ASTA’s seventh International Destination Expo (IDE) held in Lima, Peru, March 1-4, was hailed a success by both agents and suppliers. More than 750 attendees were present at the event, which brought together travel professionals from around the world for in-depth training and education on the culture, tourist attractions and travel business in Peru.
“ASTA’s IDE provides travel agents access to and personal contact with a handpicked set of local suppliers and global educators in an exclusive meeting environment,” said Tony Gonchar, ASTA CEO.
Through a series of one-on-one appointments and more than 76 exhibiting companies, travel agents were able to make individual contacts with many of Peru’s most exclusive brands, most of which could not be made at any North American trade show.
Travel agents also had the opportunity to experience for themselves the many offerings and attractions of Peru through a series of pre- and post-tours. Throughout the course of the IDE, agents were treated to three gala evening events, including the opening night at The Magic Water Park, where guests experienced a visual interpretation of Peru’s history as told through more than 200 performers and artists. On Friday night, delegates enjoyed a Peruvian dinner at the 5th-century, pre-Colombian pyramid, the Huaca Pucllana, and were entertained by music from renowned composer and instrumentalist Manuel Miranda.
ASTA’s eighth annual IDE will be held in Dubai, April 3-7, 2013.
“Dubai is an amazing, growing destination that is expected to host more than 15 million international tourists annually by 2015,” said Gonchar. “We want to ensure that our global travel agent members are fully equipped to fulfill their customer’s expectations on Dubai with hands-on and on-the-ground experiences.” www.asta.org
