TTG Asia Media, the most established travel trade publishing house in the region, will launch a regional travel agent conference at ITB Asia this year.
The sole aim of the conference is to ensure that travel agents walk away from it with tangible learning points that they can apply to their business. Experts from within and outside the industry will show them how to compete in today’s marketplace.
“It is no longer about debates and more debates on whether agents will live or die. We’re done with that. There is room for travel agents worldwide,” said Raini Hamdi, group editor, Travel Group, TTG Asia Media.
“The question is, who are the new agents? Why are they standing tall? How did they do it? What can I learn from them? What lessons can I take from those outside the industry who are successful and whose models I can apply to my business?”
The TTG Travel Agent Conference was thus conceived as a practical How To, at a time when travel agents in Asia have enormous opportunities at their fingertips, thanks to huge markets such as South-east Asia, China and India; the rise of low-cost carriers; the rise of B:B travel hypermarts; and the rise of new niches such as cruising and luxury travel, to name a few.
Currently, Asia does not have a regional travel agent conference. “TTG Asia Media hopes to fill this gap,” said Darren Ng, managing director, TTG Asia Media. “We have been with the industry for more than 35 years, and launching this conference is again a reflection of our commitment to the trade.”
The TTG Travel Agent Conference, in partnership with ITB Asia, is a non-profit event and is free to ITB Asia delegates and TTG Asia readers. This year’s conference will be half day. The date, venue and time are being finalised and will be announced soon.
ITB Asia executive director, Nino Gruettke, said: “We are pleased to be partnering TTG Asia Media to launch the region’s first, dedicated travel agent conference. This event will further seal ITB Asia as the platform for travel exchange and strengthens its education component.”
In the meantime, TTG Asia Media is seeking the views of regional travel agents. Tell us about a topic you would like your conference to cover and/or a speaker you would like to listen to and learn from. Please email Raini Hamdi at raini.hamdi@ttgasia.com and TTG Asia editor, Gracia Chiang, at gracia.chiang@ttgasia.com.
