Messe Berlin, organiser of ITB Asia, has announced all available booth space for the annual show has been sold four months ahead of the event in October 2011.

Many exhibitors have also taken advantage of a new two-year contract scheme to snap up 14 per cent of the prime booth space in 2012.

“Asia Pacific is the fastest-growing travel market in the world, and with close to 800 exhibiting companies from 60 countries participating, it is clear that ITB Asia is a must-attend event for companies looking to establish a strong presence here,” said Nino Gruettke, executive director of ITB Asia.

“The exceptional sales performance demonstrates the show’s growing importance and is a validation from our peers that ITB Asia is indeed an effective and critical platform for marketing, networking, and learning all about the Asian travel market.”

Over a third of the exhibitors are first time exhibitors, such as Guam Visitors Bureau, Wyndham Hotels, and the Majestic Hotel Group.

A notable new exhibitor is Hilton Worldwide, the leading global hospitality company with an impressive portfolio of ten award-winning hotel brands.

Hilton Worldwide has not only taken up a prime exhibition spot, but is also ITB Asia’s first ever ‘Official Partner Hotel 2011’, hosting buyers and organising exclusive events to showcase its distinctive brand of quality hospitality during the show.

Twenty percent of returning exhibitors have also bolstered their presence at the show by increasing booth space, particularly those from national tourism organizations. Returning exhibitor, Korea National Tourism Organisation, has expanded its floor space 9-fold this year, and the booth sizes of the tourism ministries from Indonesia and Israel have also increased 40 per cent and 60 per cent, respectively.

Around ten per cent of exhibitors who used to co-share a booth in the past have converted to taking independent stands.

This demonstrates that participation in ITB Asia in past years has clearly reaped good return on investment.

Held at Suntec Singapore from October 19th-21st, 2011, ITB Asia, in its fourth year, is a unique international platform that brings together the travel and tourism industry to exchange insights and business leads in one event-filled, travel-focused show.

ITB Asia is also a partner event of TravelRave, a mega travel and tourism festival week, organised by the Singapore Tourism Board to be held in Singapore in October 2011.

The show is expected to attract more than 6,600 visitors and close to 800 exhibiting companies from 60 countries this year.