As concertgoers from around the region descend into Singapore for Taylor Swift’s sold-out concerts starting this weekend, another venue in the city also comes to live with crowds and excitement.
Excitement filled the air as the 59th NATAS Travel Fair kicked into high gear at Halls 4 and 5a of the Singapore Expo. This latest edition, taking place from 1-3 March, features featured over travel agents, cruises, hotels, and national tourist organisations from Japan, Indonesia, Thailand, Sarawak, and Indonesia.
The opening of the travel fair kicked off with a vibrant opening ceremony led by NATAS Deputy President Simon Er and guest of honour, Singapore Tourism Board Chief Executive Melissa Ow. Together, they pulled off the ribbons to unveil a giant gift box filled with balloons, symbolising a world of discovery aligned with the theme, ‘Uncover the Wonders’.
“This year, we've expanded the scale of the travel fair this year substantially compared to Travel 2023, which was held in February last year with 51 exhibitors. This year, we have 66 exhibitors. The last travel fair held in August has also proven people's desire to travel with 102,744 visitors, which was 11.5% increase in number of visitors compared to Travel 2023,” said Er.
Photo Credit: Singapore Tourism Board Chief Executive Melissa Ow and NATAS Deputy President Simon Er at the opening of NATAS Travel 2024.
Early indicators at the NATAS fair pointed to strong outbound demand from the Singapore market. Ong Hanjie, director of EU Holidays, observed that the visitor flow on Friday morning was continuous and bustling. “If you do a Friday to Friday comparison, this is one of the best Fridays over the past 10 years,” he remarked. “The crowd coming into the fair is non-stop. I can see almost every agent having a good fair share of visitors.”
Looking ahead into 2024, Er anticipates Singapore’s outbound travel market to maintain momentum, bolstered by robust indicators in air capacity. “Earlier this year, Changi Airport Group reported a total passenger movement of 58.9 million in 2023, which is a huge improvement and growth from the 32.2 million passengers reported in 2022, proving that demand for travel is still robust, strong and ongoing,” he said.
Singapore Tourism Board’s Ow echoed Er’s sentiments, highlighting the city-state’s growing travel demand and enhanced. “Outbound travel saw an increase of 85% over 2022. With over 7.8 million departures just last year. And I'm very optimistic that given Singaporeans love for travel, the numbers will continue to remain healthy.”
As industry trends and traveller preferences evolve, there is a heightened demand for experiences that foster authentic connections and build a deeper understanding of the destination, Ow observed.
Recognising the pivotal role that travel agents play in shaping the destination experience, Aw said STB plans to co-create a travel agent roadmap to drive growth and innovation for the industry. More information will be unveiled at the Travel Agents and Tourist Guide Industry Forum in July 2024.