At EIBTM in December, I asked the question: despite any short term shifts in business travel for international meetings and conventions, which emerging destinations will capture the attention of business travelers and meeting professionals in the future? Those destinations that want to grow their international meetings and conventions business have three common qualities: offering a strong value for their currency, making investments to grow their hotel and conference facilities, and offering excellent service.
I did some extra digging since then, and based on feedback from a variety of industry sources, business travel destinations to watch include:
- Abu Dhabi, UAE
- South Africa
- Beijing, China
- Slovenia
- Zaragoza, Spain
- Baltimore, MD, USA
- Brazil
- India
- Lago Maggiore, Italy
- Shanghai, China
Shanghai will host the 2010 Expo (May 1 through October 31), and this will offer an excellent opportunity for the city to showcase its capabilities on an international scale. And with the expansion of Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport to include two terminals and 159 gates, the airport will have a capacity to handle 40 million passengers each year.
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
