Five Reasons Why Greek Tourism Professionals Should Exhibit at MITT 2018 in Moscow

MITT 2018, the Moscow International Travel and Tourism Exhibition, is opening its doors this March and celebrating it’s 25^th anniversary.

As one of the world’s top five travel exhibitions, MITT is Russia’s leading platform for the travel industry. More than 1,900 travel companies from over 180 countries and regions of the world exhibit at the show every year. ITE Group, the organizer of MITT, gives us five reasons why 2018 should be the year for Greek tourism professionals to join them.

1. The market is ripe for the taking

Did you know that total Russian outbound travel saw an impressive 28 percent rise over the first six months of 2017?

On top of that, travel to Greece is up among Russian tourists this year: 634,581 from January – August, an 8.3 percent rise on the same period in 2016.

With Biletix.ru reporting sales of air tickets increasing 13 percent in September – October and early bookings for the New Year period rising 17 percent compared to last year, it’s safe to say momentum is gaining on Russia’s outbound travel market.

“Growth has continued throughout the summer and autumn and judging by the volume of air tickets already sold for the New Year holidays, we’re also expecting higher results than last year over the winter period. Our sales are returning to pre-crisis levels,” explained Alexander Sizintsev, General Director, Biletix.ru.

2. Capitalise on the Russia-Greece Year of Tourism

Greek and Russian ministries are focusing their efforts on closer collaboration on tourism this year as part of the Russia-Greece Year of Tourism. Beginning in October 2017, the year could well bring a surge over the 2018 summer season.

The Greek National Tourism Organization (GNTO) has already secured a national stand for Greece, ensuring greater visibility, more effective promotion and cost effectiveness for Greek companies looking to exhibit.

3. Increase visibility on the Russian market

As Russia’s largest event of its kind, MITT 2018 is a chance to confirm your presence on the market and let the Russian travel sector know about you. As an excellent tool to market and promote your brand, it’s an opportunity to grab your slice of the Russian outbound market for the 2018 season and beyond.

4. Meet a target audience

There’s no easier way to access the Russian outbound market than at MITT 2018. The event, which went entirely B2B in 2017, draws over 23,000 travel industry professionals looking for exciting destinations to offer their clients.

The audience includes tour operators, travel agents and representatives of countless other travel organizations from 79 regions of Russia and 89 other countries.

In 2017, visitors to MITT reported that most common reasons for exhibiting were to find information on tourist destinations, package offers from tour operators, and international host companies and hotels.

5. Enhanced MITT Tourbusiness 365 business programme

As the travel industry enters a new era driven by increased demands from tourists (year-round availability, new experiences, and an increased quality of service) the MITT team has enhanced its program of business events to support industry professionals in this competitive market.

This year’s enhanced line-up of business program events – titled MITT Tourbusiness 365 – will provide insight into the global and Russian travel markets and help tourism companies succeed in the increasingly competitive and ever-changing tourism business. The line-up will include 10 major sessions, feature over 80 renowned speakers – opinion leaders and experts in their fields – and cover around 60 pressing industry issues including digital marketing and technologies, the state of the Russian outbound sector, market disruptors, and the latest trends.

If you could benefit from more Russian tourists, why not make 2018 the year you join MITT? Applications for stands are still open, but time is running out. Find out more here or contact the team on tm@ite-exhibitions.com or +44 (0) 20 7596 5083.

MITT 2018 will take place March 13-15 in Moscow, Russia.

The Greek Travel Pages (GTP) is an official media partner of MITT 2018.