Category Archives: Exhibitions

Three-day Tamil Nadu Travel Expo (TTE) is scheduled to kick off at the IDA Scudder Auditorium in Madurai from today. The event aims to boost the state’s tourism profile and attract a larger number of visitors both from within India and neighbouring countries to the state.

Addressing the Rajasthan Domestic Travel Mart (RDTM) 2024 in Jaipur, Diya Kumari, Deputy Chief Minister, Rajasthan, said, “Our Tourism Unit Policy will be out soon. We are planning to organise roadshows overseas to promote Rajasthan and for that, we need your participation and involvement. A lot more is in the pipeline for the future.”

The three-day B2B trade show, held from 11 – 13 September in Mumbai, successfully concluded with over 600 top-tier Indian & international buyers. Alongside MICE Show India, Travel Tech India, and the ITB India Conference, ITB India 2024 served as a unique platform, fostering fruitful business collaborations in the travel industry. ITB India 2024, the annual 3-day business-to-business trade show and convention, held at the Jio World Convention Centre in Mumbai, came to a successful close today. The second in-person edition attracted key travel industry professionals and created unparalleled pathways to the Indian and South Asian travel markets for quality buyers and global exhibitors representing MICE, Corporate, Leisure, and Travel Technology sectors. The event launched the inaugural ITB India Gala Dinner with over 400 international exhibitors and top buyers in a high level B2B networking function. This year’s event drew over 600 Indian & international top-tier buyers, facilitating more than 25,000 business engagements. Key exhibitors include AsiaPay, Club Med, Collinson Group, EVA Airways, Encalm Hospitality, Kenya Tourism Board, Melia Hotels International, Mize, Mondee, Novotel Jaipur, Prince Hotels & Resorts, Sarawak Tourism Board, Tourism Office of Spain, Taiwan Tourism Administration, Uzbekistan Airways, visitBerlin, and Visit Oulu. “India’s travel industry is experiencing remarkable growth and the increasing demand in this market is sparking renewed interest from around the world. This year’s edition proved instrumental in forging strategic partnerships and driving growth in one of the world’s most dynamic travel markets. With a focus on staying ahead of the curve, our conference tracks provided key insights to ensure attendees are future-ready”, says Joyce Wang, Executive Director of Messe Berlin Asia Pacific, Organiser of ITB India, MICE Show India, and Travel Tech India. The …

At the second edition of ITB India, Vishal Suri, Managing Director, SOTC Travel, delivered an insightful keynote on India’s rapidly evolving travel landscape. With India’s economy and demographic shifts setting the stage for unprecedented growth, Suri painted a vivid picture of how the country’s travel sector is poised for expansion, underpinned by strong domestic demand, a youthful population, and a growing middle class. Suri began by highlighting India’s economic ascent, positioning it as a global powerhouse. Currently, the country boasts a $3.95 trillion economy and is expected to become the third-largest economy by 2027 -28, growing at a steady rate of 8%. This robust growth is fueled by a diverse economic base, including IT, services, agriculture, and manufacturing. According to Suri, this economic diversity and stability create a fertile ground for travel and tourism to flourish. A major driver of this boom is India’s young, tech-savvy population. With 52% of India’s 1.4 billion people under the age of 50, and 27% under 30, Suri emphasised how this “Gen Alpha” is already contributing to the nation’s growing consumer market. These young consumers, being digital natives, are increasingly embracing technology to plan and book travel, shifting from a traditional “saver” mentality to a more “spending” and experience-driven mindset. Suri also touched on the significant shift in consumer behavior, especially post-pandemic. “Pre-pandemic, travel was more about escaping life; post-pandemic, it is about experiencing life,” he noted. This psychological shift has led to a surge in local, experiential travel, with people looking for more meaningful, culturally immersive experiences rather than merely ticking off destinations. The demand for authentic stays, such as Airbnbs and homestays, has increased, reflecting a deeper desire to connect with local …

Embark on a journey beyond tradition as the Tamilnadu Travel Expo invites the trade to delve deeper into the tapestry of this state. This annual event, held on Sept 20-22 in Madurai, goes beyond themes, showcasing the state’s hospitality, wellness retreats and wedding destinations. To register, write to info@tamilnadutravelexpo.com or call 8939997767

Melange 2024 has received overwhelming support from the travel trade community. They confirmed that the exhibition space is booked to capacity with an impressive lineup of quality exhibitors. At Melange, the emphasis is always on the quality and diversity of the exhibitors. Melange is proud to host a variety of booths that reflect the rich segment variety of the travel industry. Attendees will have the opportunity to meet top-quality exhibitors, including hotels, DMCs, airlines, representation companies, and more, many of which have never been seen together under one roof. These representation companies bring global partnerships to the event, further enhancing its scope and reach. In addition to the outstanding exhibitor participation, Melange reported that visitor registration is strong, with a substantial number of buyers confirmed to attend from various cities across India. This diverse group of buyers will have the opportunity to engage with exhibitors and explore the wide range of offerings available at the event. Melange 2024 is truly on the map, and are confident that they will set new benchmarks in the industry. They extend their heartfelt gratitude to all exhibitors, visitors, and partners for their unwavering support and look forward to welcoming everyone to what promises to be an exceptional event.

The Enterprising Travel Agents Association (ETAA) successfully hosted its inaugural roadshow in Mumbai on 20th August 2024 at the IMC, Churchgate. The event brought together 25 exhibitors from various sectors of the travel and tourism industry, with over 100 Travel Agents and Tour Operators participating and benefiting from this vibrant gathering. The exhibitor lineup showcased a diverse range of participants, including Domestic and International DMCs, Tourism Boards, Visa Experts, Hotels, Loan Advisors, Insurance Partners, and Airlines. The Mumbai Board Team, consisting of Mr. Jagat Mehta, National Director; Mr. Abhijit Khadilkar, National Director & Membership Head; Mrs. Dipti Pradhan Thakoor, National Director & Event Head; and Mr. Dharmesh Advani, National Director, spearheaded the event with strong support from ETAA Coordinators and the ETAA Mumbai Committee. The roadshow marked a significant first for the team, receiving an overwhelmingly positive response from both exhibitors and travel agents. Sponsored presentations by M/s AVNI MICE and RupeeBoss Financial Services Pvt Ltd. added value to the event, while India Tourism made a notable appearance. Tourism Malaysia and Qatar Tourism offered complimentary hotel packages, and Oman Air and Indigo sponsored hampers for the lucky draw. Exciting lucky draws were held every 30 minutes, sponsored by various Exhibitors, with participants walking away with a variety of delightful prizes. The ETAA Business Partners Meet 2024 set a new benchmark for industry collaboration, energizing the travel community with fresh connections, exciting opportunities, and a shared vision for the future of travel.

Rules for FDI and Overseas Investments to be simplified to increase FDI inflows and promote use of Indian Rupee as currency for overseas investments, said the FM in her Interim Budget speech. She also said that 1.5 lakh core provision for long-term interest-free loans will be made to support infrastructure investment by state governments. The states will also be incentivised to implement Business Reforms Action Plans and digitalisation to develop tourism. All in all, the Union Budget 2024 was not a total let-down as far as tourism is concerned. Perhaps it has sown the seeds for a better tourism experience in India. But that may be too far into the future. Moreover, there has been no change in taxation, which has disappointed the travel trade no end. Their main gripe was the extremely high GST rates and the procedures, as well as bearing the onus of determining the quantum of TCS.

Sitharaman has raised our hopes when it comes to tourism in India, which bodes well not just for domestic but also inbound tourism, which has been suffering since Covid. Delivering to the states, she highlighted the development of ‘iconic’ tourism centres by the states who will be allowed long-term, interest-free loans for such long-term development. For domestic tourism, the FM announced projects for better port connectivity and more tourism infrastructure, that will be taken up on islands in India, including of course Lakshadweep! All in all, her Budget highlighted promoting investments into India, including its infrastructure projects. In positioning India as a global tourist destination, we’ll also create jobs, stimulate investments and unlock economic opportunities for other sectors. In addition to the measures outlined in the interim budget, I propose the following measures. Vishnupath temple at Gaya and Mahabodhi temple at Bodh Gaya in Bihar are of immense spiritual significance. Comprehensive development of Vishnupath temple corridor and Mahabodhi temple corridor will be supported, modeled on the successful Kashi Vishwana temple corridor to transform them into world-class pilgrim and tourist destinations. Rajgir, Rajgir holds immense religious significance for Hindus, Buddhists and Jains. The 20th Tirthankara Muni Suvaratha temple in the Jain complex, Jain temple complex is ancient. The Sapta Rishi or the seven hot springs form a warm water Brahmkund that is sacred. A comprehensive development initiative for Rajgir will be undertaken. Our government will support the development of Nalanda as a tourist center besides reviving Nalanda University to its glorious stature. Odisha’s scenic beauty, temples, monuments, craftsmanship, wildlife sanctuaries, natural landscapes and pristine beaches make it an ultimate tourism destination. Our government will provide assistance for their development to Odisha …

With the aim of Viksit Bharat by 2047, the Interim Budget 2024 yet again showcased a lofty imagery of the ‘new and improved’ India. However, it does fleetingly mention tourism and its development – directly and indirectly. To build a foundation for future development, the FM underlined its Startup Credit Guarantee Schemes that will encourage new businesses in various sectors including, hopefully, tourism. She mentioned that the country ‘is capable of creating more opportunities’ which cannot be further from the truth. Sitharaman added that the focus will be on ffostering and sustaining growth to create great opportunities for all and to fulfil aspirations. She said that the MSME will be an important element of this policy. Coming to aviation, she said that it has been ‘galvanized in the past 10 years’ with number of airports doubled, expansion of the UDAN scheme, 517 new routes carrying 1.3 crore passengers, and the expansion of existing and new airports that will continue, she committed. Mentioning the success of G20 meets that took place across India, she said the country has made itself an attractive destination for MICE. ‘The corporates want to explore India and religious tourism offers great opportunities.