UITM 2013 – a new image on the show’s 20th anniversary

The 20th Ukrainian International Travel Market (UITM 2013) will take place from 23 to 25 October 2013 at Kyiv’s International Exhibition Centre. 

Two months before the show opens, the tourist boards of Brazil, Bulgaria, Hungary, the Dominican Republic, Dubai, Egypt, India, Cyprus, Palestine, Poland, Slovakia, Thailand, Turkey, Finland, Sri Lanka and other countries have already booked exhibition space.

Emirates and flydubai airlines will participate in UITM for the first time. Italian, Vietnam and Maldives are going to extend the participation.

A key area at the show this year is gastro-tourism – trips which combine museums, sights and architecture with enjoying the delights of the local cuisine. The options on display at UITM 2013 for travel and food lovers perfectly complement the event’s regular sectors: winter tourism, exotic travel, beach holidays and luxury tourism.

Winter resorts will be presented by Finnish, Turkish, Slovakian and Bulgarian tour operators, and exotic travel by Brazil, the Dominican Republic, India, Thailand and Sri Lanka. Ukraine is seen as one of the most promising markets for Sri Lanka in particular – Eastern Europe is responsible for some of the highest growth in tourist numbers to the island.

Those looking to escape from winter to summer and warm up on the beach can choose hotels and travel firms in Egypt, Turkey, Cyprus and Dubai. Trips to Hungary, Poland, Bulgaria, India and Turkey are among the options for off-season wellness and relaxation breaks at spas, mud clinics and natural springs.

Most Ukrainian exhibitors are offering luxury, green and internal tourism, and the regions of Ukraine – both municipalities and commercial companies – will play an active role at the exhibition.

One of the main problems faced by Ukrainian resorts is extending the resort season. How can you attract tourists between seasons? For most resorts and guesthouses in the Crimean and Carpathian regions, the off-season lasts almost the entire year, with the exception of New Year, the ten or so days of May holiday and the summer holiday period. Accommodation providers in Ukraine have the necessary infrastructure and trained staff, and the most importantly are willing to drop their prices, but the Ukrainian business community still believes the stereotype that holidays in Ukraine offer high prices and low quality. As a result, they prefer to organise their business events abroad.

The Create Your Event workshop has been designed to overcome this stereotype. Exhibitors from other shows organised by Premier Expo – major car manufacturers, construction companies, medical and cosmetic firms, retailers and many others – will be invited to meet managers of hotels, travel agencies and event organisers. The workshop will be located in a business café, and its comfortable working atmosphere will be ideal for presenting opportunities to organise conferences, incentive travel and corporate events that combine business and relaxation.

Medical tourism is an area that has grown in popularity in recent years, and this is reflected in the new Medical Tourism Kyiv b2b exhibition for travel and medical professionals. Medical Tourism Kyiv will take place in October 2013 alongside UITM 2013 and Public Health 2013.

UITM 2013 is organised by ITE Group and Premier Expo.