ATF powers ahead

SINGAPORE Industry response for next year’s ASEAN Tourism Forum has been positive, with over 350 TRAVEX booths contracted and some 550 applications for the Hosted Buyers Programme in the pipeline.
The event will be held 22 to 29 January in Myanmar’s political capital Nay Pyi Taw.
TRAVEX sellers are suppliers of ASEAN travel and tourism products and services, from the 10 member nations – Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.
They will take up to 8,000 square metres of space at the event for the three-day trade show.
The official venue for ATF 2015 has been confirmed as Myanmar International Convention Centre. When government meetings, the Travex and the grand opening are included the events covers eight days.
The key components of the official ATF 2015 programme, such as TRAVEX and ASEAN Tourism Conference, will be held at the newly completed 60,000 square metre exhibition and convention centre.
The venue has hosted numerous national level meetings and international business events, including the recently concluded 24th ASEAN Summit.
Themed ‘ASEAN – Tourism Towards Peace, Prosperity and Partnership’, ATF 2015 is hosted by the Ministry of Hotels and Tourism of the Republic of the Union of Myanmar, organised by Myanmar Tourism Federation and managed by MP Singapore and Myanmar Ventures Group.
ATF aims to promote ASEAN as a single destination and hosting of the event is rotated among the member countries each year.
Participation from host country Myanmar will be at an all-time high.
Commenting on the high turnout of Myanmar sellers, U Phyoe Wai Yar Zar, chairman of Myanmar Tourism Marketing (MTM), said: “Local hoteliers, tour operators and other players in the industry are looking forward to next year’s event.
“This is the first time that ATF is coming to Myanmar.”
MTM is a non-governmental, non-political and non-profit organisation that functions as the marketing arm of Myanmar Tourism Federation, under the guidance of the Ministry of Hotels & Tourism of the Republic of the Union of Myanmar.
Accor, a leading hotel operator and market leader in Europe and Asia Pacific, which is participating in ATF 2015 as a TRAVEX seller, is optimistic about Myanmar’s tourism future.
Accor’s area general manager, Philippe Battle said: “Myanmar is a promising market and a new frontier for us in Asia. We have one hotel open in Myanmar – MGallery The Lake Garden Nay Pyi Taw and a Novotel resort in Inle Lake is scheduled to open this October, followed by a Novotel hotel in Yangon.”
Local Myanmar conglomerates have also shown strong support for ATF 2015. To-date, the organising committee has secured sponsorship from private banks, multi-industry conglomerates and Myanmar’s newest international and domestic airline.
The signing ceremony between representatives of the sponsors and organiser of ATF 2015 took place at Royal Ace Hotel in Nay Pyi Taw earlier Wednesday.
Said U Thein Htwe, Vice Chairman of C B Bank, “It is an exciting time for Myanmar, and for our local tourism industry. We are delighted to be a part of it by supporting ATF as its exclusive official bank partner.”

sourced:ttrweekly.com