Exhibitors prepare for the 15th edition of MITT

MITT, the largest travel and tourism exhibition in Russia and the fifth largest in the world, will celebrate its 15th anniversary this year.  The event will take place on 19-22 March at Expocentr, Moscow.    

More than 2,700 companies will be taking part in MITT, representing countries and regions from all over the world.  This includes MITT’s first ever ‘Partner Country’, Turkey, whose participation is organised by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism and whose stand will comprise 500 companies, covering over 1,250 m².

Among those currently finalising their preparations for the exhibition is the Polish Tourism Organisation.  Company Director, Mr. Andzei Serakovski, states, “We have been participating at MITT for a long time and are very happy with the results. MITT is very popular at present and this is not just my opinion. It is one of the top five exhibitions in the world in terms of visitor numbers”.

For Ivetta Verdiyan, Head of the Marketing Department at Anex Tour, MITT is not just an exhibition: “It’s a tradition! Anex Tour has been coming to MITT for more than ten years now and we get a great response”. She explains that the exhibition is very important for the tourism industry: “All our Russian and international partners come to MITT. The exhibition is the perfect place to establish new contracts for the summer season. More opportunities arise every year. We contact new hotels, review interesting programmes, services and new destinations, and it’s good that we can talk to people directly at MITT. Our partners can get all the information as well. We are looking to meet up with our colleagues at MITT. The visitor rating is very high. As I said, MITT is tradition. You can’t miss it”.

Tatyana Bozko from the Italian State Tourist Board (ENIT) agrees: “Of course MITT has become a tradition. Italian tour operators as well as representatives from different regions are coming. And their numbers are constantly growing. Italians are becoming more interested in doing business in Russia. Operators want to be part of the market and MITT is one of the leading exhibitions”. ENIT has increased its stand size considerably this year.
 
Tez Tour will be participating again at MITT and this year, they will also be introducing their partner to the Russian market: “Our company is a regular participant at MITT - the biggest tourism event”, says Vladimir Kaganer, Tez Tour’s General Director, “It’s obvious that the biggest tour operator needs a place for carrying out business meetings and negotiations, and MITT is the best place before the peak season.  Visitors to Tez Tour’s stand include representatives of hotels, our Russian and foreign offices and agents. Our meeting schedule is full. Making a contact during the exhibition is not just effective, it’s a pleasure – partners we have met at MITT have become friends”.  For the first time, Tez Tour will have two stands at MITT:  One for the company itself and another to present its project, TEZ Turkey Hotel Lounge. 28 of the company’s partner hotels in Turkey will be represented on the stand and the company has printed 10,000 catalogues for the exhibition.

IntAir is also preparing for exhibition. Ekaterina Grigoryeva, the Head of Marketing, says: “At the moment, we are preparing new catalogues and working on new products, which we will introduce at the exhibition. MITT is there for us year after year and we come every year without a second thought. First, it’s the feedback we receive. Secondly, we establish good business contacts. And the third reason - high attendance levels”.

Yulia Krylova, the Press Secretary for VAO Intourist, adds: “MITT is one of the top professional exhibitions. Exhibiting here gives us an opportunity to present new products for the summer season, sign agreements and establish new business contacts”. This year, the company will present tours to Thailand, Egypt, Bulgaria, Italy, Tunis, Spain, Turkey and Greece. NKN Intourist plans to hold various masterclasses and seminars for its agent in Moscow and other regions. Hotel operator, Intourist Hotel Group will present its hotels and various proposals for the spring-summer season. Travel Agencies, Intourist Travel Magazine, will present a new on-line booking system, and will hold a number of events for its franchisers.