Sellers urge ATF host country to find right buyer balance

SELLERS say buyers with big volumes to ASEAN should be hosted, but concede they also want the presence of new players.

Destinations of the World (Malaysia) regional manager – business development of South-east Asia, Fizlie Mansor, said the “ideal” strategy should be “increasing new buyers while maintaining the traditional heavyweights”.

Singapore-based Tour East group vice president of sales and marketing Judy Lum said: “Why should a major operator be made to pay and the small and medium or up-and-coming operators not have to? I cannot comprehend the logic. Major operators have to work hard at trade shows as every supplier wants to see them.”

Yet Lum agreed that buyers from new and emerging markets presented “opportunities for the show”.

Lac Hong Voyages director of business development Robert Tan expressed the desire to “see new players” at ATF as huge accounts had gone to other groundhandlers.

- Full story in TTG Asia, January 28