(Boston, MA – May 23, 2024) Romance Travel Forum, an exclusive B2B event focused on destination weddings, honeymoons, and other romantic occasions celebrated with travel, recently concluded with strong optimism for a surge in business engagement. Produced by Travel Show Marketing Group (TravelSMG), an independent event organizer catering to the Travel Advisor market, this exclusive event was held at the Secrets Playa Blanca resort in Costa Mujeres, Mexico from May 6 – 10. The 2024 edition once again sold out and featured over 86 Travel Suppliers and 175 Travel Advisors from the romance niche.
“We are honored that our Romance Travel Forum continues to serve as the industry’s most trusted event for generating prospects and revenue within the romance niche. Our ongoing objective is to recognize the most exceptional Travel Sellers in the industry, enabling our Supplier Partners to connect with influential Advisors who significantly contribute to sales outcomes,” said Jennifer Fernandez, Senior VP, Events & Content at TravelSMG.
Romance Travel Forum is a bespoke program with exclusive participation opportunities. This year TravelSMG welcomed 175 Travel Advisors, hand-selected from hundreds of applications. These Travel Sellers collectively represent more than $200 Million in annual bookings along with significant leisure group business opportunities within the destination wedding group arena and beyond. In order to attend the event, each Travel Advisor took part in a thorough screening process - consisting of an interview, professional reference check, and detailed application.
The 86 Travel Supplier Partners included an impressive array of all-inclusive hotel brands, boutique hotels, tour operators, destinations, destination management companies, and other key services vital to today’s Romance Travel Seller. On top of a strong Supplier participation from the Caribbean and Mexico, the event welcomed Partners from across the globe.
On the Showcase Floor Travel Advisors and Suppliers participated in one-to-one meetings, accounting for more than 4,000 unique connections. These connections are critical to forming a strong business relationship. The array of networking experiences and presentations offered increased marketing visibility for brands to maximize their presence.
In addition, Travel Advisors took part in a robust offering of educational destination and product programming with featured sponsors including: Inclusive Collection, part of World of Hyatt, Amstar DMC, The Hawaiian Islands, Casa de Campo, Sandals, Hilton All-Inclusive, RIU Hotels & Resorts, and Lomas Hospitality.
Beyond products and destinations, Travel Advisors took part in a series of Peer-to-Peer discussions focused on their business with a spotlight on sales and marketing, partner collaboration, group management, efficient back-office strategies, and more.
Travel Advisors were also treated to familiarization experiences at area resorts through pre and post FAM itineraries, and a series of site inspections throughout the region. This year also included a charitable partnership with Te-Amo for TravelSMG’s annual Give Back Program. Throughout the Forum donations were collected for a local Mayan Village.
Information and dates for the 12th annual event will be available in the coming month.
ABOUT TRAVEL SHOW MARKETING GROUP
Travel Show Marketing Group (TravelSMG) exclusively serves the B2B travel agency channel with a diverse portfolio of events and a proven track record in producing both large scale trade shows and smaller boutique niche focused programs. They are experts in producing trade shows where travel agents and industry suppliers connect for education, networking and incredible experiences. Their suite of events includes: Las Vegas Travel Agent Forum, Romance Travel Forum, European Travel Agent Forum, Travel Agency Owners Forum, Family Travel Advisor Forum and Amazing Destination Experience. For more information on TravelSMG and their events visit www.TravelSMG.com .