Singapore’s NATAS travel fair, themed Go Anywhere, opened its doors at Suntec Convention Centre in Singapore on August 11 welcoming travelers to visit over 80 exhibitors that includes airlines, cruise operators, hotel operators, national tourism organizations, travel agents and other travel related businesses.

“This weekend’s fair will be the 51st NATAS travel fair since 1987,” said Steven Ler, Acting President NATAS. (pictured left) “Our 50th Golden Jubilee fair in February drew a record breaking attendance of 110,901 visitors and we look forward to a great turnout once again…The success of our fairs, especially in recent times as the tourism landscape becomes increasing complex and competitive, is solid proof of our members’ relevance and foothold in the travel industry.“The theme of Holidays 2017 is simply, ‘Go Anywhere’,” Mr Ler continued, “As well as travel packages, visitors will also enjoy a host of informative talks and cultural performances to further enhance their experience, and our Grand Draw promised to inject an atmosphere of excitement and fun.”

Guest of Honour Alex Hungate, SATS President and CEO, cut the ribbon to open the travel fair and said in his speech “The growing attendance at NATAS Fair is a testament to the event popularity and NATAS’ deep knowledge of the changing tourism landscape.

“It is apt,” Mr Hungate continued, “that this year’s theme is ‘Go Anywhere’. Besides the factors that Steven mentioned in his opening address – namely the increase in airport capacity that has led to great flight access to secondary cities and travel deals that have made travel more affordable, the rise of digital and increased penetration of smart phones have also changed the way people plan their trips.“As a ground handler, SATS has grown by creating innovative products and services to help our airline customers increase their competitiveness. We now operate in 47 airports across 44 cities. Across the region we handle more than 100 million passengers annually. From check-in to to arrival we are in contact with the travelers at many points in their journey. Today, at the NATAS Fair, we are launching Ready to Travel, a mobile travel concierge, that will help them with the digital aspects of their trip, to complement our traditional role as a ground handler helping them with the physical aspects.

Later, at the launch of Ready to Travel, Alex and his team unveiled a truly impressive App that is certain to be tech savvy travelers of any age. One attractive feature of the new app is that enables travelers to share itineraries with friends and family., creating a viral, social element to the app. “At the same time,” the CEO continued, “we can help them stay connect with pocket wifi services and link them to a comprehensive range of essential services, like travel insurance, from our partners all on one platform.”Mr Ler noted that NATAS Travel Fair 2017 with all the product offerings by the exhibitors, “will not disappoint visitors in their avid hopes to travel to all corners of the globe.”