TENTATIVE figures released for this year's International Travel Faire (ITF) held at the Bellville Velodrome in Cape Town over the weekend August 25 to 27, show that numbers increased from 8 500 last year to approximately 12 600 this year.
This according to Stephen Bozdan, director of Travel Market Events (TME), which organised the event in conjunction with sponsors, ABSA Bank.
Bozdan told Travel Now that this year was the second time the ITF was held under the banner of TME and declared the event "tremendously successful".
"First-time destination exhibitors, Spain and the United States, have expressed interest in returning next year with a serious pavilion exhibition. In fact, the feedback from all our exhibitors was extremely positive and they reportedly had done great business on their stands."
Bozdan did say that the Friday opening - left open for the trade - was "a little disappointing" as many of the trade people only arrived on the Saturday and the organisers were considering opening next year's event, to be held at the same venue on August 24 to 26, to the public a day earlier.
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(Adéle Mackenzie)
