Organizations in the Distribution Process - Tourism: Principles, Practices, Philosophies - page 167

Although mainly serving inbound groups from abroad, some receptive service operators also
service other markets and groups such as special interest and technical groups, special events, fraternal
organizations, people with handicaps, senior groups, and student groups.
The Receptive Services Association of America (RSAA) serves this group of travel professionals.
RSAA's mission is helping receptive operators serve international tour companies through partnerships
with North American suppliers. Visit its Web site at www.rsana.com .

E GLOBAL INSIGHT E

Trade Fairs and Shows
S pecial entities in the promotion and distribution of travel are

is a four-day travel industry event that brings together worldwide
buyers and sellers from every sector of the industry. It provides a
unique opportunity for the global travel trade industry to meet,
network, negotiate, conduct business, and learn about the latest
developments in the travel industry. Over 45,500 travel industry
professionals representing 187 countries participated in WTM in
2009. Visit its Web site at www.wtmlondon.com .

fairs, exchanges, shows, exhibitions, and markets. The
entities bring buyers and sellers together at venues where billions
of dollars of business is transacted.

ITB BERLIN

POW WOW

The biggest of these entities is ITB Berlin, which takes place in
March every year. ITB is, without doubt, the largest travel trade
show in the world. The exhibitors at the ITB come from all sectors
of the international travel and tourism industry and include
government tourism offices, national and regional tourism
organizations, tour operators, hotels, airline carriers, insurance
companies, communication and information systems, travel
agencies, publishing, and dot-com companies. ITB also has
consumer days where consumers are allowed in to see what the
world's travel industry has to offer. In 2010, more than 11,000
organizations from 180 countries exhibited using 160,000 square
yards of exhibition area. Seminars, symposia, workshops, and
working groups also take place at ITB. Visit ITB's Web site at
www.fair.itb-berlin.de . In 2008, a new ITB Trade Show, ITB Asia,
was launched and is now held annually in Singapore.

In the United States, the major trade show is USTA's
International Pow Wow. It provides a venue to bring U.S.
suppliers together with tour operators and buyers from around
the world. Pow Wow moves from city to city. In 2010, it was held
in Orlando, Florida. It will be held in San Francisco, California, in
2011; Los Angeles, California, in 2012, and Las Vegas, Nevada,
in 2013. See www.ustravel.org/events/international-pow-wow .

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

1. What is the largest tourism trade fair in the world?

2. What are the advantages of participating in trade fairs and

shows?

WORLD TRAVEL MARKET

The World Travel Market (WTM) held annually in London each
November is the world's second largest travel trade show. WTM

SPECIALTY CHANNELERS

Specialty intermediaries include such organizations as incentive travel firms, business meeting and

convention planners, corporate travel of ces, association executives, hotel representatives, travel
consultants, trade shows, and supplier sales of ces. Although specialty intermediaries are a small force
in distribution compared to travel agencies, they have considerable power to in uence when, where,
and how people travel. Such groups can represent either buyers or sellers, receiving either a