Maximizing ROI from tradeshows and road shows

Amman – To expand international travel buyers’ networks and improve marketing of Jordan as a global destination, tour operators and hoteliers took part in a two-day workshop followed by business specific support which concluded today. The event was organized by the USAID/Jordan Tourism Development Project II (Siyaha) in partnership with the Jordan Tourism Board (JTB), Jordan Hotel Association (JHA) and Jordan Inbound Tour Operators Association (JITOA).

“International networking opportunities are a vital component of promoting a destination and this workshop is great not only for helping individual business to develop the marketing capacity they need to succeed, but also for Jordan to increase overall visitation,” said H.E. Mr. Nayef Al Fayez, JTB Director. He added, “It also helps to strengthen the JTB and tourism industry that work together to effectively market the country abroad.”

“This workshop is part of efforts to continually enhance the capacity and skills of the tourism sector, as well as linking them with JTB, in order to reinforce destination marketing efforts and create greater interest in Jordan among international travelers,” explained Mr. Ibrahim Osta, USAID/Siyaha Chief of Party.

Approximately 45 travel and tourism industry stakeholders in Jordan took part in the workshop, in particular those who actively participate in international tradeshows and B2B (business-to-business networking) events. Participants also included representatives who market Jordan as a global destination and promote services to ensure maximum income to the economy, such as the JTB, JHA, JITOA, tour operators, travel agents and hotel sales departments. The workshop was presented by Mr. Phil Otterson, an international tourism expert with vast senior management experience with one of the largest international tourism operations.  Mr. Otterson provided the audience with key insights from an international buyer perspective, with a key objective to increase sales and maximize return on investment.

One of the participants, Radwan Al Farajat, owner and manager of the Red Rock travel agency in Petra, was able to pick up some essential knowledge. He said, "This is an important workshop for me as a tour operator who is interested in taking part in tradeshows and road shows. I've never taken part in such shows before and I'm here to learn from an international expert on how to prepare for participation in destination show activities and what I need to do to connect and exchange knowledge with other Jordanian tour operators."

"These workshops opened our minds to new ideas that pushed us to do more and will help our hotel expand in sales and marketing", said Sultana Ahmad, a reservations agent at Comfort hotel who also took part.

The first day of the workshop focused on a variety of topics related to tradeshow and road show participation and marketing, such as identifying and prioritizing the best trade shows to participate in, developing goals, effectively identifying and engaging the most strategic buyers, setting objectives and achieving maximum sales results. In addition, the seminars included strategic direction on ensuring that participation is productive, understanding international buyer requirements and challenges, improving sales and business relationships, and developing the most effective resources and sales aids.

A successful example of the largest tradeshow to market Jordan abroad, the World Tourism Mart 2010, was presented as a case study in day two of the workshop. Providing participants with a real experience and providing guidance in developing customized marketing plans to improve sales results for the individual business, while ensuring greater success for Jordan as a destination.

Enhancing the destination marketing knowledge and expertise of the travel and tourism industry in Jordan is imperative to increase the number of visitors to Jordan and maximize the financial return of tourism to the Jordanian economy.