Last week’s event in Singapore has already produced ‘confirmed bookings’
With Asia Pacific continuing to dominate the world’s high net worth population, the second edition of ILTM Asia Pacific - which took place in Singapore, 27 – 30 May 2019 - was 10% bigger than the first in 2018, hosting 572 buyers from across the region who took part in 30,422 one-to-one, pre-selected meetings with some of the world’s latest and most interesting and luxury travel brands.
Pascal Visintainer, Vice President Luxury Sales, AccorHotels commented: "ILTM Asia Pacific is vital - a one stop opportunity to meet the region’s top decision-making agents. The range and quality of buyers is well distributed across Australasia as well as Asia Pacific and we have already confirmed bookings that have given us a great return on our investment. The highlight of the show was definitely The Retreat as a platform for health and wellness – a feature where we plan to be much more involved next year."
According to Capgemini, Asia Pacific is ‘on track to surpass US$42 trillion by 2025’ and in 2017 the region generated 41.4% of all new global HNWI wealth. Emerging markets powered more than half of Asia Pacific new wealth growth– India is up 20% in HNWI wealth and population.
At ILTM Asia Pacific, there were significant increases in the number of buyers from Australia (9%), Korea (21%), Malaysia (33%), New Zealand (133%) and the Philippines (38%) and new agents attending from Bangladesh, Moldova, Armenia, Belarus. 49% were new to the ILTM Portfolio and 61% new to ILTM Asia Pacific.
Both established and smaller brand guests were enthusiastic in their praise of ILTM Asia Pacific. Kristi Kavanaugh-Bradley of Aspen Skiing Company commented: "We have a very powerful brand so we need the top 1% of the 1% of the 1%... the Cartiers internationally and this is where their agents are!"
And Ninna Haflidadottir of Iceland Luxury added, "We received good bookings and increased interest in our destination as a direct result of attending ILTM last year. This year the meetings have taken it to another level."
Jeannie Yom of The London West Hollywood said: "This is our first time at ILTM Asia Pacific and we are really meeting clients that matter. ILTM is very specific in marketing to both suppliers and buyers, matching decision makers with decision makers and I received booking requests while I was sitting at the show. This is one show you have to be at every year!"
"Last year was excellent but ILTM Asia Pacific is a much better quality show again. All my clients have had a full agenda of very qualified appointments and a lot of genuine interest. We’ll be back bigger and better next year!" said Christine Galle-Luczak of Heavens Portfolio.
Productive buyers – the well-known as well as many fresh new faces – were also delighted. Melissa Ferguson of Australia’s Mary Rossi Travel said "ILTM is now my favourite trade show globally – I love it!"
Akiyo Fukuchi of Japan’s Aspire Lifestyles commented: "ILTM Asia Pacific is very important as I am looking for new partnerships, new destinations and new contacts. Ultimately, I am beyond delighted with the business opportunities presented to me this week."
"I am a real ambassador for ILTM," commented Alizes Private’s Karim Fahry Fassy. "You can feel the team love what they do and this is contagious. Emotional experiences is what it is about, it’s what we seek and what we specialise in."
And David Goldman of Goldman Group added emphatically: "Our industry is built on solid relationships and to have the opportunity to network with old and new friends is very special. ILTM Asia Pacific is the only place to meet the best of the best and I can’t wait for 2020."
Health and Wellness is a key element of every ILTM portfolio event and ILTM Asia Pacific created an area devoted to brands and their treatments/specialist areas of the sector. Spend in the sector globally is expected to reach US$919bn by 2022 according to the Global Wellness Institute and the Asia Pacific region is set to make some 258m trips and spend in excess of $136bn on wellness tourism. The focus will continue again next year at ILTM Asia Pacific 2020, taking place again at Marina Bay Sands Singapore 18 – 21 May 2020.
For further information, please see www.iltm.com or contact [email protected].
