Next week (on the 10th February), for the 21st successive year, the International Mediterranean Tourism Market (IMTM) will open at the congress center of the Tel Aviv fairgrounds.
The gala event, which takes place every year and lasts for two days, showcases Israeli and international tourist attractions in an ideal setting. Countries from around the world have stands and booths were exhibitors from those countries can present themselves to Israeli and world visitors to the fair.
Similarly, a wide range of Israeli tourist attractions and companies (some representing, and acting as agents for, international players in the tourist market) are displayed for the thousands of fair visitors.
Israel Travel News (ITN – publishers of tourism magazines, websites and newsletters) and ORTRA (Israel's premier conference organizers) are behind this successful project which has grown in leaps and bounds from year to year.
ITN, hand-in-hand with ORTRA, facilitate and organize the event which includes not only the actual displays, but meetings, lectures and live presentations (some by invitation only) on issues that interest tour operators, guides, tourist organizations, the diplomatic corps, and of course – a public hungry for information on exciting tourist destinations.
One of the desirable "by invitation only" events is the lavish pre-opening breakfast on the first day, exclusively for ambassadors of the diplomatic corps serving in Israel. All ambassadors have already received an invitation and the responses ("RSVP") are flowing in. Ambassadors who have not yet responded are reminded to do so as soon as possible.
Each year new exhibitors join the fair to benefit from the exposure. This year, a series of start-ups under the title of "Digital Travel Dome" (designated separately in the glossy catalog distributed free to all attendees) display the ingenuity of the start-up nation – Israel – in the field of digital apps that make finding information on your smartphone soooo easy. If for no other reason (and there are plenty of other reasons), make sure you get your catalog when you visit the fair.
Cross-border travel is the hallmark of peaceful coexistence. Israel-Arab exhibitors at IMTM are already well represented. Perhaps tourism will be the flashpoint of peace in the Middle East? Perhaps for world peace as well? Only time will tell.
Representatives from www.diplomacy.co.il will be at IMTM 2015. We hope to see you there.
