SINGAPORE – The National Association of Travel Agents (Natas) travel fair, billed as one of the largest of its kind in Singapore, will return from March 1 to 3 for its 59th edition.
The event will feature over 60 exhibitors, up from the 51 vendors in Feb 2023 and closer to the 80-strong contingent in 2019, before the Covid-19 pandemic.
More than 100,000 visitors are expected in the March 2024 fair, amid industry optimism about the “continuous growth” of the travel sector post-pandemic, said a Natas spokesman on Feb 14.
A similar number of visitors was recorded in August 2023, which was 30,000 more than what Natas had forecast. Natas organises two travel fairs a year, one in the first half and another in the second.
Next month’s three-day event will be held at Singapore Expo halls 4 and 5A from 10am to 9.30pm
Admission is free.
Travel agencies form the bulk of the participating vendors, comprising 35 of the 66 exhibitors.
Cruise operators, banks and national tourist organisations from Central Japan, Hokkaido, Sarawak, Taiwan, Thailand and Indonesia are also participating.
Lufthansa Airlines and national carrier Singapore Airlines are the only two airlines at the fair.
According to Natas president Steven Ler, visitors can expect travel agents and exhibitors to showcase “the different destinations, packages and deals they have to offer”.
Participating agency Chan Brothers Travel will be offering more experiential packages.
Among its packages is a camper van holiday, where vacationers drive their own home-on-wheels for “the ultimate sense of freedom”, and a 13-day Northern Lights tour, said senior manager Jeremiah Wong.
2024 has been widely reported to be the “absolute best” year in over two decades to catch the aurora borealis, added Mr Wong.
An EU Holidays spokesman said the travel agency will be launching two new packages – the “Colorful Yunnan + Red Land Yuanmou Earth Forest” tour and a 12-day deep exploration of southern Xinjiang – that present landscapes distinct from the well-trodden Yunnan and Silk Road routes.
New Caledonia is another new destination on the menu of EU Holidays.
The fair will also feature performances by children and youth with special needs as part of Natas’ support for charity organisation Extra.Ordinary People (EPL).
EPL empowers young people with special needs, fostering their development of independent living skills to improve their employability, added Natas.
For more information, go to www.natastravelfair.travel
Editor’s note: This article has been edited for clarity.
