Chiang Mai, Thailand to Host ASEAN Tourism Forum 2018 in January

The theme of the ASEAN Tourism Forum 2018 will be “ASEAN - Sustainable Connectivity, Boundless Prosperity”.

 The event, one of the most important annual travel trade gatherings in the world, will be held in Chiang Mai, Thailand in January.

ATF 2018 will be the 37th incarnation of the show and the sixth time it has been held in Thailand, and TAT has pledged to make it a huge success, with a particular focus on the TRAVEX buyer-seller part - where millions of dollars of business is transacted annually.

“TRAVEX is the engine room driving much of ASEAN’s tourism success story,” said Yuthasak Supasorn (pictured), TAT Governor. “That’s why we are calling out to exhibitors to book their space, and for buyers to come and showcase the best of Southeast Asia to the world.”

ATF 2018 will take place at the Chiang Mai International Exhibition and Convention Centre (CMECC) 22-26 January 2018, with travel industry buyers conducting business on the floor of TRAVEX from 24 to 26 January.

“Based on its experience organising the Thailand Travel Mart (TTM), TAT undoubtedly has the marketing reach and buyer-handling discipline to make TRAVEX work smoothly for ASEAN,” said Thailand’s Minister of Tourism and Sports, Ms Kobkarn Wattanavrangkul, who is current Chair of the ASEAN Tourism Ministers grouping. “While TAT is organising TRAVEX, make no mistake, this is an ASEAN show with leading tourism products from all 10 ASEAN member states – Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.”

Around 47% of ATF buyers come from Europe, 15% from the Asia Pacific, 9% from the Americas, 4% from Oceania, and 3% from the Middle East.

At the ATF 2017 in Singapore, there were 660 exhibitors, 13,000 scheduled buyer-seller appointments, and over 2,500 attendees.

In 2017, 36% of exhibitors were accommodation businesses, 25% travel agents or tour operators, 17% NTOs or convention and visitor bureaus, 8.5% travel technology firms, and 3% were in the transport sector.

ASEAN is currently celebrating its 50th anniversary with a Visit ASEAN@50 Golden Celebration campaign that aims to raise international tourism arrivals to the region from 109 million in 2015 to 121 million by year end 2017.

HD Videos from ASEAN Tourism Forum (ATF) 2016 in Manila, Philippines: Philippine Airlines HD Video Interview with Jaime J. Bautista, President & COO, Philippines Tourism Press Conference / Update at ATF 2016, Sharia Law and Brunei Tourism Question at ATF 2016 in Manila, Indonesia Tourism Press Conference at ATF 2016, Cambodia Tourism Press Conference at ATF 2016, Tourism Authority of Thailand Press Conference at ATF 2016, Premier Inn's Expansion Plans for Asia Pacific - HD Video Interview at ATF 2016, HD Video Interview with Bambi M. Samson, Director of Sales, One of Collection (Philippines), Laos Tourism Press Conference at ATF 2016, Myanmar Tourism Press Conference at ATF 2016 and Exclusive HD Video Interview with Bruno Cristol GM of Dusit Thani Manila, as well as many other HD Videos.

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