Reed Travel Exhibitions, organiser of the leading luxury travel events International Luxury Travel Market (ILTM) and ILTM Asia, has announced the launch of the first luxury travel one-to-one summit to focus exclusively on the world’s largest outbound luxury travel market, North America, and the rapidly emerging Latin American market – ILTM Americas.
The first ILTM Americas will take place in the luxury resort of Mayakoba, on the Mexican Riviera Maya, from October 1-3, 2012 with the full support of Mexico Tourism Board. The summit will follow ILTM’s successful format of selecting the most discerning luxury travel agents and specialists to meet directly with the world’s leading luxury travel suppliers. ILTM will carefully select 100 of the estimated 14,000 travel advisors buying luxury products across the Americas to ensure they are the leading agents from the Americas (Central, North and South America).
To comply with ILTM’s policy of pre-qualifying both buyers and exhibitors, each of the buyers and suppliers invited to attend will be accredited for participation in ILTM Americas. Pre-scheduled appointments will be arranged on a strict one-to-one ratio.
Reed Travel Exhibitions Luxury and Specialist Portfolio Director Mark Walsh commented “the world is set to alter dramatically with heavily populated and rapidly developing countries such as Mexico and South America taking centre stage in terms of spending power and global influence. Mexico’s GDP is predicted to increase by 334% to $6682 billion by 2050, overtaking the UK, which is predicted to increase by a comparable 149% to $5682 billion across the same period.”
The Mayan Riviera is in the Southeast Mexico state of Quintana Roo and has become well known for its luxury resorts and a historical tourism base of smaller boutique hotels.
Mexican Tourism Board’s, UK & North Europe Director, Manuel Diaz Cebrian said “Southeast Mexico is the birthplace of Ancient Maya grandeur and a fitting destination to host the first ILTM Americas summit. With a range of rich experiences to offer the luxury traveller, 5.4 million Americans visited Mexico in 2010 and we welcome the opportunity to provide the gateway to luxury for this influential region.”
ILTM Exhibition Director Alison Gilmore added “the ILTM global event in Cannes hosts over 1,200 senior luxury travel buyers from over 60 countries across six continents. To maintain a balance of source markets, ILTM in Cannes has the capacity to host 400 buyers from the Americas. We have seen increasing demand to attend ILTM from luxury travel buyers across North and South America as well as great demand from international luxury travel suppliers to meet with these discerning agents from across the Americas. With this direct entry into the Americas market, ILTM Americas will give international suppliers a greater exposure to the exceptional buying power from North, South and Central America.”
ILTM America will open with a dedicated ILTM Forum to highlight topical research and information specific to the region, revealing trends and solutions and creating a platform for the continent’s leading luxury travel stakeholders. The following two days will comprise a table-top event of pre-scheduled appointments between buyer and supplier who have each registered a wish to meet each other prior to the event.
International Luxury Travel Market (ILTM), www.iltm.net