Come & Go Vietnam Blog

I’ve just got back from a week in Madrid where I attended FITUR 2011, the first time I’ve attended this trade show. Here are my musings on the event and on Madrid itself…

• It’s amazing how few people at FITUR speak English. We had around 25 meetings over 3 days, and I was only able to do 1 of them, as all the others spoke Spanish only. Thankfully Katrin, our European sales rep, was there as she speaks fluent Spanish – sorry for leaving you with all the work Katrin…
• Vietnam’s stand was nicely designed for a change, but with one big problem – the theme was 1000 Years of Hanoi, which took place last year. No-one outside Hanoi gave much of a damn then, hard to see anyone caring now
• Pricing at FITUR is extremely reasonable – 1.35 euros for a coffee, 3 euros for a sandwich etc. A welcome change from the disgusting price gouging that goes on at ITB Berlin and WTM in London every year
• Madrid’s metro system is ridiculously cheap – 1 euro per journey, anywhere in the city. Compare this to London where one stop will cost you 4 pounds. This is what happens when you run a public transport system for the benefit of travellers rather than shareholders
• If you’re attending an event at the Feria de Madrid, stay in Barajas – it may be a fairly grim suburb but it’s 10 minutes from the airport by bus/metro, and 10 minutes from the Feria. And it has some great restaurants, particularly La Caprichosa and my favourite, El Txoko de Ander, which served me up the best food I’ve had in a long, long time
• Hats off to the staff at the Hotel Don Luis in Barajas, who were extremely helpful and tolerant despite me losing my room card (twice), and asking them to print stuff for me on a regular basis. Gracias. And at 60 euros a night including breakfast and internet, it was a bargain!
• Chocolate con churros is the world’s finest meat-free breakfast and can keep you going for hours
• Madrid is a beautiful city, with some stunning architecture, great art galleries and some of the best value food/drink anywhere in Europe (2.60 euros for a chorizo sandwich and a big glass of Rioja, right by the main Plaza del Sol for example). Easy to get around and a beautiful big park – the Retiro – when you need a break
• Airport security is getting silly. Note to security staff – we might find it less annoying if you were polite & friendly while asking us to jump through your various pointless hoops, instead of treating us like potential terrorists

I can’t say I’ll be back at FITUR next year – not a lot of point unless I somehow learn to speak Spanish before then (not beyond the bounds of possibility – I picked up a fair bit last week and it’s not entirely dissimilar to French) – but I will definitely return to Spain, if only to eat & drink myself silly for a few days!

Madrid image gallery below:

Thanks to regular travel blogger The Travel Tart for tweeting this story earlier today. Now you may see it as just another in a long line of spurious American lawsuits (like the woman who sued McDonalds after being burned by a hot apple pie), but it does say something about how absurd airport security procedures have become.

I recently flew back from WTM in London via that well known hellhole, Terminal 3 at Heathrow Airport. I’d come down with bronchitis during my stay and had bought a bottle of cough medicine in London before catching the Tube to the airport. However, despite this medicine being in a sealed box, and contained in a bottle with a sealed lid, because it contained over 150ml of liquid, the rude, officious security officer confiscated it. I asked her if she enjoyed taking medicine away from sick people, and assured her that I was sure her family were proud of her for doing such noble work. I was then obliged to buy exactly the same bottle of medicine airside, which basically sums up why this procedure is in place – during a recession, airport retail outlets need all the help they can get to make money.

Look out! He's got cough syrup!

Don’t get me wrong, I accept the need for security at airports, but the idea that anyone might be able to cause mischief or hijack a plane armed solely with a bottle of Boots chesty cough medicine is utterly ridiculous. The stuff couldn’t even stop me coughing, let alone enable me to carry out terrorist atrocities.

So I hope Joel Mombrea wins his lawsuit, and that his win highlights the increasingly absurd, inconvenient and degrading procedures we travellers have to endure as ‘reward’ for continuing to give airlines and airports our business during these straitened economic times.

After our successful and enjoyable trip to Singapore for ITB Asia a couple of weeks ago, next week we’ll be in London for one of the world’s biggest travel trade fairs, World Travel Market.

The event takes place at the ExCel exhibition centre in London’s Docklands (I for one wish it was still at the old Earl’s Court venue) from 09-12 November, and we’ll be on the Vietnam stand (AS7200 in the Asia section).

If you’re there, feel free to come over for a chat and to try some traditional coconut candy. Look forward to seeing you there!

In the meantime, check out our exhibitor profile on the WTM website.

ITB Asia is back for its second year this month, taking place at the Suntec Exhibition Centre in Singapore from 21-23 October. And we will be there in Hall 601, stand no. SME 13. Just look for the Come & Go logo and my bright green polo shirt, and come over to grab a brochure and enjoy some traditional Vietnamese goodies!

I was at the event’s debut last year as a visitor, and whilst attendance seemed to be affected by the economic downturn, business was still brisk and exhibitor and visitor registrations are way up for 2009. Whether the event will ever quite match the likes of WTM or ITB Berlin for size and variety I can’t say, but for any overseas agents looking to sell Asian destinations, it’s unmissable.

If you want to find our more about ITB or arrange an appointment with us at the event, visit our virtual marketplace at ITB Asia’s website. We hope to see you at the event!