ITB Asia boosts business travel with GBTA deal

ITB Asia has enhanced its business travel credentials following a new partnership with the Global Business Travel Association (GBTA).

As part of the arrangement, GBTA will hold a Business Travel Day at ITB Asia 2014 presenting educational sessions on business travel management. One of the highlights will be the association’s latest Business Travel Index Report, offering new insights into corporate travel trends for the BRIC countries.

“Over the past decade, the Asia Pacific region has become the largest business travel region in the world. As all eyes look to this region, it becomes even more critical for us to maintain our position as a dynamic marketplace of ideas and business opportunities,” said Nino Gruettke, executive director of ITB Asia.

“This mutually beneficial partnership with GBTA will expose our delegates to the latest industry trends and opportunities and will also help us leverage the extensive networks of business, government and travel trade contacts to attract even more experts and key industry players,” he added.

The inaugural Business Travel Day will offer a range of content on the latest economic forecasts for business travel spend in the region, as well as new insights to support business travel professionals looking to expand in the Asian travel market. These sessions will complement ITB Asia’s existing conference sessions.

“Having worked in tandem with ITB Asia for many years, we’ve watched the show evolve into a must-attend event for the Asian travel trade industry. Leveraging this global platform, we have decided to strengthen our involvement and increase our presence even further through multiple co-located events and initiatives during the trade show,” said Welf Ebeling, GBTA’ vice president of operations for Asia.

Last year, ITB Asia attracted close to 9,100 attendees representing over 110 countries, and these numbers are expected to grow this year.