Travel Catering Expo

Travel Catering Expo (TCE) to highlight growing potential of regional travel industry

• New show co-located with Airport Show & GALF-2014
• TCE to attract 1,000 visitors
• GCC enjoys big share in $15 billion global travel catering market
• Travel catering growing at about five per cent annually
• Huge catering demand due to airports & airlines expansion

The massive increase in the number of air travelers expected due to the huge expansion of airports and airline fleets in the Middle East region, especially the Arabian Gulf states, is enlarging the scope of business opportunities for global travel catering players, with the new Travel Catering Expo (TCE-2014) providing them a much needed platform for networking and showcasing a wide of products, services, solutions and technology.

To be co-located with the 14th edition of Airport Show and second Global Airport Leaders’ Forum (GALF) at the Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre (DICEC) from 11 to 13 May 2014, the debut edition of TCE will benefit from access by over 1,000 trade visitors from all the major airports and related aviation catering businesses in the Middle East, North Africa and South Asia region.

Travel Catering Expo is held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, President of Dubai Civil Aviation Authority, Chairman of Dubai Airports and Chairman and Chief Executive of Emirates Airline and Group, and is supported by Emirates Flight Catering, Food Point, Dubai Civil Aviation Authority and Dubai Airports.

The Expo will complete the civil aviation industry’s business jigsaw and will enable the key travel catering market players to tap the high-potential region whose share in the $15 billion travel catering market has been fast rising above the global average growth of five per cent due to massive expansion of airports and airline networks.

According to IATA, the Middle East’s airlines carried over 144 million passengers on their scheduled services in 2012 and the UAE topped the regional list for passengers carried with 40.6 million. The Middle East is expected to handle 400 million passengers by 2020. In 2015, Dubai, Doha and Abu Dhabi airports will have a combined annual capacity of 190 million passengers. Airbus predicts the Middle East fleet will treble in size by 2028, while Boeing forecasts Middle Eastern airlines’ requirement of 2,340 aircraft by 2029. By 2020, Emirates, Qatar Airways, and Etihad will have the capacity to carry nearly 200 million passengers: four times their current capacity.

Daniyal Qureshi, Director of Travel Catering Expo, said: “This huge surge in passenger numbers will create a significant growth in the region’s travel catering requirements.  In line with our commitment to bring the best of expertise and technology that benefits the region and industry, Travel Catering Expo aims to provide a dedicated platform that brings together global suppliers and regional buyers under one roof. More than 50 exhibitors are expected to attend the inaugural edition from UAE, Turkey, Jordan, China, Bahrain, France, Sri Lanka, Canada and The Netherlands, amongst other countries.”

The expo will be showcasing Travel Catering, Beverage, Food Warming and Refrigeration Equipment, Trolleys, Commercial Catering, Cleaning and Dishwashing Equipment, Food Packaging, Processing, Preparation and Preservation Equipment, Industrial Laundry Equipment Logistics and Transportation Services. The other segments are Tableware, Chinaware, Disposable Crockery, Cutlery, Trays, Tableware, Food and Beverage, Accessories, Linens, Toiletries and Travel Amenities.

The expo’s visitors will include chefs, consultants, food & beverage managers, health & safety managers, in-flight service managers, operations managers, procurement managers, production managers and purchasing managers from airports, hospitality, airlines, charter and business jet operators, cruise operators, flight catering and large scale catering companies.