THE newly established regional arm of the Austrian National Tourist Office (ANTO) is seeking to raise the country’s profile by inviting buyers to their annual inbound trade event this month.
Austria’s largest tourism trade show, formerly called the ATB, has been rebranded Austrian and Central European Travel Business (ACTB), to position the country as a springboard for travel into central Europe. It is being held in Vienna from January 28 to 30.
Together with the tourism organisations of Hungary, Slovenia, Slovakia and the Czech Republic and the Danube Tourist Commission Die Donau, with its member countries Germany, Croatia, Serbia and Romania, ACTB aims to position the entire region in a dynamic international market.
“After 31 years, it’s time to take a courageous effort and react to the changing demands of buyers with actb”, says Klaus Ehrenbrandtner, director Middle East of the ANTO. “In view of fewer time resources and structural changes we have created a powerful trade show that best combines quality, user-friendliness and expertise.”
In this context, ANTO’s biggest asset is a worldwide network that enables them to focus on contacting and inviting buyers. The feedback from the market offices is promising because it is consistently positive. At Thomas Cook France, they even say “The fact that ACTB unites the sector’s businesses leans against the inflationary trend in trade shows worldwide. More vendors mean more ideas and new business.”
The event offers the opportunity to generate new buyer classes and, as a one-stop shopping approach – to be a sales generator itself as trade fair. As tourist platform in Central Europe, it also sets a clear signal for cross-regional cooperation. Besides its commercial use, it is also primarily a platform for generating new networks, initiating business deals and reinforcing existing customer relations. The expansion of the ACTB will inevitably bring a high quality of buyer and exhibitor contacts along with it, says Ehrenbrandtner.
Fam trips into Austria and Hungary, Czech Republic, Slovenia and Slovakia will be book-ended onto the trip.
Among the agencies the ANTO is in conversation with are Dnata, Kanoo Travel, Emirates Holidays and Destinations of The World.