| Showcase.travel Alsace, a new travel trade event created by the European tourism association ETOA and Tourism Alsace has hit capacity within just two weeks of its launch. | |
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| Capitalising on new flight connections to Strasbourg, Showcase.travel Alsace will bring tour operators to the region for a B2B workshop with tourism suppliers from throughout Alsace and will provide an opportunity for tour operator buyers to experience the tourism offer first-hand during a three day familiarisation tour. Connecting in just over two hours from London Victoria train station, France’s smallest region has much to offer visitors; from feudal castles to Romanesque churches, its famous wood framed houses and romantic ruins perched on the peaks of the Vosges, regional gastronomy and a varied calendar of cultural events. The MICE industry benefits from a selection of 8,000 bedrooms across 135 hotels and from 2016 the redeveloped convention centre will offer three auditoriums, 25 committee rooms, a 2,000m² catering space, and a 10,000m² adaptable space for exhibitions, catering and conferences. Frederic Ereny, Operations Director at EuroVista Holidays said: ‘I’m attending Showcase.travel Alsace to increase my knowledge of the region and to make contact with new partners in order to develop our presence in the area. Alsace is an interesting destination for our customers and this event will allow me to experience the region first hand.’ Cyril Brid, Deputy Director of Promotion & Business Development at the Alsace Business and Tourism Development Organisation said: ‘With increased connectivity to an already attractive destination, the Alsace tourist board is delighted to be hosting Showcase.travel to highlight the accessible tourist offer to operators. The fact that both buyer and supplier registrations were so successful is testament to the draw of the region as well as the format of the event’. Thomas Dubus, CEO of Strasbourg International Airport said: ‘The arrival of easyJet and Transavia.com in 2014 to Strasbourg illustrates the successful strategic repositioning of the airport and demonstrates the potential for further development of new European and international routes. The addition of new low cost carriers has resulted in a marked growth, with 1.2 million passengers having passed through Strasbourg Airport during 2013.’ In addition to the lead taken by Tourism Alsace and ETOA, the event is being supported by Strasbourg International Airport, the Strasbourg Convention Bureau, the Strasbourg - Grande île UNESCO World Heritage Site and the Strasbourg Tourist Office. Showcase.travel Alsace is part of a series of promotional destination events taking place in established and emerging destinations throughout Europe, organised by ETOA in partnership with Tourist Boards. Other destinations where Showcase.travel events have already been hosted include Athens and Paris, with more in the pipeline for the future. |
