Travel Trade Shows in 2024 and 2025 - Calendar of Events

Attending travel trade shows and conferences is not only time consuming but can be very costly as well, so choosing which to attend is paramount to the success of your business.

That was written pre-COVID19, but the message is even more important today than it was then.

What COVID19 has shown, is that we can very easily have a face to face meeting over Zoom, or similar software, without having to pay for a flight and hotel as well as all the other costs and time consuming aspects involved in any business trip.

With such technology, we can have two or three video meetings with people all over the world in less time than it would normally take to travel to the airport from home or the office, and without all the expense, hassle and time that goes with such a trip.

Even before COVID19, we at TravelNewsAsia.com were cutting down on shows, selecting just a few where it is possible to meet sellers who would not normally be easy to reach as they do not have large enough budgets to attend and exhibit at major travel trade shows.

That is precisely what organisers need to remember. It is easy to pack a trade show with conferences and other reasons to attend etc., but what many buyers really want is to experience a new destination, meet sellers who they would not normally see, do site inspections, new learn things about the host destination and to expand their business horizons.

That is why we are very big fans of shows that rotate the host city/country such as the ASEAN Tourism Forum, TTM+ and others. Though even they sometimes miss the point. For example, we have encouraged the Tourism Authority of Thailand for many years to host TTM+ in a tertiary city such as Khon Kaen, Ubon Ratchathani or Roi-Et, so that travel buyers and media can experience the beauty of Isaan firsthand rather than just hearing how great it is.

The Cambodia Travel Market in 2019 was brilliant for exactly the reason outlined above, buyers could sit down with people from parts of the country they knew nothing about. We are hoping that Cambodia will once again establish a travel mart as the country has such massive tourism potential.

We would also love to see Laos, Myanmar, Philippines, Vietnam, and Indonesia develop and better promote an official annual travel trade show for international buyers and media that rotates meaningfully between their cities with the most future tourism potential and not just the cities so many travel buyers have visited already a dozen or more times.

The calendar of events on this page is constantly being updated as more shows confirm live events. Please note that we do not list virtual trade shows.

Some travel trade shows do host buyers - covering airfares and hotel etc., so it is always worth asking whether that is an option and how to apply.

For Asia, the ASEAN Tourism Forum, or ATF as it is more commonly known, has long been an excellent show to attend, especially as it rotates between ASEAN countries every year, allowing you to experience the destinations you are selling. The beautiful country of Laos hosted the ATF 2024 in Vientiane and did an excellent job with buyers, sellers and media all very happy. The State of Johor, Malaysia has been chosen to host the ASEAN Tourism Forum 2025. See 9 Exclusive Video Interviews with VIPs at the ASEAN Tourism Forum in Vientiane, Laos and 8 NTO Press Conferences from the ASEAN Tourism Forum 2024 in Vientiane, Laos.

The Thailand Travel Mart Plus (TTM+) has improved enormously over the years but Travel News Asia has not attended since 2019 due to other commitments. In 2019, TTM+ was held at the Ocean Marina Yacht Club in Jomtien, Pattaya, but was not held in 2020, 2021, though they did manage to host TTM+ 2022 in Phuket. In 2023 the event took place at QSNCC in Bangkok from 31 May to 2 June and in 2024 will be in Khao Lak. In 2024, TTM+ will take place 5-7 June at the JW Marriott Khao Lak Resort and Spa. See: Thailand Travel Mart (TTM+) 2020 - Exclusive Interview with Chiravadee Khunsub of TAT and HD Videos from Thailand Travel Mart Plus (TTM+) 2019.

The Kingdom of Cambodia has HUGE tourism potential. It has some amazing beaches, mountains, jungle and plenty of architectural wonders - such as Angkor Wat and others. Having said that, if the Cambodia Travel Mart is ever relaunched - the last was in 2019 - it needs to focus more on the B2B market and get more support from the large international hotel chains and regional tourism bodies. It is very important that this event succeeds, as it is far better for overseas buyers and media to visit Cambodia to attend CTM, than for sellers to travel to an event overseas and compete for their attention against all the other destinations. Cheaper too. Should you attend? Definitely, you will meet sellers that you would never normally meet, and get to experience the country at the same time. HD Videos from Cambodia Travel Mart 2019.

Travel News Asia has not attended a Routes event that has failed to impress us. They attract key stakeholders and VIPs and are of just the right size that makes meeting the right people possible. Routes World 2023 was held in Istanbul, Türkiye. Issues with transport aside, the expo component of this event was excellent. The exhibition floor was spacious and not too loud, with many very creative stands, and a seemingly never ending supply of F&B available. Routes World 2024 will take place in Bahrain and then in Hong Kong in 2025. The event is very highly respected and attracts senior decision makers from airports around the world, their respective tourism bodies and airlines to discuss and plan airline route development. Travel News Asia conducted 15 exclusive video interviews during our time in Istanbul, they are all available in both HD video and audio podcast formats here: Exclusive Videos from Routes World 2023 in Istanbul, Türkiye.

Routes Asia 2024 took place on the beautiful island of Langkawi, Malaysia in February, Routes Americas 2024 was in Bogota, Colombia in March, and Routes Europe 2024 was in the beautiful city of Aarhus in Denmark in April. Travel News Asia did not attend the event in Bogota, sadly, but was present in Langkawi and Aarhus. Both events were excellently organised and delegates were very happy with the number and quality of meetings that they had at each. Routes Asia 2025 will be held in Perth, Australia, whilst Routes Americas 2025 will be in Bahamas. See: 16 HD Video Interviews from Routes Europe 2024 in Aarhus, Denmark and 9 HD Video Interviews from Routes Asia 2024 in Langkawi, Malaysia. If you are interested in air connectivity, route development and airports then you really should attend the Routes event, or events, which interest you the most.

APG World Connect rotates annually between Monaco and Malta and is without doubt one of the most exclusive and glamorous conferences in the airline industry. APG limits the number of attendees and treats each person like royalty. Held in Monaco from 1-3 November 2023, delegates were treated to a 7-minute flight between Nice Airport and Monaco by 6-seat Airbus H130 helicopters operated by Blade. Once in Monaco, those attending - CEOs, SVPs, VPs of airlines and related stakeholders as well as APG offices from around the world - enjoyed some very interesting conference sessions and were thoroughly spoiled throughout their entire stay with delicious 5-star French cuisine, sparkling Taittinger Champagne and delightful Lampe de Meduse Cotes de Provence wines, amongst many other delectable treats. APG World Connect 2024 will take place 23-25 October at the Westin Dragonara Resort in Malta, whilst the company will also hold its annual AGM in Kuala Lumpur and its Asia Pacific regional training conference in Melaka, Malaysia in 2024.

In 2008, Messe Berlin, organisers of the mammoth ITB Berlin, together with the Singapore Tourism Board, put their full weight behind the inaugural ITB Asia. Over the years, it has grown and grown, and continued to grow - at least the events around ITB Asia have. While all this expansion may seem like a good thing, in our eyes - as a media outlet - there is too much going on, with conferences and seminars covering every imaginable topic taking place at the same time. Travel News Asia no longer attends ITB Asia, as we prefer to attend more focused shows such as TTM+ and ATF that are smaller and rotate annually between host cities/countries.

Another important travel trade show in the region is Tourism Expo Japan, formerly known as JATA Tourism Expo. This trade show has the ambitious aim of becoming the biggest in Asia and with Japan being such an important outbound market, even with a weak global economy, then this will always be one of the most important events on a calendar year. Traditionally JATA and the World Travel Fair, also in Tokyo, rotated annually. Now they have combined, and a few years ago they set up an inbound component to the show. This was very big news, as JATA had always been about the important, and lucrative, outbound market, and, had pretty much ignored the inbound. The Tourism Expo Japan takes place annually in September, and is a show you should attend. There are many delegates not just from Japan but also, Asia Pacific and around the world.

The Mekong Tourism Forum used to rotate annually between countries in the GMS, so from that perspective it was very interesting to see different cities and get updates about the local tourism industry in that area. The event had potential, but never really managed to get the following it needed. It was not really a travel trade show as there were no buyers meet seller appointments, a pity. Nor were there any real exhibitors - again a pity, as it would have been interesting to see and meet with small hotels and tour operators in the host city. The MTF was more of a conference to promote sustainable tourism. Hopefully a more meaningful, better organised and well thought out MTF will be created in the future, but until then go to the ASEAN Tourism Forum instead.

The ITB and WTM, held each year in Berlin and London respectively, are two of the oldest and still the biggest travel trade shows in the world. We used to attend both religiously for many, many years, but now, of the two, only attend the WTM in London. Make sure you book flights and accommodation well in advance as both Berlin and London get very busy.

The EIBTM and IMEX are without a doubt the best MICE shows in the world, although AIME in Australia is also a good event aimed at the MICE market.

The Arabian Travel Market is an excellent show if you are interested in selling the Middle East or attracting customers from the wealthy Middle Eastern markets. To make the most of this show try and do sales trips either after or before the show to some surrounding areas such as Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Abu Dhabi, Bahrain etc.

For luxury, the ILTM series which started in Cannes but has grown in recent years to include Japan and China, among others, is one of the best.

To add your trade show to the calendar of events above costs just US$199 per show, per year, and includes a direct link which opens in a new tab / window. Send us an email to add your show.