Appetite for travel bigger than ever despite recession

More than 10,000 trips were sold at TUR 2010, which ended today, Sunday. “It’s an all-time record,” says Per Magnusson, a delighted Exhibition Manager.

49,500 visits were registered during this year’s TUR at the Swedish Exhibition & Congress Centre in Gothenburg; 19,000 on the trade-only days Wednesday-Friday, and over 30,500 on Saturday and Sunday, the two days open to the public. This represents a marginal decline compared with last year.

“But given the current economic climate, it’s a very strong figure. It shows that there’s faith in the future of the tourism, travel and meetings industry,” says Per Magnusson.

“The outcome of the trade days, with a range of intense and constructive discussions on the future and opportunities of the industry, is particularly gratifying. We also noted that our meetings initiative, Meetings@TUR, which we arranged for the second time in its new form, was a great success.”

“The fact that more than 1,700 companies and organisations from around 112 countries and regions exhibited at this year’s fair, underlines TUR’s leading position,” says Per Magnusson.

“We know that, because of the current economic situation, many foreign exhibitors opted to exhibit only at TUR. It’s gratifying that our exhibitors rate TUR as the obvious exhibition venue when the economic climate is less favourable.”

Above all, this year’s TUR was a huge commercial success. Over 10,000 trips were sold directly at the fair. Gothenburg-based City Airlines was one of the many satisfied exhibitors:

“Our stand has been crowded since the exhibition opened last Thursday, until it closed this evening. In fact, people continued to queue up even while we were dismantling the stand,” says Marketing Manager Louise Arvidsson with a laugh

“Our airline had several special offers on trips to destinations like Rome, Majorca, Malaga and Alicante. And they went like hot cakes! We sold more than 2,000 trips during the Saturday and Sunday. So with the fair open for a total of 16 hours, that means we sold all of 125 trips per hour, or more than two a minute!”

Louise Arvidsson believes that the huge demand was due to favourable pricing along with the fact that the company operates direct flights from Gothenburg to destinations in the Mediterranean.

“This was the first time that we focused on the private travel sector. And it’s really whetted our appetite, I can tell you. “

Marie Thorslund at Fritidsresor also notes that its THEME trips sold beyond expectations during the weekend.

TUR also featured a travel auction for the benefit of Stiftelsen MinStoraDag (My Big Day Foundation), which supports seriously ill children. Exhibitors donated trips for visitors to bid for, and further contributions came in via collection boxes at the fair. TUR and the Swedish Exhibition & Congress Centre contributed SEK 40,000,
making a grand total of SEK 250,000. Money that will help to make the wishes of sick children come true.

TUR, Scandinavia’s leading travel trade fair, has been held at the Swedish Exhibition & Congress Centre in Gothenburg since 1984. The next TUR event will take place 24-27 March 2011.

Want to know more?
Call Per Magnusson, TUR Exhibition Manager, Swedish Exhibition & Congress Centre, tel +46 (0)31 708 86 76. E-mail: tur@svenskamassan.se Read more on: www.tur.se

412 94 Göteborg. Besöksadress: Mässans Gata/Korsvägen.
Tel: 031-708 80 00. Public Relations: 031-708 80 06, 031-708 80 07. Fax: 031-708 84 60.
E-post: press@svenskamassan.se www.svenskamassan.se

Svenska Mässan Stiftelse, Säte/Registered Office: Göteborg, Org.nr/Reg.No: 857201-2444