QUITO, Ecuador - Travel Agent was on hand Wednesday night for the kickoff celebration of the 37th Travel Mart Latin America (TMLA).
The event, which was last hosted in Quito in 2009, attracted roughly 400 buyers and 450 buyers, says Patricio Gaybor, general director of Quito Turismo.
"It's great that we are hosting Travel Mart during the same year as Quito's 35th year as a UNESCO World Heritage Site," says Gaybor. "I guess it's a really good coincidence. And I think we are asked to host this show so many times because the organizers realize that Ecuador knows how to put on a good, organized show."
Among the new offerings Quito is looking to showcase during the event include its soon-to-open Convention Center, the luxurious Ferrocarriles del Ecuador (Ecuador's new train) and its new international airport.
"The more they ask us to host the show, the more challenging it is for us to keep innovating, to keep changing the product," says Luz Elena Coloma, general manger for Quito Turismo, "but I think we continue to be up for the challenge."
Keep visiting www.travelagentcentral.com for more updates from Travel Mart Latin America, which runs through September 20.