Leela Palaces&Resorts, Tourism Authority of Thailand, Turkey and The Venetian Macao - Resorts&Hotels, and Zuri Hotels, among many others.

ARGENTINA

For the National Institute of Tourism Promotion of Argentina (INPROTUR), SATTE 2012 will be their very first exposure to the Indian market. Through SATTE they are looking forward to promoting and showcasing Argentina's potential as a favorable travel destination. At SATTE 2012, the National Institute of Tourism Promotion of Argentina will be participating along with key wholesalers, destinations, and tourism products of Argentina.

Argentina would like to capitalize on its diversity, and the country will be promoted as a natural, active, authentic, meetings, and gourmet destination.

“As we know, SATTE is one of the most important fairs [in] India. SATTE gives us the opportunity to promote and to show Argentina to the Indian market. Tourism for Argentina is a very important activity. Last year we received 5.3
million international tourists. This number was a record for us, and we were the first option in South America during 2010. India is an important potential market for us - a new market. We need more time to have a[n] important
performance there, but we are there," said an Argentina Tourism Board representative.

The delegation will be led by Leonardo Boto, Executive Secretary of INPROTUR.

JAPAN

The Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO) is taking the Indian market quite seriously and is looking forward to welcoming Indian visitors to Japan. They are putting in place a sustained promotional campaign for Japan in India and are very optimistic and hope to achieve their arrival targets. The Japanese Embassy, too, is currently in the midst of finalizing to outsource service for handling visas, which will commence in 2012.

The Japan National Tourism Organization will be organizing multiple activities around SATTE 2012 this year. Motonari Adachi, Executive Director – Singapore Office, JNTO, said, “2012 is going to be a landmark year, as we will be celebrating [the] 60th anniversary of [the] Japan-India diplomatic relationship. So, during this period, we will also be organizing two Japan seminars for the travel trade in Delhi and Mumbai on February 13, 2012 and February 15, 2012, respectively."

Adachi says Japan has high expectations in terms of generating positive publicity and meeting up with major tour operators and travel agents at SATTE 2012. “The Indian outbound travel market is rapidly expanding, and Japan only
has a small percentage currently visiting the country, but we are quite sure that SATTE 2012 will help us to increase our market share from India this year and in the future. In 2010, Japan received approximately 70,000 visitors from India - of which 65 percent were traveling on business. In 2012, we are targeting approximately 100,000 visitors from India.

MACAU

This is the first time the Macau Government Tourist Office (MGTO) will be participating at SATTE. The MGTO will use SATTE 2012 to showcase all new developments, new properties, and attractions that are under development in Macau. It also looks forward to meeting quality buyers from all over India, especially from smaller towns and cities.

João Manuel Costa Antunes, Director, MGTO, said: “We feel that India is one of the fastest-growing markets with a booming economy. We realize its importance and welcome Indians by providing them seamless travel and value for
money."

The delegation will be led by the India representative office who will use the platform to promote the new brand and slogan, “Touching Movements, Experience Macau.” MGTO will also highlight the UNESCO World Heritage Site - the Historic Centre of Macau - which integrates the A-Ma Temple, Mandarin's House, Dom Pedro V Theatre, Guia Fortress, and the Ruins of St. Paul's among others.

“The travel trade from Macau will be at SATTE 2012 to interact with their Indian counterparts to clear doubts, if any, and to update the local agents of the new developments in Macau. The purpose of this visit is to strengthen the ties between Indian and Macau travel trade fraternity," added Antunes.

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With demand softening from Europe, ASEAN lures at Asia

The 15th meeting of ASEAN Tourism Ministers launched the ATF 2012 in Manado on January 12. This gave an opportunity for all the present ministers to express their satisfaction on further growth in total foreign arrivals. According to preliminary figures, foreign travelers to ASEAN countries (Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam) posted a healthy 7.4 percent growth, more than the world’s average. This translated into some 79 million foreign travelers to Southeast Asia in 2011.

The optimistic mood shown by ministers and heads of NTOs was, however, slightly damped by bleak economic perspectives from some of ASEAN's traditional markets such as the USA and particularly Europe. “European travelers are still important to us as they can represent up to 25 percent of all arrivals. We will then continue our marketing efforts to promote our countries, but it will be challenging. Impulsions to growth are unlikely to come from this part of the world,” acknowledged Mari Elka Pangestu, the newly-appointed Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy (previously Ministry of Culture and Tourism) and also chairwoman for the ongoing ASEAN Travel Forum. While expecting the demand to soften from Europe, ASEAN countries put their sight on the Asian continent. “Let’s remember that 43 percent of all foreign arrivals are Intra-ASEAN,” reminded Indonesia Vice President Prof. Dr. Boediono during the opening ceremony.

To Mari Elka Pangestu, intra-ASEAN travels will continue to grow as all the countries are enhancing connectivity within the region. Ministries welcomed the entry into force of the ASEAN Multilateral Agreement on the Full Liberalization of Passenger Air Services (MAFLPAS). The agreement gives to any airlines of a Member State total freedom in traffic rights for routes between two ASEAN points. Total visa exemption for all ASEAN members is almost a reality except for a few exceptions such as Myanmar. However, Myanmar’s new path to democracy will certainly bring a sort of normality with other ASEAN countries.

ASEAN Ministers continue to pin their hope into the region’s two economic giants, China and India. Indonesia Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy Mari Elka Pangestu, the signature of an open-sky agreement with China paves the way to the conclusion of a similar agreement with India, currently under negotiation. ASEAN recently established the ASEAN-China Center in Beijing to promote its member countries, as well as an ASEAN Promotional Chapter in Mumbai. Both will play an important part to further grow arrivals from both countries.

ASEAN Countries agree to ease Visa Regulations

The 15th ASEAN Tourism Ministers Meeting at the ASEAN Tourism Forum (ATF) 2012 in Manado, North Sulawesi, produced 7 core agreements to support the implementation of the “ASEAN Tourism Strategic Plan” (ATSP) 2011-2015.

First, member countries agreed on furthering the integration of ASEAN tourism; second, increase connectivity between ASEAN nations; third, increase human resource capacities for tourism; fourth, ensure the quality of tourism services; fifth, create ASEAN tourism marketing strategies; sixth, develop ASEAN tourism products; and seventh, cooperate with ASEAN partner countries on tourism marketing and development.

Indonesia’s Minister for Tourism and Creative Economy, Mari Elka Pangestu, chair of the ASEAN Ministers Meeting, stated that the tourism ministers of ASEAN countries acknowledged that there have been significant improvements in the implementation of ATSP in all tourism taskforces

Minister Mari Pangestu added that developments were made in communications and transportation that facilitated tourists to travel, one of these components is the ASEAN Open Sky policy, which will endorse international airlines to open routes that connected to ASEAN. She also stated that efforts are conducted to resolve the visa and entry  procedures so that the “free movements” among ASEAN peoples can be achieved. As for non-ASEAN visitors, the “ASEAN common visa” will be resolved in the near future to create an “ASEAN Schengen.”

On the subject of improvements in tourism services and human resources in ASEAN, she added that agreement has been reached on several standards of services ranging from human resources, facilities, and also accommodation  standardization for eco-hotel, home-stay, and spa. For the security system, there will be a “security guideline” for tourism.

Other agreements achieved in the marketing strategy is the launch of the branding: "ASEAN, Southeast Asia: Feel the Warmth." Minister Mari Pangestu stated that there will be regular data and information analyses concerning ASEAN tourism marketing strategies.

ASEAN tourism product enrichment will also be conducted as one of the strategies to attract foreign tourists to come to the region. Four main ASEAN products to be developed are: cruising and river-based tourism, nature-based tourism, culture and heritage tourism, and community-based tourism. Minister Pangestu looked forward to the creation of thematic packages, for example a Sail ASEAN, that takes the route of Malaka-Karimata-South China Sea-Gulf of Thailand. ASEAN cruising should grow like in the Caribbean, which covers 27 countries.

Meanwhile, officially opening ATF 2012 on January 12, Vice President Boediono warned of the impact that the growing economic crisis in Europe will have on tourism.

“The crisis has hit European countries and the United States of America and caused the number of unemployment in those countries to increase,” said Vice President Boediono. Considering that Europe and the USA contributed highly to the ASEAN tourism industries, this condition will undeniably have impact. “The fact is that Europe is the largest market for the region, and at the moment, Europe is seemingly in trouble,” said the Vice President.

Vice President Boediono sees that the continuously-growing economies of Asia and other growing economies can be an option as an alternative market source besides the European markets which are projected to decrease due to the crisis. He pointed out an example stating that 43 percent of foreign tourists in ASEAN countries are from within the ASEAN countries itself, while 2/3 of the total came from the region of ASEAN plus China, Korea, Japan, India, and New Zealand.

“With a strong growth of the economy that has boosted a burgeoning ASEAN middle class, the Asia markets should be a new focus for the tourism industry,” said Vice President Boediono.

In this context, the ASEAN tourism ministers also held a joint tourism meeting with representatives from Japan, China, South Korea, and India to strengthen tourism between these Asian countries.

Source: antaranews

ASEAMN TOURISM FORUM 2012 (ATF) in Manado kicks off

It is Asia’s first big show of the year. With ASEAN Travel Forum and TRAVEX starting officially from tomorrow – meeting with ministers and heads of NTOs have already begun over the weekend, as Indonesia plays host to Southeast Asia's largest travel show.

Over 1,600 delegates are due to meet in Manado until January 15 at the Grand Kawanua Convention Centre in Manado City Centre. The show will have 450 exhibition booths representing some 300 companies. ATF organizers expect over 400 trade buyers from all across the world, as well as 100 international and local media.

The show is not only the right place to learn all about Southeast Asia’s latest trends. This is also an opportunity for the host country to highlight the strength of a destination. Indonesia Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy – the new name for the previous Ministry of Culture and Tourism - hopes then to further boost Indonesia’s appeal to tourists. Last year, first estimates indicate that Indonesia continued to attract more travelers to its shores. Growth was close to 10 percent with 7.6 million foreign arrivals compared to seven million a year earlier. According to Deputy Minister for Tourism and Creative Economy Sapta Nirwandar, Indonesia should welcome slightly over 8 million foreign travelers in 2012, up by 6.5 percent. Total revenues should have reached US$8.4 billion, up from US$7.6 billion in 2010.

Manado and the province of North Sulawesi expects also to take profit from hosting ATF. According to North Sulawesi
Governor Sinyo H. Sarundajang to the Jakarta Post, the province expects to welcome 100,000 foreign travelers by the end of the year, compared to 40,000 last year. However, a major problem for the province is still the lack of international connections to easily reach the province. Asked a year ago about the difficulty of accessing Manado directly from the rest of Southeast Asia, the Ministry of Tourism and Creative Industry replied by expressing its confidence that the problem could be easily solved. Manado is today only linked to Singapore by up to 5 weekly flights. All connecting passengers must generally go through Jakarta, meaning long transit times. More than ever, the issue must urgently be solved if Manado and North Sulawesi want to be firmly anchored among ASEAN top marine tourism destinations.

TRAVEX B2B Sessions at ASEAN Tourism Forum 2012 Manado enjoys full house

This week, Manado, capital of North Sulawesi, will become a hive of activity, as the international tourism Travel Exchange (TRAVEX) component of the ASEAN Tourism Forum 2012 gets under way.

This most important B2B event has a total of 1,400 registered TRAVEX delegates from across the ASEAN region and the world congregating at the Golden Kawanua Exhibition Hall. ASEAN sellers form 920 of these delegates, with 390 international buyers from 51 countries and 103 media representatives from 36 countries completing the delegates list.

While official TRAVEX days are from January 13-15, 2012, preparations and preliminary activities have been ongoing since Monday, January 10.

The Pre-TRAVEX networking activities kicked off on Wednesday, January 11, 2012, with the first of the full-day complimentary pre-show city tours around Manado, organized by the host committee, the Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy of Indonesia. These tours give TRAVEX delegates the opportunity to experience the destination
through its architecture, culture, and famous sights, ably brought to life by local guides. The city tours continue today, Thursday, January 12, 2012, followed by other agenda items, including the ATF Friendly Golf Game and ATF 2012 Opening Ceremony and ASEANTA Award Presentation in the evening. In addition to the networking activities, there will also be the ASEAN Tourism Ministers Press Conference and the Signing of an MOU on ASEAN-India Tourism Cooperation scheduled to be held at Novotel Manado Convention Centre.

These pre-show city tours and post-show tours to destinations within the country are excellent platforms for Indonesia, as the host country, to showcase up-and-coming destinations to the industry, allowing them to experience the full scale of its tourism infrastructure, hospitality, and other tourist highlights.

Besides being famous for its stunning dives at Bunaken, Manado offers trekking through rainforests to meet the tiny tarsiers at the Tangkoko-Batuangus reserve, magnificent mountains capes, and yummy culinary presentations.

Highlights during TRAVEX business days include: on-site business appointment scheduling sessions between sellers and buyers, exhibition and TRAVEX appointment sessions, media briefings by all ten ASEAN NTOs, and the ASEAN Tourism
Conference on “ASEAN Goes Green” featuring industry leaders. There will also be 6 other hosted luncheons, dinners, and late-night functions brought by sponsors such as the Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy of Indonesia, the
Philippine’s Department of Tourism, Chonburi Provincial Administrative Organization, the Tourism Authority of Thailand: Pattaya Office, Sutanraja Hotel Convention & Recreation, Malaysia Tourism, and the Cultural Office of Manado City Government.

During the stellar opening ceremony, delegates can look forward to an extravaganza of cultural performances, mouthwatering cuisine, and Manado hospitality. “Indonesia has much to offer through its culture, music, dance, and costumes. Arts like puppetry and mask dances are some of the unique ways that Indonesia tells its stories. We are thrilled to be giving ATF delegates a glimpse into this beautiful country,” said Ms. Anastasia Chris Miastuti, Deputy Director International of Promotion for ASEAN – Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy Indonesia.

Meanwhile, ASEAN as a single destination with its branding “Southeast Asia - Feel the Warmth" introduced for the first time at ATF Manado.

“Today, the branding is officially used for the first time,” said Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy, Mari Elka Pangestu, Chair of this year’s ATF, on Wednesday, January 11, 2012. Preparations towards ASEAN as a single destination are showing significant development, added Minister Pangestu. One of the matters that still needs attention and prompt solution is the Free Visa policy among ASEAN nations, which still left confirmations pending from Indonesia, Cambodia,
and Myanmar.

The ASEAN Tourism Forum (ATF) is a cooperative regional effort to promote all countries in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) region as one tourist destination. ATF TRAVEX is the longest-running annual ASEAN leisure travel
trade event, showcasing the largest contingent of ASEAN sellers. This annual event involves all the tourism industry sectors of the 10 ASEAN member nations: Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar,
Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam.

For more information and program updates on ATF 2012, visit www.atfindonesia.com . For the agenda and
outcome of sessions in the full ASEAN governments meetings at ATF 2012, please click: http://www.parekraf.go.id/

Pre-TRAVEX registration statistics reveal robust ATF 2012 event

The newly-constructed Golden Kawanua Exhibition Hall, the venue for ATF 2012 TRAVEX, is geared up to welcome over 1,400 TRAVEX delegates to Manado next week.

Pre-TRAVEX registration statistics indicate that close to 1,000 exhibitors, 390 buyers, and more than 100 media delegates will fill the exhibition venue during the event. Representing quality travel trade and tourism organizations from across the world, these delegates will avail of business, learning, and networking opportunities over the three action-packed days of ATF TRAVEX from January 13-15.

The exhibitor delegation will feature some 438 booths represented by 390 companies and properties across the 10 ASEAN countries. Host country Indonesia, along with Thailand, form the two largest national contingents with 112 and 92 exhibition booths, respectively. Corporate exhibitors are also participating in a big way with some 65 exhibition booths.

Destination ASEAN’s growing reach and popularity is evidenced by buyer participation from 4 new countries this year: Bulgaria, Egypt, Kuwait, and New Zealand. Asia-Pacific strongly displays its purchasing power, with 48 percent of buyers hailing from the region. This is followed by 37.6 percent of the buyers representing Europe.

The event continues to draw the attention of international media as well. This year, media from 36 countries across the globe including first-time participants Bahrain and Indonesia, will cover ATF 2012, thus strengthening the event’s  reputation as the best platform for ASEAN exhibitors to showcase their products and services.

The learning component of the event, ASEAN Tourism Conference (ATC), continues to stay relevant to the industry with this year’s theme, “ASEAN Goes Green.” To be held on January 13 from 0900 to 1200 hours, the conference will feature respected speakers from the industry. They are:

Keynote Speaker: Mr. Taleb D. Rifai, Secretary General of UNWTO

Speakers:
- Dr. Andy Nazarechuk, President of Asia-Pacific CHRIE
- Mr. Martin Craigs, CEO of PATA
- Mr. Tatsuro Nakamura, Senior Executive Director of the Board of JATA
- Mr. Jim Boyles, GM of Melia, Bali

The speakers will share the latest information and insights on the region’s constant efforts towards sustainable and eco-conscious tourism.

All ATF TRAVEX delegates can also look forward to a comprehensive array of networking and leisure activities, beginning with the complimentary city tours and friendly golf game on January 12 before official TRAVEX days begin. Hosted  lunches, dinners, and late night events will commence from January 12 onwards.

For more information and program updates on ATF 2012, visit www.atfindonesia.com