For the first time in its five-decade history, Euromic members convened in Asia to hold their annual general meeting.
Supported by the Malaysia Convention & Exhibition Bureau (MyCEB), Euromic members from all over the globe engaged with the local trade specialising in outbound business events from January 17-21. The Malaysia event was followed by a one-day event in Singapore on January 22.
On January 19, Pacific Travel Asia Association CEO, Noor Ahmad Hamid, was in attendance, and shared with Euromic members an overview of the travel trends in Asia, to help them better understand the market.
This comes as Euromic unfolds plans to open their first Asian sales office in 2025, shared Euromic president, Rajeev Kohli, who is also joint managing director of India-based Creative Travel. The location of the office, and the number of staff it will have, have yet to be decided upon.
“The rationale behind setting up an office in Asia is that 55 per cent of the world’s population lives in Asia, so we cannot afford to ignore Asia,” shared Rajeev.
Currently, this non-profit marketing association of DMCs has sales offices in the US, South Africa and Germany.
Addressing the business performance for 2023, Rajeev noted that a majority of Euromic’s members recorded significant growth last year compared to 2022. As such, he anticipates a very positive year for its members this year.
He said: “Market demand has returned. I think this is because multinational companies better understand the value of incentive travel and the need for bonding opportunities for employees. The pandemic was a period of isolation, and now it is a time for in-person experiences.”
As tourism returns, sustainability has also moved front and centre, with Euromic aiming to be the first tourism association with 100 per cent of its members certified for sustainability.
Rajeev stated: “We have mandated that every member, by the end of 2024, should obtain a sustainability certification. Some are already accredited, and we have partnered with Biosphere to help with those that have not been.”
