BTExpo 2024 - The White Glove Service
by Mark Montgomery
The Belgian Travel Expo is an annual travel and tourism fair dedicated to professionals. This year, it was held in two different flavours. On 18 November it was held at the Vandervalk hotel in Nivelles, south of Brussels. On 19 November it was held at KAA Gent Arena. When asked, “Why two events, and not one joint event in Brussels?” Mr Ignace Vermeylen, Director, said “Having the events in two locations helps us stay close to our linguistic communities.”
This is a valid consideration in Belgium. “Additionally, Brussels has become a nightmare! Getting into the city and out again, at peak times, is painful. It is a deterrent to many potential attendees.” It must also be noted that venue rental in Brussels costs an arm and a leg. Experience shows that his two-flavour approach to hosting the BTExpo is an inspired one. The Nivelles venue, south of Brussels, 202 exhibitors and 421 visitors, attracted participation from Luxembourg and from northern France. Trade professionals from these neighbouring countries were able to benefit from the exhibition with a convenient day return trip. The effortless accessibility offered by the event in Ghent, 164 exhibitors, 181 visitors, north of Brussels, offered the same ease of access. In a similar vein, it attracted visitors and exhibitors from The Netherlands.
The above may suggest that the BTExpo was a local event. This could not be further from the truth. Exhibitors from the tourism authorities of Guatemala, Guadeloupe, Tahiti, Brazil, Portugal, Georgia and Armenia, amongst many more, had busy streams of visitors from the opening bell until close of business.
BTExpo is a Business-to-Business event. Notable industry players such as Emirates, China Airlines, Ethiopian Airlines, LOT Polish Airlines, Lufthansa Group and Qatar Airways all jostled to present their new products and services to platoons of travel agents and Destination Management Companies present. The consolidated figures show an 18% increase over attendance at BTExpo 2023.
Mark Montgomery with Ignace Vermeylen – Director, BTExpo
Exhibitor from Poland
Belgium Travel Expo has been a pioneer in the travel industry for two decades. It is Belgium’s leading trade show for tourism and MICE professionals. Many of the exhibitors presented largely familiar “vanilla” offerings. However, three companies presented innovative products.
EMIRATES convincingly argued that their Dubai Stopover service added value to the traveller. “This option allows the customer, in any class, to break their journey by stopping over in Dubai. They can then leverage the airlines dominant hub facilities” said Yves Vanhaack – Sales Manager, Belgium and Luxembourg. It is therefore possible to book a leg to Dubai and then a leg back as two separate flights – at no additional cost. The interruption could be for a day or for a month. This flexibility allows the traveller to benefit from the best prices for onward and return flights from Dubai. “The BTExpo is a vita trade show for us to present new products and services to the industry, not only in Belgium, but also in the region” said Yves Vanhaack, Sales Manager for the Benelux
CIELS DU MONDE offers an air cruise. “It is very much like a sea cruise” said their sales rep “But instead of going around the world in a ship, we do so in our private plane” said Audrey Thomann Quoico Sales Director, France.
The aircraft can accommodate about 180 passengers in three class categories. The air cruise makes 9 stops in its Round the World quest. Everything in the air and on land is included in the price. The 23-day adventure is unrushed. Each stop could last as long as 3 days.
Participants are cared for by local tour guides as well as the cruise staff. If participants choose not to follow the set programme, they have complete freedom to explore the location independently.
STAR CLIPPERS presented an exciting transatlantic crossing, on a 5-mast tall ship. “The crossing is enjoyed in the lap of luxury” said Olivia van der Ghinst – Sales Manager Benelux. The crossing takes about 23 days. Obviously, there is opportunity for memorable sunsets, much deserved relaxation and time to catch up with friends or to make new acquaintances. In addition, there are various workshops and entertainment opportunities during the crossing. “We also have a range of other sailings in other parts of the world” said Olivia van der Ghinst – Sales Manager Benelux.
I was happy to see the presence of newish destinations at the event. These included Albania, Georgia and Armenia. These are lesser-known destinations, but they are not to be missed! Albania’s riviera boast sand and sea that rivals the Maldive – but at a fraction of the cost and zero jet lag. The scuba diving opportunities are many and varied. The cuisine is uncontrived and mouth-wateringly delectable.
On the High Seas
Exhibitors from Portugal and Brazil
Georgia and Armenia are a surprise package for most western Europeans. Yerevan and Tbilisi are among the oldest permanently inhabited cities on the planet. Their old towns are age itself. But these two countries have more to offer than antiquity. The quality of their art and music and cuisine is a wonderful counterpoint to what most western Europeans are familiar with. It would be remiss not to turn a spotlight on the wine and the world class jazz clubs in these two countries. They can stand shoulder to shoulder with France, Spain, Italy and the USA in these two domains. The representatives of both countries had booths next to each other. “We are grateful for this opportunity” they said. “BTExpo gives us the platform to show off the wonders of our countries to a wider professional audience. We expect to see an increase in the number of visitors to our countries.”
The BTExpo was not just a B2B event for the tourism industry. This was a master class in hospitality. In collaboration with the Belgian National Railway, travel agents were provided with complementary train travel. Once reaching the destination station, a shuttle service whisked me to the venue. Transportation was provided for those attending the events in both Nivelles and in Gent. At both events we were welcomed to networking lunches and drinks parties.
BTExpo delivered an exemplary white glove hospitality service to the industry representative.
