Travel agents’ in weekend fairs a big success
Strong sales raise hope that upcoming Natas fair will give industry a much-needed boost
By Lim Wei Chean
MILLIONS of dollars in year-end holiday packages were sold during fairs held last weekend by three major travel agencies.
The glittering figure has lent some cheer to an industry that was hit hard by a lack of sales in June - traditionally a big holiday month among Singaporeans because of the four-week-long school break.
ASA Holidays said it rang up $6 million in sales over the weekend, while another powerhouse, Chan Brothers, said it had done $3 million worth of business.
A third company, SA Tours, said it was still tallying its receipts, but reported that sales were positive.
The big-sellers were tours to Europe and the United States. Trips to more exotic locales such as Turkey and Egypt did well too.
Some buyers were planning far ahead. ASA Holidays said it received bookings for holidays during Chinese New Year and the March school break next year.
The good showing - an ASA Holidays spokesman described it as ‘overwhelming’ - has left the industry cautiously optimistic that the National Association of Travel Agents Singapore (Natas) fair, to be held at the Singapore Expo from Friday to Sunday, will give it a much-needed shot in the arm.
The Natas event, held twice a year, is the grand-daddy of travel fairs in Singapore, and this weekend’s event is no different.
There will be 1,000 exhibitor booths for the first time, occupying two full halls at Singapore Expo with 20,000 sq m of exhibition space.
The number of exhibitors has also grown from 120 to 160.
Travel agencies had initially feared that the slow sale of holiday packages for the June break meant Singaporeans’ appetite for travel had shrunk as higher prices for food, petrol and other essentials took a toll on spending.
SA, for example, saw sales drop by 10 per cent.
ASA’s spokesman, Ms Eileen Oh, said: ‘We were initially very worried about how the market was going to be.’
But insiders say that even though Singaporeans have tightened their belts by cancelling mid-year holidays, they are still prepared to splash out for an end-of-year getaway.
Natas chief executive officer Robert Khoo agreed.
Noting that ‘June is normally the peak travel season but it was quite quiet this year’, he said that if the cost of living continues to rise, Singaporeans could start taking one big holiday a year instead of multiple trips.
He added, though, that if a global economic slowdown drags on, things could take a turn for the worse.
Already, inflation and the appreciation of the Singapore dollar have taken a toll on the tourism industry here: Year-on-year arrival numbers for June dipped for the first time in 51 months.
Still, Mr Khoo is optimistic that the Natas fair will draw buyers in droves.
He is setting a target of 60,000 visitors to the fair, which would be a new record.
SA Tours spokesman Ruth Lim was also optimistic. She explained: ‘Singapore is a small country so people need to travel out to relax.’
Source : Straits Times - 30 July 2008
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