THE International Luxury Travel Market (ILTM 2009) returns to Cannes from December 7 to 10, once again to showcase a collection of the world’s finest luxury travel products and services to more than 1,200 international luxury travel planners and buyers.
Debbie Joslin, group exhibitions director for Reed Travel Exhibition’s luxury travel portfolio of events said: “There is so much that is new this year, some fantastic products that really do offer our personally invited 1,200 VIP buyers a whole world of choice. We have already witnessed a huge increase in buyer applications and with 45,000 pre-scheduled appointments organised last year, we expect ILTM to deliver an up-beat end for the industry in 2009.”
Now in its eighth year, she believed the luxury travel market had changed, with authenticity and the quality of the experience becoming increasingly important to all travellers.
“ILTM truly reflects the way the market will develop. What is clear though, in this challenging climate, is the industry’s commitment to do business in a private club environment like ILTM; one that delivers return on investment. Last year alone 84 per cent of VIP buyers looked to place orders of between €50,000 ($73,562) and €5,000,000 ($7,355,258) with 52 per cent of those being placed within a year.”
Held at the Palais des Festivals et des Congrès, ILTM’s four-day programme features speed networking sessions giving exhibitors 12 four minute meetings with VIP buyers; focus forums, a private networking opportunity for exhibitors to inform and market to a select group of buyers and the ILTM Conference, the Future Forum, which tackles key issues, trends and developments set to impact on the luxury travel market.
Exhibiting at ILTM for the first time is Turkey’s Mardan Palace Hotel which opened this year, new destinations include Comité Territorial du Tourism de Saint-Barthélemy, Jamaica Tourist Board, Dominican Republic, Cotelco Caragna de Indias (Columbia) and Leading Companies Ltd, Finest Lagoon Resort (St Barts). Other new products include Royale Indian Rail Tours, Soho House Group, Domaine de Luxe, Ayana Resort & Spa and Tiara Hotels and Resorts.
Exhibitors increasing their stand space over 2008 include Small Luxury Hotels of the World, Six Senses Resorts and Spa, Qatar Tourism and Exhibition Authority, Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group, Kempinksi, Hilton Prestige Portfolio, ENIT Italian National Tourist Board, EMBRATUR (Brazil), ITC (India) and Concorde Hotels and Resorts.
The event’s platinum partner is The Leading Hotels of the World. Claudia Roth, vice president, Europe, Middle East and Africa said: “ILTM is the most important and the most effective B2B event in the luxury travel industry. By hosting the largest single stand at the fair, The Leading Hotels of the World provides our members with a prominent platform where they can meet and develop relationships with key decision makers. In this challenging economic climate, it is crucial that our organisation do all it can to help our hotels maximise their global marketing efforts to enable them to increase sales and revenue.”
Ente Nazionale Italiano per il Turismo (ENIT) – the Italian State Tourism Board – is responsible for promoting Italy’s tourism overseas. It is also ILTM’s gold partner.