THE MADAGASCAR INTERNATIONAL TOURISM FAIR (ITM) WILL BE HELD FROM THURSDAY 28 MAY TO SATURDAY 30 MAY 2015 AT THE CARLTON HOTEL.
The Madagascar International Tourism Fair (ITM) will be held from Thursday 28 May to Saturday 30 May 2015 at the Carlton Hotel. The 2015 edition of the ITM, the result of the collaboration between the Ministry for Tourism, Transport and Meteorology and the National Tourism Office of Madagascar and its member entities, will take place at the Carlton Hotel on 28, 29 and 30 May 2015. The ITM, a Vanilla Islands event during Madagascar’s presidency.
Madagascar currently enjoys the presidency of the Vanilla Islands; the ITM is a key event in the organisation’s calendar. The Vanilla Islands Organisation is a unique opportunity to enhance regional integration and share the Indian Ocean islands’ strengths to promote these destinations in both traditional and emerging markets.
The ITM will showcase the members of the Vanilla Islands, including Réunion Island Tourism, the Mauritius Tourism Promotion Authority, the Seychelles Tourism Board, the Mayotte Departmental Tourism Committee and the Comoros National Tourism Office. This edition of the ITM will be an opportunity for the Vanilla Islands to use this platform to present their culture and tourism offering.
BY ATTENDING THIS EVENT, THE VANILLA ISLANDS AIM :
- to develop tourism between the islands,
- to enable tourism operators from fellow islands to meet, discuss and enter into partnerships
AN ADDITIONAL EXHIBITION SPACE OPENED FOR THE ITM 2015
- In view of the overwhelming success of previous editions of the ITM, the event will see a significant increase in the exhibition space and will welcome more than 100 exhibitors for the first time: in addition to the Ravinala room, the Baobab space in the Kudeta car park will also be used for a total exhibition area of almost 2,500m2.
- The exhibitions will showcase the Vanilla Islands, regional Tourism Offices, professional association members of the National Tourism Office of Madagascar and official partners and professionals in the sector (tour operators, hotels, service providers, training centres).
THE ITM 2015, AN UNMISSABLE EVENT FOR SUSTAINABLE TOURISM
Given that the main reasons for tourist visits to Madagascar are its national parks and the opportunity to see endemic flora/fauna, the tourism sector is committed to promoting any initiative which aims to protect the environment, include the local population in income-generating activities and promote Malagasy culture. The ITM 2015 will host a series of meetings/conferences on private and voluntary initiatives which contribute to these objectives.
THE ITM, A PLATFORM FOR DIALOGUE BETWEEN THE PRIVATE SECTOR AND A SHOWCASE FOR MADAGASCAR’S TOURISM
The goals of this 4th edition are to:
– Raise operators’ awareness of the digital shift within the tourism sector
– Enhance operators’ professional training
– Encourage national residents to explore Madagascar
– Emphasise the role of the tourism sector within the national economy
As usual, the show also aims to:
– Demonstrate the importance of the revenue created by this sector for the Malagasy economy with the presence of various tourism-related professionals
– Emphasise the advantages of Madagascar as a destination on the international, regional and national markets
– Promote partnerships between national and international operators through the presence of tour operators and foreign travel agents invited by the National Tourism Office of Madagascar
– Develop discussions and partnerships between national operators
– Publicise Madagascar’s tourism products among residents and nationals
EXHIBITORS AT THE ITM 2015
This 4th edition brings together national tourism professionals and tourism representatives from the Vanilla Islands. With just under 100 exhibitors, 27% are hoteliers, 24% are regional tourism offices from Madagascar, 8% are professional tourism associations, 7% are representatives of the Vanilla Islands, 6% are tour operators and 28% are tour operators, national parks and related tourism or service providers.
NEW EXHIBITORS
Many professionals are coming back for the fourth time to exhibit at the ITM, evidence of the sector’s interest in this international tourism event. This year, a third of the exhibitors are new, of which 51% are related service providers, 40% are hoteliers and the remaining 9% are tour operators.
TOMBOLA
The ITM Tombola is a chance for national residents to explore Madagascar and an opportunity for visitors to be in with a chance of winning prizes:
– 1 return ticket, Antananarivo-Paris (Air Madagascar)
– 1 return ticket for the regional network (Air Madagascar)
– 2 return tickets for the domestic network (Air Madagascar)
– 2 return tickets, Antananarivo – Saint Denis in Réunion (Air Austral)
– Overnight stays (half-board accommodation) from:
- KIMONY RESORT (Morondava)
- OLYMPE DU BEMARAHA (Bemaraha)
- ROYAL BEACH HOTEL (Nosy Be)
- VANILA HOTEL & SPA (Nosy Be)
PROMOTIONAL OFFERS AT THE ITM 2015
The ITM is an event which promotes national tourism too. Many hotels will be offering promotions during the event; visit their stands to find out more.
THE ITM 2015: INNOVATION FOR THIS NEW EDITION
- In view of the overwhelming success of previous editions of the ITM, the event will see a significant increase in the exhibition space and will welcome more than 100 exhibitors for the first time: in addition to the Ravinala room, the Baobab space in the Kudeta car park will also be used for a total exhibition area of almost 2,500m2.
- The “Web Development Camp” competition, a challenge for web professionals. The aim is to develop an online project, on a subject related to tourism, which will be unveiled during the competition on 28 May, in partnership with Airtel. Prizes will be awarded at the end of the ITM.
EXPERT CONFERENCE SPEAKERS
Guest speakers at the ITM are internationally recognised experts. It’s an opportunity for various national and international stakeholders to share their experiences in front of 600 local professionals to help them to better develop their businesses.
CONFERENCE SPEAKERS
- Bernard Boutboul, Chief Executive of Gira Conseil, French expert in the food service industry.
Subject : Winning strategies in the food service market
The recipe for making your restaurant a success
The web: a source of customers - Jérôme Forget, Founder and Director of Guest & Strategy, French expert in guesthouses.
Theme The guesthouse revolution in 2015
Establish your marketing and sales strategy in order to retain a modicum of independence
Having a successful guesthouse website in 2015
Surfing social media and review sites to boost your online visibility - Céline Guerton-Mathias, CEO of SPA Collexion
Subject Well-being tourism: Overview and trends
The keys to effective marketing - Dr Wolfgang Georg Arlt, CEO of COTRI
Subject Development, current situation and trends, market segmentation and demand from Chinese tourist structures, with analysis of tourism in Africa and the Indian Ocean.
How to successfully promote Madagascar as a destination to Chinese visitors
… and many others for you to listen to and ask questions on 28, 29 and 30 May at the Carlton Hotel.
INTERNATIONAL TRAVEL AGENCIES VISITING THE ITM 2015
The ITM is also an opportunity to introduce Madagascar as a destination to tourism professionals (tour operators and travel agents) from countries with high tourist numbers. The 2015 edition is sure to succeed and will welcome more than 70 people for familiarisation trips to the island’s various tourist areas. The tourism professionals invited this year come from Poland, Great Britain, Eastern Europe, Warsaw, Italy, Germany, France, Holland, Spain, Switzerland, Japan, Taiwan, South Africa and China. The ITM will also be an opportunity for them to meet industry professionals as they visit their stands.
Contact : communication@ontm.mg – +261 20 22 661 15
