This year, despite difficult economic conditions, the exhibition not only did not lose its relevance, but also increased the size of the exposition. This feature of MITT was noted by all those present at the official opening of the exhibition: ITE Director General Alexander Shtalenkov, Deputy Chairman of the State Duma Committee for Culture Elena Drapeko, Chairman of the Committee for Tourism of the Moscow Government Grigory Antyufeev, State Duma deputy, President of the Center for the Protection and Assistance to Citizens Abroad and Compatriots Support Sergey Markov, author and presenter of the television program "Non-Traveling Notes", member of the Presidium of the National League of Tourist Press Dmitry Krylov, Executive Director of Dep Dubai Government Tourism and Commercial Marketing (DTCM) Ayad Ali Abdul Rahman.
Dubai became the official partner of the exhibition this year. At the booth of the emirate, the most popular among Russian tourists, several interesting events took place. Dubai, as always, had something to surprise: the latest Atlantis miracle hotel, built on the artificial island of The Palm Jumeirah, has recently opened, new opportunities for family vacations and business tourism have appeared. Speaking at the official opening of the exhibition, Ayad Ali Abdul Rahman said that thanks to a wider representation at MITT last year, the number of tourists from Russia and the CIS countries in Dubai increased by 15%. "Such a dense and multifaceted cooperation is, first of all, an indicator of the huge interest of the Dubai tourism industry in working on the Russian market," he said.
Giving an interview to the official newspaper MITT-2009, Abdullah bin Suwaidan, deputy director of the International Projects Division of the DTCM of the Dubai Government, in turn, said: “Russia is one of the most important players for the Dubai tourism market. Every year, the number of Russian tourists is growing significantly.
For Dubai in general and the Department of Tourism and Commercial Marketing (DTKM) in particular, the Russian market is a long-standing and important partner. For more than 13 years, the DTKM representative office has been operating in Moscow, which covers 15 countries, including Russia, the CIS and Baltic countries. We are pleased to witness that bilateral relations are growing stronger. From January to September 2008, almost 319 thousand tourists from Russia, the CIS and Baltic countries visited Dubai, which is 11.2% more compared to the same period in 2007. During this time, 195 thousand Russians visited our country, compared with the corresponding period last year, this figure is 3.4% more. In 2009, we look forward to continued growth in this market, because Dubai remains one of the most desirable places for business and leisure for Russians. Russia is well aware that Dubai is the safest destination and one of the best places open for tourism all year round. "
By the way, Etihad Airways, the national airline of the UAE, became the first participant in MITT, which in December last year opened a regular flight from Abu Dhabi to Moscow. Flights to the Russian capital are carried out five times a week; Domodedovo Airport is chosen as the “hub”. The flight uses Airbus A320 aircraft designed for 140 seats, of which 20 are in business class and 120 in economy class. Etihad Airways, the national airline of the United Arab Emirates, has a central office in the UAE capital, Abu Dhabi. Moscow has become the eleventh destination in the Etihad network in Europe, which already includes flights to Brussels, Dublin, Frankfurt, Geneva, London, Manchester, Milan, Minsk, Munich and Paris. According to Natalya Goryunova, general manager of Etihad Airways in Russia, "MITT exhibition is an opportunity for the airline to declare its presence and success in the Russian market, conclude profitable contracts and acquire new partners."
In addition to Abu Dhabi, the tourism industry of such emirates as Sharjah and Fujairah was represented by separate stands. In total, about 3,000 companies from 120 countries and regions of the world have become MITT participants this year. The exposition occupied almost the entire Expocenter. The number of MITT foreign exhibitors grew by 8%. For the first time, Colombia, Costa Rica, Japan, Panama, Macau, and Fr. Hainan. Many traditional exhibitors significantly increased their exposure. Among them are Dubai, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Fiji.
The official media partner of MITT-2009 for the first time was the Russian-language news channel Russia Today, which began broadcasting in December 2005 and managed to establish itself as a reliable source of information in a short period of time. Sergey Gorsky, director of the MITT exhibition, shared the experience of collaboration: "On RT, you are always ready to help in promoting services and providing the highest level of awareness of events in the country and the world. We are very pleased with the cooperation!"
On the first day of the exhibition, a gala reception was held at the new Moscow Ritz Carlton hotel, during which the participants of MITT 2009 were awarded. For the best presentation, the following were noted: Dubai, Egypt, the Administration of Caucasian Mineral Waters, Coral Travel, Lanta-Tour Voyage . The Dubai Award for Best Presentation was presented to Sergey Kanayev, Director General of DTKM Office and Representative Office in Russia, the CIS and Baltic countries. As always, leading tour operators and hotel chains presented at the DTKM corporate stand made their significant contribution to the promotion of Dubai as a year-round tourist destination.
Expositions of Croatia and Capital Tour were recognized as the best stands. The best debutants of this year are Costa Rica and the international tour operator Van Bork. The exhibition’s diplomas were received by the Ministry of Sports and Tourism of the Astrakhan Region, the Administration of the resort city of Anapa, the Kaluga Region State Tourism Agency, the Veliky Novgorod Tourism Office Krasnaya Izba, the Ministry of Resorts and Tourism of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea, the Resort and Tourism Department of the Investment Policy Department and foreign economic relations of the city council of Yevpatoriya, State Museum of A. S. Pushkin, "Pegas Touristik", "Grand Hotel Polyana".
This year, special attention was riveted to the MITT exhibition. Against the background of events taking place in the global economy, many pessimistic specialists said that potential consumers, reducing their spending, will first of all refuse to travel. But, now we can safely say: the exhibition was a success, and the mood of travelers is much better than the pessimists predicted. Over the four days MITT was visited by more than 85 thousand specialists in the tourism and hospitality industry. “It’s as if there’s no crisis!” Say almost everyone who has visited MITT. And you can’t disagree with them ...
