ATM and ATN launch travel agent day
Arabian Travel Market (ATM) organiser Reed Travel Exhibitions (RTE) has joined forces with Arabian Travel News to launch the inaugural Travel Agents' Day at the May edition of ATM.
"The focus of the day is educational, offering agents the chance to meet tourism boards to learn about each destination, as well as topical seminars," explained ATM marketing manager Lucie James. "However, it's not all work; there is some fun involved with promotions and prize draws."
These will include a Travel Agent Passport Competition sponsored by ATN whereby agents are given a passport featuring competitions run by several suppliers.
To enter the competitions, travel agents must visit the respective exhibitor stand, meet with the exhibitor and then get their passport stamped. Competition winners will be announced at the end of the day.
The move to get travel agents more involved in ATM comes as the event celebrates its 15th anniversary.
"As we reach this milestone we are very aware that we must continue to improve the content and quality of the exhibition and our aim is to now make sure that each year for the next 15 years, ATM is a must attend event," said RTE company group exhibitions director Mark Walsh.
Walsh also confirmed that the hosted buyer programme would see 125 international leisure, corporate and MICE buyers attend the show, all of whom, he said, were first-time visitors. And, with education a key theme at this year's ATM, RTE has also boosted the seminar programme to include presentations from a raft of "top industry pioneers", according to ATM marketing executive Sarah Kitley.