Sri Lanka pavilion shines at ITB Asia 2013

The alluring Sri Lankan Pavilion grabbed the attention of over 9,100 visitors from over 110 countries across three days at ITB Asia' 2013 travel show at the Suntec Exhibition and Convention Centre, Singapore recently.

The Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau (SLTPB) made its presence felt with an 'eye-catching' pavilion which facilitated the participation of 15 Sri Lankan companies from the travel and the tourism sector which included Walk With Jith, Royal Holidays, Columbus Tours, The Fortress Resort and Spa, Calamander Unawatuna Beach, Diethelm Travel, Hilton Colombo, Jetwing Travels, Jolanka Resorts, Exotic Global Holidays, Tea Trails, Rosen Tours and Mandara Hotels, Scenic Ventures Tours, Lanka Sportreizen and Camlo Lanka Tours.

This was a significant improvement compared to 2012.

Countries represented among the record 50 international pavilions included first-time exhibitors Greece and Russia, which was clear evidence of the importance that these key emerging players had placed on ITB Asia as a gateway to the Asian travel market.

This year's show also recorded the largest representation ever from the United States increasing booth space by 90% with 30% more exhibitors compared to 2012. Exhibitors from Europe have also taken 20% more floor space this year and there are almost 60% more first time exhibitors representing emerging markets in 2013.

Meanwhile, ITB Asia, signed an MoU with the Singapore Tourism Board (STB) to produce an even stronger program over the next three years.

This year, the show delivered over 3,850 minutes of high-powered content in over 20 sessions led by industry partners including United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO), Global Business Travel Association (GBTA), Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA), the Medical Tourism Association, the National Association of Travel Agents (NATAS), American Express and micenetASIA.

As one of the anchor events of TravelRave, ITB Asia has continually contributed to the lively discussions to shape the future of tourism in Asia. The enhanced partnership with STB promises new content for the show by harnessing collective insights from top industry leaders to uncover more business opportunities and provide an even more effective knowledge sharing platform for travel professionals. There was a seven percent increase in the number of visitors compared to last year.