• 1021 exhibiting companies from 21 countries at 25,000 square metres of exhibition space
• exhibitions were viewed by 31,721 visitors
• foreign visitors came from 12 countries, mainly from neighbouring Slovakia, Poland and Hungary
• 311 media representatives accredited in the Press Centre

Final report to download:

Karla Šlechtová, Minister of Regional Development of the Czech Republic, opening speech:
Tourism is one of the agendas that can increase our GDP and help the Czech economics. That’s why I’m very happy about this trade fair, where I can get all the information about our regions, but also about friendly regions abroad. I was very happy to participate in the opening of the REGIONTOUR trade fair and I consider it a big honour.

Milan Štěch, President of the Senate of the Czech Republic:
The Czech Republic is not only one of the most industrial countries of Europe, but also has a big potential in the area of services. I am glad that our tourism offer is always expanding, and I would like to thank our regions and travel agencies for that, as well as for this trade fair. I wish us all to be able to return here and say that this offer is really widely used by our citizens.

Václav Božek, Deputy of the Governor of the South Moravian region:
The GO and REGIONTOUR trade fairs are the biggest event of their kind in the Czech Republic, not only thanks to their contents and number of exhibitors, but in my opinion also thanks to their location in the Brno Exhibition Grounds. The South Moravian region, which has for a long time been the second most visited region after Prague, is the trade fairs’ regular participant. Every year we present new projects here; this time it is for example the reconstructed riding school of the Lednice chateau or the museum exposition in the Löw-Beer villa.

Marek Mráz, Director of the Department of Strategy and Marketing Communication of the CzechTourism agency:
The Brno trade fair is the flagship of our presence in Moravia and it is the first trade fair which traditionally opens the tourist season in the Czech Republic. For us it is also an exceptional opportunity to meet our partners and to cohesively present our marketing concept. This year, in its Moravian premiere and world pre-premiere, we introduce our new CzechTourism trade fair stand, which is designed to communicate the image of the Czech Republic as a romantic destination in a much stronger fashion.

Tibor Petö, Ambassador of Hungary:
Hungary exhibits at this trade fair every year and it is a special opportunity for us to be a partner country this year. We would like to leave a visible trace here. In the past year Czech tourists spent 620 000 nights in Hungary, which made the Czech Republic rank fifth in terms of the number of tourists coming to Hungary. Hungarians themselves look forward to Czech tourists and they await them in Hungarian spas, in Budapest, at Balaton, and at Hungarian cuisine and wine.

László Papp, Mayor of the city of Debrecen:
It is a great honour for us that we can be a partner country of this year’s trade fair and that Hungary and Debrecen can present themselves on a bigger space. By our presence here we would like to strengthen the emotional connection that Czech tourists have towards Hungary and Debrecen. Come see our stand, where we present Debrecen’s culinary specialties and the region of Northeast Hungary.

Miroslav Kubec, President of the Association of Chefs and Confectioners of the Czech Republic and the continental Director of the WACS for Central Europe:
I’m glad that the competition Gastro Junior Brno – Bidvest Cup has become an integral part of the GO and REGIONTOUR trade fairs, because the focus on tourism and propagation of the Czech Republic abroad is closely related to gastronomy. We are at centre stage in the pavilion P, a great number of visitors pass by the competition, be it professionals or amateurs, who watch the contestants and see in what way the competition is going. In the future we will try to incorporate local food in the competition, so that we can really propagate domestic product and do what we can to make the gastronomy of the Czech Republic known to the world.

Michal Veber, Deputy of the Association of Czech Travel Agents:
I have no doubts about the purpose of the trade fair. Many travel agencies are here every year and come back, because GO brings them the expected effect. A lot of people come here, and a great benefit, which cannot be found at other trade fairs, is the possibility of interconnecting the offer with a presentation on the stage. We have been organizing the supporting programme here for six years, this year it really has a lot of visitors, and I know about people who come deliberately for the lectures. At the same time I am glad that presentations of student projects of the competition PROFI GO – Tourist Product, the level of which is constantly rising, have been taking place at our stage for three years in a row. The contestants are really exceptional and innovative, they will know how to sell regional tourism, and even today employers are interested in them.

David Horký, Project Manager of the company GLS – General Logistics Systems Czech Republic Ltd.:
We are attempting a record in the number of sent packages from one trade fair and the interest of visitors in this free service has been a pleasant surprise. We are very happy with the event. It is the result of our collaboration with the “Dobrý den” agency and the company Trade Fairs Brno, so I would like to thank both of them. This way the brand GLS gets into the awareness of end customers as well as regional companies, and we are especially glad that the trade fair’s visitors are happy with this service.

Iva Kljunič Brieštanská, Head of Marketing of the Lázně Hodonín spa:
We participate in the REGIONTOUR trade fair regularly; it is our little “Mecca”, because clients from South Moravia are vital for Lázně Hodonín and Lázně Lednice. We meet our clients every year on the exhibition grounds and we even deal with specific reservations, but of course we also establish new contacts, we raise the awareness of our offer. We are satisfied here. This year we also present spa treatments, not only at our stand but also at the South Moravian region exposition.

Viktor Klimek, Head of outgoing tourism in the company KOMPAS PRAHA:
We have been exhibiting at the GO trade fair for fifteen years and we are satisfied here. This is how we get to the Moravian region, which is important for us. We meet our commission dealers from Moravia here, and we also meet our end clients, to whom we can introduce our specific offers. Attendance is very decent this year and we have given out a lot of catalogues. It’s definitely good that it is only Thursday that remained an expert day and that three days are left for the public.

Jan Kutáč, Product Manager of the CHERRY Tour travel agency:
We come to GO regularly, it is the most important trade fair for us, and it’s also very well prepared. Attendance is plentiful; we have trade fair discounts here and thus our participation has a business effect for us as well. Every year we try to liven our exhibition up in some way and this year we have with us a model of our mobile home with a sunroof, which the visitors like a lot.

Martin Masopust, Operations Manager of the travel agency VTT – Venus Trade and Tours:
Our travel agency has never missed a GO trade fair so far. We have a branch in Brno, which we support in this way, but we also address clients from the whole of Moravia and other regions. We like the interconnection with the supporting programme on the stage, where we can make our offer more visible.

Petr Kostka, General Manager, Kovotour Plus travel agency:
We very much like to exhibit at the GO trade fair because the attendance of visitors, mainly direct clients, is enormous at our stand. Our clients come back, buy a vacation, we always have a full stand, and for us that is a proof that our travel agency is sought after and that we’re doing a god job. We will participate next year as well.

Petr Krč, Commercial and Production Director, ATIS travel agency:
We have been exhibiting at the travel trade fairs since their first time in 1991, so I remember the beginnings, and we still hold our position as active exhibitors. For us, the participation at the trade fair is a social matter; it is also a contact place to which authorised salesmen come for catalogues, to which our clients from Brno and its surroundings come to us to say hello, which is very pleasant, and to which we invite our business partners, i.e. accommodation givers, hotel keepers, boarding house owners and so on.

Hana Laudátová, PR Manager, VIDA! Science Centre:
We are very satisfied with how the REGIONTOUR and GO trade fairs are going. We presented ourselves at the stand of the city of Brno and at the stand of the South Moravian region. At both stands we organized competitions and small science shows and then a big science show on the big stage on Sunday. Tens to hundreds of interested people participated in the competitions, so we gave away a lot of puzzles and our promotional items.

Sylvie Laštůvková-Zemková, owner of 101 CK ZEMEK travel agency:
Our travel agency specializes in Croatia. We like to participate in the GO trade fair and this year is our twentieth year. We consider this trade fair important, firstly because it is always the first international travel trade fair in the coming year, and secondly because it makes us more visible, so not only our partners but also the customers make sure that we are a serious and stable travel agency, which has been on the market for 24 years.