According to 74% of the exhibitors that participated in the 41st ABAV – Tourism Fair of the Americas, held in São Paulo (Brazil) by the Brazilian Association of Travel Agencies (ABAV Nacional) last year, the event has generated new business opportunities. ABAV Nacional gathers 80% of the sales force of the country, which is the world’s eighth largest economy.

According to the study, which has just been published by Observatório do Turismo, a research center linked to the University of São Paulo (USP), the total financial volume generated by the fair to 2,613 exhibitor brands ranged from US$73.8 million and US$120 million, considering the minumum and maximum values that make up the analysis interval. The survey also shows that the 2013 edition, according to exhibitors, generated an average of US$97 million in businesses.

The institute has also revealed the visitors’ profile: 59% are directors and managers, including 34% with final decision-making power to complete purchases, and 44% with influence in planning and recommending transactions to be made.

The motivation of buyers (exhibitors) and sellers (visitors) consolidates the ABAV fair, which has been held in the major inbound and outbound tourist center of the continent since last year, as the ideal stage to do global businesses.

According to 60% of the visitors, the chance to get to know and trade in market novelties is the key reason for participating in the event, followed by networking (21%) and qualification (18%).

Also according to 60% of the exhibitors, the major impact caused by the event’s latest edition was the chance to work on new contacts and networking. The remaining 40% highlight consolidating the brand (22%), new businesses (13%), and expanding sales (6%) as additional benefits. For 94% of the 2,613 exhibitor brands from 60 countries, return on investment was positive.

Companies from all segments of the travel and tourism trade interested in obtaining further information and ensure their participation in the next edition of ABAV – International Tourism Expo, to be held from September 24 to 28, 2014, can contact the event’s organization at expo@abavexpo.com.br.

Institutional Profile

The 42nd ABAV International Tourism Expo is promoted by the Brazilian Travel Agencies Association (ABAV Nacional), with the support of the Tourism Ministry, the Brazilian Tourism Institute (Embratur), the São Paulo City Government, and São Paulo Turismo (SPTuris), the city’s tourism and events company, which manages the Anhembi Exhibition Park.

An international partner of BTL (Bolsa de Turismo de Lisboa) and ITB Berlin, ABAV Expo, the largest and most important international travel and tourism business fair of the Americas is sponsored by the Brazilian Support Service to Micro and Small Companies (Sebrae) and the National Confederation of Goods, Services and Tourism Trading (CNC), which manages one of the world’s largest social development systems—the Commerce Social Service (Sesc), operating in the education, health, culture and leisure fields, and the National Commercial Learning Service (Senac), which is the leading professional education agent in the goods, services and tourism trading sector.