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(18/11/23)
 With so many annual travel industry conferences,
forums, seminars, roadshows, expos and travel trade shows to
choose from around the world, it can be a complex and daunting
task to whittle them all down to a careful selection that not only
fit your calendar and budget, but which will also deliver the most
valuable returns and networking opportunities for your company.

Whilst doing that, new, relatively unknown markets
must also be explored for potential, and that means trying events
and visiting parts of the world one would not normally include as
a priority.

Sheila Nassar of Association of Brazilian Travel Agents (ABAV)

For example, hotels and national tourism
organisations (NTOs) in South East Asia may not regard a travel
trade show in Brazil as a priority. Traditionally, the number of
visitor arrivals from that country and the whole of South America
may make them question the expense and time involved, but is that
a mistake?

If you look at Thailand, for example, one of the
most visited tourist destinations in South East Asia, the number
of travellers visiting the Kingdom with a Brazilian passport may
be far lower than key markets such as the UK, but has been
steadily increasing over the past 15 years. In fact, in 2017
78,218 Brazilians visited Thailand, up from 48,608 in 2015.

One of the biggest annual travel trade shows in
Brazil – Expo Internacional de Turismo (Brazil Tourism & ABAV
Expo) – is organised by the Association of Brazilian Travel Agents
(ABAV).

To learn more about that event, how many people
visited the exhibition from 27 to 29 September 2023, and what they
have planned for 2024, Steven Howard of Travel News Asia sat down
with the delightful marketing guru, Sheila Nassar, at the World Travel Market in London earlier
this month.

In this interview, filmed on 6 November 2023,
Sheila tells us why NTOs, hotels and other tourism-related
stakeholders in countries such as Indonesia, Malaysia and
Thailand, as well as others, should attend the Brazil Tourism &
ABAV Expo which will take place next year in Brasilia from 25-27
September.

Sheila explains how places like Thailand and
Indonesia – particularly Bali, have impacted the daily lives of
many Brazilians and why those people are interested in visiting
such places for business and holidays.

We discuss what ABAV has planned for the expo in
2024, which stadium they are going to take over for the event and
why they are working so very hard to make this a must-attend
event.

Steven asks about Brazil’s inbound tourism
recovery post-Covid, what surprises the country has seen, what
trends ABAV is witnessing, challenges with air connectivity, new
developments in the country, and which cities are seeing the
fastest growth. All that and much, much more in the HD video and podcast
below.

See also:

Calendar of Travel Trade Shows for 2023, 2024 and 2025.

Brazil Tourism & ABAV Expo
2024 – Interview with Sheila Nassar, Association of Brazilian Travel Agents (ABAV)

PODCAST

See also:

Calendar of Travel Trade Shows for 2023, 2024 and 2025.

See
other:
Exclusive HD Video Interviews with VIPs at World Travel
Market 2023 in London, England
(WTMLDN), including: 

Karnataka Tourism (India) – Interview with H.T. Ratnakar, Adviser
– Tourism and Hospitality, Govt. of Karnataka, India;
Arabian Camp (Saudi
Arabia) – Interview with Khalid Khafagy, Founder; and
Rajasthan Tourism (India) – Interview
with Dr. Rashmi Sharma, I.A.S., Director – Department of Tourism,
Government of Rajasthan.

Latest
exclusive video interviews: 

13 HD Video Interviews from Routes World 2023 in Istanbul, Türkiye.