EuropeanLife Magazine 2018 #1 #1 | Page 22

T oday, Asia is an exponentially big market for all kinds of businesses triggering fast growth across the board. ITB Asia, ‘Asia’s Leading Travel Trade Show’, is a testament to this milestone and this year it’s set to focus primarily on the US$180 billion Muslim travel market as it partners with key experts, CrescentRating and Halal Trip, for the 3rd edition of the Halal in Travel summit. Set to de- liver an unrivaled conference this year, ITB Asia is launching a newly dedicated Muslim Travel Hub and Pavilion to host panel discussions from October 17–19, 2018 at Marina Bay Sands Expo and Convention Center, Singapore. By 2020, it is expected that there will be 156 million Muslim travelers, growing nearly 30% since 2016. By 2026, the es- timated total purchase by Muslim travelers is expected to rise to US$ 300 billion, which is more than double in volume over a decade. Muslim travel is thus a highly important pri- ority for ITB Asia this year as key players in the travel and tourism space are demanding insights and best practices in marketing destinations, and how to better connect with Muslim travelers whose concerns can’t be overlooked. The third Halal in Travel Asia Summit will shed light on the key theme of ‘Innovation & Technology in the Muslim Travel Space’. 22 ITB Asia’s other key partner, Have Halal, Will Travel, will host a conference for the second year at the Muslim Travel Pavilion as part of its mission to endorse the show with strong content on this specific area. “Have Halal, Will Travel” is excited to be a content part- ner for ITB Asia 2018. With a reach of 9.1million Mus- lims across Asia and major collaborations with tourism boards, airlines and consumer mega brands, we’ve an unparalleled view of the changing Muslim travel market. We’re excited to share these insights to help govern- ments and brands connect opportunities, drive change and shape the future of the Muslim travel market,” shared Mikhail Goh, CEO of Have Halal, Will Travel. Encouraging exhibitors and destinations to showcase their Muslim travel products and services, ITB Asia’s Mus- lim Travel Hub is proud to host various displays from Indonesia, Japan and Turkey, looking at topics such as ‘Targeting US$126 billion Muslim tourism market with cultural changes’ from Indonesia, ‘Making Muslims feel at home’ from Japan, and ‘Traveling in style’ from Turkey. The conference will kick off with the official release of the Mastercard-Halal Trip Digital Muslim Travel Report (DMTR) 2018, revealing the latest insights and in-depth analysis into the Muslim travel market and behaviors especially when it comes to trip planning research and engagement in the digital space. Keynote speeches, interactive panel discussions and de- tailed presentations will discuss hot topics including how to invest in Halal travel and developing the Halal travel market in the service and destination sectors. During this three-day event, the dedicated Muslim Travel Hub will offer panels, showcases and important discus- sions on Halal travel. Key topics that will be covered include how to attract Muslim travelers to destinations throughout the year, how to further develop the growing Muslim travel market, and develop Muslim-friendly travel packages. Sup- plementing this and located in the same area will be the Muslim Travel Pavilion fully dedicated to exhibitors that offer Muslim travel products and services. The Pavilion will play host to various talks on how to win over millions of Muslim visitors, happy trails with travel apps and address- ing Muslim travelers’ anxieties. “We’re excited to partner with ITB Asia on the third Halal in Travel Asia Summit 2018. Following the successful launch of our Muslim Millennial Travel Report in ITB Asia 2017, we look forward to releasing the Digital Muslim Travel Report by Halal Trip and Mastercard at this year’s conference. The Muslim Travel Market is moving into the next stage of growth driven by Millennials and the digital space,” said Fazal Bahardeen, CEO of CrescentRating and Halal Trip. About ITB Asia 2018 ITB Asia 2018 will take place at the Sands Expo and Convention Centre, Marina Bay Sands, from October 17-19, 2018. It is organized by Messe Berlin (Singapore) Pvt. Ltd and supported by the Singapore Exhibition & Convention Bureau. The annual three-day B2B trade show and convention will feature hundreds of exhibit- ing companies from the Asia-Pacific region, Europe, the Americas, Africa and the Middle East, covering not only the leisure market, but also corporate and MICE travel. Exhibitors from every sector of the industry, including destinations, airlines and airports, hotels and resorts, theme parks and attractions, inbound tour operators, inbound DMCs, cruise lines, spas, venues, other meet- ing facilities and travel technology companies are all expected to attend. For more information on ITB Asia 2018, please visit: www.itb-asia.com 23