24 travel agencies to skip March Natas fair and launch own travel event

A TOTAL of 24 travel agencies are pulling out of the upcoming March 2015 Natas travel fair and plan to hold a rival one over the same weekend of March (27-29) next year.

Spanning 17,000 square metres and tentatively dubbed the Outbound Travel Fair, it will take place at the Marina Bay Sands Expo & Convention Centre, with free admission for consumers. In contrast, the Natas fair costs S$4 per admission. The travel agencies also said that these 24 exhibitors had in the past accounted for as much as 80 per cent of sales at previous Natas fairs.

The firms cited a number of issues with the existing Natas fair, ranging from sliding visitorship to high exhibition costs and a lack of transparency, which they say they have raised before with the National Association of Travel Agencies Singapore (Natas).

Among the firms set to participate in the Outbound Travel Fair are Chan Brothers Travel, CTC Travel, Dynasty Travel, Misa Travel, Nam Ho Travel as well as SA Tours.