GIBTM kicks off GCC & Levant roadshow series in Sultanate as government continues on path of tourism diversification to drive inbound meetings business.
Oman’s tourism leaders are focusing continued attention on growing the meetings sector as the Ministry of Tourism continues with its 2012 strategic plan to place the Sultanate’s expanding portfolio of conference and exhibition facilities, incentive options, hotels and tourism attractions in the global spotlight in the lead-up to the 2013 Gulf Incentive, Business Travel and Meetings Exhibition (GIBTM).
Ahead of the March 2013 event, Reed Travel Exhibitions, organiser of GIBTM, is taking to the road for a series of brand new GCC and Levant focused education and networking forums for Meetings, Business Travel and Incentive based companies to gain insight and knowledge in order to enhance their trade show experience.
Entitled ‘GIBTM Talks: Maximising your ROI’, the road show will commence on 14th October in Muscat and run through 19th October, visiting Doha, Manama, Amman and Beirut.
Positioning the country as a year-round destination is a key objective under the strategic plan, with Oman’s diverse geography, activities and climate, providing unique opportunities to broaden the existing product offering.
“The Omani Ministry of Tourism, and the Sultanate’s tourism industry, are working hard to raise the regional bar when it comes to showcasing the competitiveness and diversity of the country’s meetings and events offering,” said Lois Hall, Exhibition Manager for GIBTM, the leading platform for the incentive, business travel and meetings industry in the Middle East, which takes place at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (ADNEC) on 25-27 March 2013.
The Sultanate welcomed 1.6 million tourists in 2011, with 2012 figures forecast to reach two million by year-end, according to the Ministry of Tourism. In 2011, total tourism revenues accounted for 2.6% of Oman’s gross domestic product (GDP) and the government aims to increase this to around 3.5 per cent by 2015. According to the Ministry of Tourism, the meetings, incentives, conference and events (MICE) sector has seen healthy growth in the last two years, with up to 10% of MICE visitors returning as leisure travellers.
With high oil prices, a growing non-oil economy and major investment in transport and power infrastructure projects driving business travel in the Gulf region once again, GIBTM is kicking off its roadshow series in the Omani capital, Muscat, on 14th October 2012.
Offering added value support to Oman’s burgeoning meetings and events sector, the educational and networking forum, which is supported by the Ministry of Tourism, will be held at the Park Inn Muscat from 10:00am-1:00pm under the theme ‘Maximise Your ROI’.
“Our popular roadshow events are an invaluable opportunity for existing and potential exhibitors to gain insight and knowledge in order to enhance their GIBTM event experience, as well as pick up some great tips and techniques on using the latest social media tools to maximise business both pre- and post show,” said Hall.
“As well as the construction of world-class exhibition and conference venues, Oman is also capitalising on its cultural and geographic landscape. The 2010 opening of the Royal Opera House Muscat really helped put the capital, and the country, on the global map, and a commitment to eco tourism and development of exciting adventure-based activities are giving meetings and events bookers a 360° offering,” added Hall.
Muscat’s long-awaited US$1.8 billion Oman Conference and Exhibition Centre will also debut in 2015. Upon completion, the two million-square metre mixed-use facility will include a 3,200-seat auditorium, 25,000 square metres of exhibition space and four hotels with a total of 1,000 rooms.
Now in its seventh year, GIBTM attracts in excess of 2,400 industry professionals annually. New for the 2013 edition, and in response to increasing demand for business travel services in the region, GIBTM has launched its first dedicated Business Travel Pavilion. The show also hosts 300 regional and international senior level buyers, through the Hosted Buyer Programme, with a combined budget of over US$827 million, who through 7,600 pre-scheduled appointments over the two and a half-day exhibition, meet with more than 350 exhibitors from 36 different countries.
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