GTA hosts APMEA sales, sourcing and operations conference in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

10 Feb 2015  2038 | World Travel News

Two-hundred and twenty-five 225 senior travel representatives visit Ho Chi Minh this week as global travel distributor GTA holds its annual Sourcing, Sales and Operations conference for Asia-Pacific, the Middle East and Africa (APMEA) in the Vietnam city. Thanks to GTA’s successful global partnership agreement with IHG, the conference is being held at the Intercontinental Asiana Hotel. With 305 elegantly appointed rooms, three international restaurants and spectacular views of the city, the 5-star luxury hotel is just a short stroll to the city’s famous landmarks.

The conference agenda explores GTA’s future strategy to help retail and wholesale, high street and online travel agents and tour operators benefit from its extraordinary global distribution network. It follows news that GTA’s parent, the Kuoni Group, plans to focus activities on providing services to the global travel industry and to governments. With particular attention on markets like Asia, the Middle East and Africa with attractive, long-term growth potential, the new strategic direction will lead to further investment in GTA’s already successful business. In the last three years alone, the business has grown by 6.5% a year (CAGR) and sells 38,000 room nights online every day.

Andrew Hughes, Vice President for Hotel Sourcing in APMEA, says: “GTA has been powering global travel for over four decades. Our global presence in source markets and destinations worldwide, the experience and expertise of our people, and the unrivalled performance of our technology and systems continue to help businesses accommodate fully independent travellers (FIT) in practically every part of the planet.

“Vietnam is a great example of an exciting tourism market with wide appeal to our customers. In the last couple of years growth has accelerated by 50% a year and we expect to double that business by 2017. This brief taste of the experience to be enjoyed in Ho Chi Minh City will help our teams educate travel agents and tour operators and attract more visitors from both established and developing source markets.”

A significant part of the conference agenda will educate participants about the work of ECPAT International with presentations and workshops by CEFACOM, its partner in Vietnam. GTA staff worldwide voted for a long-term commitment to raise funds in support of ECPAT’s work towards the elimination of child prostitution, pornography and the trafficking of children for sexual purposes. Sessions will raise awareness of this important work and inspire staff to raise money and offer in-kind support.

With attractive long-term growth potential and already globally leading positions, three strategic initiatives – the expansion of its footprint and its service offering and the introduction of further digitalisation – will accelerate growth and drive success for the travel, tourism and hospitality businesses that remain GTA’s customers.

GTA will continue to focus on finding the right accommodation, services, tours and activities at the best possible price in ‘strong hold’ destinations: the travel ‘hot spots’ that consumers most want to visit. It will also ensure that travellers can still benefit from a growing ‘long tail’ of accommodation in less familiar locations away from the traditional tourism trails.

Generating tens of thousands of bookings for hotels, attractions and other tourism businesses every day, GTA sells millions of room nights in more than 25 languages online and throughout the world. Today, travel agents across the planet rely on GTA to help them provide their customers – the travelling public – with the accommodation, services, excursions and experiences they most want to enjoy.

sourced:traveldailynews.asia

Recommended Cambodia Tours

Cambodia Day Tours

Cambodia Day Tours

Angkor Temple Tours

Angkor Temple Tours

Cambodia Classic Tours

Cambodia Classic Tours

Promotion Tours

Promotion Tours

Adventure Tours

Adventure Tours

Cycling Tours

Cycling Tours