PATA boosts buyer and seller element - Sep 01

SINGAPORE The Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) has launched a series of initiatives to increase buyer and seller participation at next year's show. Organiser Reed Travel Exhibitions (RTE) has asked its member tourist boards - the exhibitors - to identify which buyers they would like to meet. "We have to provide the decision-makers from the right companies to the sellers," RTE managing director Mr Tom Nutley said. "We've had 386 nominations from 43 countries and by the end of the nominations we hope to approach the 2,500 mark." The preliminary buyer nomination list reveals sellers see potential growth from markets such as Japan and China. On the final day of next year's PATA, which will take place between April 9 and 12 at Suntec Singapore, sellers will focus on attracting corporate and business travel buyers. "We will use the opportunity of being in the hub of Singapore to attract these buyers," Mr Nutley added. "We expect these buyers to come primarily from Singapore and a few from Malaysia."