Dubai witnessed an extraordinary gathering of the global travel industry as the highly anticipated TBO Travel Business Show 2024 by TBO Academy wrapped up with resounding success on September 24 this year.
Hosted exclusively for travel agents, this invite-only event brought together over 500 leading travel experts, 20+ participating suppliers (tourism boards, luxury hotels, global attractions, airlines, cruises, and more) all under one roof. With top-tier participants such as Visit Qatar, Spain, Germany, Britain, Norwegian Cruise Line, Hilton, Le Printemps, Bicester Collection and more, the event lived up to its promise of being bigger, and bolder.
The TBO Travel Business Show 2024 was a hub of networking, knowledge sharing and groundbreaking partnerships. “Our goal was to create a space where travel agents and industry leaders could come together, explore new destinations, and forge meaningful connections. We are thrilled to see the overwhelming response and high energy throughout the event,” said Vidhu Lamba, Vice-President of Tourism Partnerships & Alliances at TBO. “We’ve taken the show to a new level this year, and the feedback has been phenomenal!”
Adding to the excitement was a surprise element that delighted attendees: the presence of a Hrithik Roshan wax statue from Madame Tussauds. The iconic Bollywood actor’s lifelike figure provided a perfect photo opportunity, making the event even more memorable for the travel agents in attendance.
One of the event’s highlights was the awards ceremony, where top-producing agents were honoured in a special ceremony. These awards celebrated outstanding achievements and contributions to the travel industry, adding a unique twist to this already stellar show. The participating partners were recognised with mementos by the top management: Co-Founder & Joint Managing Director Gaurav Bhatnagar, Gerado Del Rio - President TBO.com, Vidhu Lamba- Vice President Tourism & Alliances, and Sameh Fouad – Vice President Sales MEA.
The awards added a sense of excitement and recognition to the event to celebrate the incredible work of these top producers and participating partners.
Beyond awards and recognition, the show was packed with engaging sessions, exclusive presentations, hourly giveaways and one-on-one meetings with global tourism boards and key partners. Attendees had the opportunity to discover new trends, explore exotic destinations, and win iPhones, luxury stay & shopping vouchers along with a bumper prize of an all-inclusive trip to Britain.
Among the exhibitors were Visit Britain and the German National Tourist Office Gulf Countries, who were trying to promote their nations to travel agents. “While London is one of the most visited destinations in the UK, we are trying to educate the trade that there is so much more than London such as Manchester, Birmingham and Edinburgh. And in January, we’ll be launching our youth marketing campaign, which will be all about film and tourism. We also want to promote different seasons of travel, including spring and autumn,” explains Tatiana Khoreshok, Country Manager GCC, Visit Britian.
German National Tourist Office’s Yasmina Sofo, who is the Director of Marketing and Sales Office Gulf Countries, meanwhile, spoke about the greater connectivity that the region now enjoys with the country. “Gulf Air now connects Bahrain to Munich. We have Qatar Airways connecting Doha to Hamburg and new flights to Berlin from Dubai. We also have direct flights from Saudi Arabia to Berlin,” she adds. Among the draws of the country are two additional landmarks that recently made it to the UNESCO’s World Heritage Site list. It’s also a great destination for sustainable travel, she stresses.
Representing Mauritius was Blue Safari, which offers a number of adventures in the deep blue waters of the island nation, including a submarine ride. Dawood Jawahir, Marketing and Commercial Director of the firm, explains: “We have a real submarine which dives to 35 metres deep. “You need to be able to swim, you need to be a diver. Once registration and briefing are completed, you are transferred to the submarine. You sit comfortably inside, observe how the pilot manages submarine and witness the coral reef, the marine life up close. The experience lasts for two hours, but we stay underwater for 40 minutes.” He adds that while most people know about the marine adventures, the submarine adventures remain a bit of a secret – he hopes to change that at this road show.
One of the most in-demand ways to travel currently is cruising, and Norwegian Cruise Line is one of the leaders in this segment. “Our number one setup this year and last year was actually via Amsterdam and Norwegian fjords to Iceland,” says Kevin Bubolz, Vice President & Managing Director Continental Europe, Middle East & Africa. “So that is Prima, one of our new ships.”
As for travel agent engagement, he explains that Rebecca Ransom, Business Development Manager Middle East at NCL, is in the UAE on a regular basis. “We also have our marketing portal at Norwegian Central where you can sign up and you can have online training courses, if people want to learn more about NCL. There’s also lots of videos there and lots of information,” he adds.
The feedback from the agents for the recently concluded TBO Travel Business Show 2024 was overwhelmingly positive, with many citing the event as a game-changer in their professional journey. The show’s unique format–mixing education, entertainment, and networking–set it apart from the typical industry events, making it an unmissable opportunity for agents to grow their business.
Sameh Fouad, Vice President, Sales in MEA, pointed out that the roadshow was much bigger than last year – and is it poised for further expansion. “We’re going to have more road shows in Saudi Arabia, Qatar, South Africa, Kenya and Tanzania this year and next year,” he said, alluding to more that may be in the offing.
“The intention of running this yearly roadshow is to bring the industry together. Travel agents can communicate directly with tourism boards, airline management, cruise lines, top hotels, and top global chains. We bring them all to one place and we let them communicate. Hopefully, by the end of the day, we come to conclusion that will benefit the entire industry and our clients,” he told TTN in an interview on the sidelines of the meet-up.
With the bar set even higher for this year, the TBO Travel Business Show continues to be a premier platform for travel professionals, positioning itself as a must-attend event in the global travel calendar. Plans are already in motion for the 2025 edition, promising an even bigger experience filled with more destinations, networking opportunities and industry-shaping collaborations.
Gerardo Del Rio, President of TBO.com, took the stage at TBO Travel Business 2024 to say: “I’m here to thank you for your business, to thank you for your support, and really looking forward to building those really long-term partnerships so that we can grow and do business together for years to come.”
* TBO.com can be found on stand S3-510