PATA TRAVEL MART OPENS WITH STRONG NUMBERS

Reed Travel Exhibitions Managing Director, Mr. Tom Nutley, reported that 404 buyers had registered for the event, a 31 percent increase on the 2001 PATA Travel Mart. Of the buyers, 218 were leisure/MICE buyers from 43 countries. There were 186 corporate buyers from five countries. He reported that 69 percent of the buyers were new to the Mart this year.

Buyer figures have been boosted by corporate travel planning seminars being held in conjunction with the Mart. The seminars, on April 11 and 12, are being organised by OAG, the airline schedule specialists.

The buyers will meet executives from 191 seller companies representing 30 countries from the Pacific Asia region. Eighty-two percent of the seller companies are return clients, 18 percent are new companies.

Addressing a press briefing on the opening day of business at the Mart, PATA President and CEO, Mr. Peter de Jong, said the response to Nepal as Feature Country and Adventure Travel as Feature Product had been a "great success."

Mr. de Jong also thanked the Singapore Tourism Board for being proactive and throwing its full weight behind the event. 

The organisers said major efforts had been made to improve the quality of the buyers at this year's Mart, its 25th year of business. "I would say PATA Travel Mart 2002 is a 'compact' event," said Mr.Nutley. "I'm thrilled by the quality of buyers and sellers that we've managed to attract despite the challenges faced," he said.

Mr de Jong said that in order to sustain PATA Travel Mart as the premier travel trade event for Pacific Asia, it would be necessary to "retool" the Mart to come up with a winning formula which would "reinvent" the Mart and give it a "must-attend reputation."

PATA's chief executive said the Association would immediately set up a "task force to look at all options." He said: "It is PATA's responsibility to sustain PATA Travel Mart as the premier travel trade event for Pacific Asia. PATA owes this to its members."