100 exhibitors less: Bern vacation fair feels terrorism
The Bern Vacation Fair is feeling the impact of the recent spate of terrorist attacks: About 100 fewer exhibitors than in the past two years are participating in this year's fair, which began on Thursday.
Budget cuts by travel providers are the reason for this decline, said exhibition director Gaëlle Grosjean to the media at the opening. Marketing is usually the first area where savings are made. However, the 2017 Bern Holiday Fair is no smaller than before, Grosjean continued - this year's 300 exhibitors occupy the same space as the approximately 400 each of the past two years.
The organizer Bernexpo does not expect fewer visitors than in recent years, namely about 40,000. Travel suppliers for countries such as Turkey are also represented, but on smaller areas and with smaller budgets.
Marketing is usually the first place where savings are made.
Special topic ship voyages
The special theme of this year's 32nd Bern Holiday Fair is boat trips. However, this has nothing to do with the tightened security situation in many countries, but with the boom that such trips are currently experiencing. At the heart of the vacation fair's ship travel corner is an area modeled on a ship's deck. There, on all four days of the fair, visitors can look forward to discussions on ship travel, which will be moderated by TV personality Röbi Koller.
The editor-in-chief of the cruises magazine Cruisetip explains to interested parties, for example, which cruises are suitable for which audience, and a Swiss sea captain talks about his everyday life.
As in previous years, the vacation fair is once again combined with the Activplus fair, which is aimed primarily at people over 50. Both fairs take place at the Bern Exhibition Center and last until Sunday. The offer also includes over 300 lectures on travel destinations and health topics.
Slightly more exhibitors from French-speaking Switzerland
At this year's Bern Holiday Fair, slightly more travel suppliers from French-speaking Switzerland are represented. This, after the Bernexpo Group had decided last summer to integrate the Geneva vacation fair Vacances into the Berne vacation fair. This process is not yet complete and is ongoing, Grosjean said. (SDA)
Image: Ferienmesse.ch
