THE East Mediterranean International Travel and Tourism Exhibition (EMITT) 2009 takes place in Istanbul, Turkey, from February 12 to 15.
The global downturn has encouraged economists from many countries to regard the tourism industry as the only promising sector with a potential to trigger growth, according to Hacer Aydın, fair director of exhibition organisers from the Ekin Group.
“Of high importance in the world tourism industry, EMITT has become a hot spot, due to the crisis. This is obvious from the high demand. Last year we promised to make EMITT one of the five biggest tourism fairs in the world. This economic crisis has sped up the process, increasing growth by 20 per cent. It is the first time such growth has been recorded by any tourism fair,” she was quoted as saying in Hürriyet DailyNews.com.
“The increase in demand to participate in the fair shows the role tourism is playing in revitalising the economy in a crisis environment,” said Ahmet Barut, chairman of the Turkey Hotels Federation in the same report.
Held at the TÜYAP Beylikdüzü Fair and Convention Centre, this will be the 13th EMITT. More than 50 countries from all over the world are expected to attend including Syria (the first guest country of the exhibition), Lebanon, Iran, Egypt, Morocco, Dubai, Sharjah, India, Azerbaijan, Tajikistan, Kirgizstan, Kazakhstan, South Africa, Tunisia, Palestine, Greece, Russia, Sudan, Kosovo, Thailand, Cuba, Bangladesh and Switzerland.
More than 100 tour operators, 400 hotels and hotel associations, regions, municipalities from Turkey will use the 10 halls, an area of about 50,000 sq m.
Turkey is an important incoming destination but also has great potential in outbound tourism, according to the Ekin Fair Organisation, which is supported by the Culture and Tourism Ministry of Turkey, The municipality of Istanbul, the Turkish Hotel Federation and Turkey Tourism Investment Foundation.
Turkish Airlines as the EMITT official airline company is providing special rates for EMITT visitors and exhibitors. There is also a hosted buyer and hosted press programme.
The first two days are open for trade visitors only and last two days will also be open to the public.
Last year’s fair held at the same place saw a record number of 39,400 trade visitors, according to the organisers, representing a 30 per cent increase compared to 2007, while the stand area grew by 50 per cent.