Category Archives: NTO (National Tourist Offices)

Wallonia in India (AWEX Mumbai), Visit Brussels and Wallonia Belgium Tourism jointly organised a destination training workshop in association with Maratha Chamber of Commerce Industry and Agriculture and TAAP in Pune recently. The presentation highlighted the hidden gems of Belgium. Introducing Wallonia to the audience, Emmanuelle Timmermans, Trade and Investment commissioner from AWEX, said, “We realised that even regular visitors to Belgium are not always aware of some of the hidden gems of Belgium. One of those is the new sensational city of Dinant, which was voted one of Europe’s Best Destinations in 2019.” She highlighted the most popular tourist attractions in Wallonia. Talking on Belgium’s promotional goals for 2019 and 2020, Timmermans said, “We would like to attract an increased number of visitors from India to our Region. Wallonia tourism is truly hidden as many truths are unknown to the world. Tourism trends are changing now, tourists believe more in unique experiences such as amazing activities, beautiful memories, mysterious places. Wallonia is one destination for all generation group and for all type of tourism interests let it be, FIT, Luxury, family, MICE or educational tourism, Wallonia has lots to offer to everyone.”

The Korea Tourism Organisation (KTO) has signed an MoU with the Outbound Tour Operators Association of India (OTOAI) to boost outbound traffic numbers from India to South Korea with a special focus on MICE. With this MoU, OTOAI will prioritise South Korea as a focus country for 2019. This took place on the sidelines of Tourism Travel Mart being held in Mumbai. Nine DMCs and four regional tourism organisations were participating in the mart apart from Korea Film Commission and Seoul Film Commission.

Foreign tourist arrival in the Philippines continues to increase, with Indian arrivals in the archipelago witnessing a double-digit growth. According to an official statement by Department of Tourism (DOT), Philippines received 26,189 Indian tourists between January and February 2019, resulting in a 13.6 per cent growth. At least 1.49 million foreign tourists have visited the Philippines over the first two months of 2019. South Korea continued to be the top market for Philippines in the number of tourist arrivals, with a jump of 1.72 per cent from the same period in 2018.

A three-city workshop organised for Reunion Island and its tourism suppliers took place in the key cities of Delhi, Mumbai and Chennai in the first week of April. Organised with Atout France, this initiative formed part of Reunion Island’s strategy of developing close synergies with the Indian market and augmenting Indian visitor arrivals to the Island. A delegation of seven suppliers helmed by the President of the Reunion Island Tourism Board, Stéphane Fouassin and Lydie Sangarin, Market Manage, showcased the island’s tourism offers to members of the trade in the three cities. The delegation comprised the national air carrier Air Austral, destination management companies, hotels and a helicopter ride attraction. A presentation on the island made by the Reunion Island Tourism Board followed by meetings with the suppliers led to an in-depth understanding of the island, its experiences and how to best showcase their products in India. Stéphane Fouassin, President, Reunion Island Tourism Board, said, “India is an important source market for us and we believe that Reunion Island is a perfect fit for visitors wanting to enjoy a holiday by the sea coupled with adventure experiences. An array of diverse activities ensures that the island perfectly caters to the needs and requirements of its visiting families, couples, friends on a holiday and adventure enthusiasts”. Sharing her thoughts, Sheetal Munshaw, Director Atout France in India, said, “We are extremely pleased to showcase Reunion Island – a French overseas department and its array of experiences to the Indian travel trade. We are confident that this workshop will pave the way for more Indian arrivals to the island. In addition, the visa access policy for stays less than 15 days certainly increases …

Tourism Australia has recorded Indian arrivals to Australia for the year-ended December 2018 that stood at 357,700 – a growth of 18 per cent over the previous year. India once again was named as the fastest growing inbound market for Australia. During the year-ended December 2018, Indian tourists spent A$ 1.7 bn (approx. Rs 8,300 crore) on their Australia trips, a growth of 21 per cent over the previous year. In fact, 2018 was the fifth consecutive year of double-digit growth, with arrivals and spend growing at a CAGR of 16 per cent and 19 per cent respectively over the 5-year period.

A two-day Korea festival showcasing Korea’s rich art, culture and heritage will take place on April 13-14, 2019 at High Street Phoenix, Mumbai. Organised by Korea Tourism Organisation, the two-day extravaganza aims to popularise South Korea as an emerging destination among Indian travellers by giving a glimpse into the Korean culture. The aim is to acquaint Indian tourists with famous South Korean tourist destinations, delicacies, local culture and the country’s modern legacy. The festival will have food sampling sessions to give a taste of the local Korean snacks to serve Indian taste buds, managed by AT Centre and the traditional Bibimbap rice dish, Sujeonggwa drink tasting session organized by KTO. With an aim to meet the rapidly increasing Indian travel passenger demands, the Indian Travel agents will offer special discounted packages to the visitors. Speaking on the Korea Festival, Park, Jeong ha, Vice President KTO, said, “Indian outbound travel to South Korea is on the rise. In 2018, approximately 100,000 Indian travellers visited South Korea and the numbers are growing with an average rate of 10-15% year on year. While the number of Indians travelling abroad has increased three-fold in the last one decade, there are a lot of offerings from South Korea which are still unexplored and unexperienced. Such festivals help in a great way to fortify and deepen the understanding.” The experiences like Traditional Hanbok wearing, face and mask painting, VR experiences, Korean calligraphy name writing, display of Famous Korean TV Drama, Movies and K- Pop music and traditional games like Tuho (Pitch-pot), Ddakji (Slap Match), Jegichagi (Shuttlecock) have been specially arranged for Indian audiences. The highlights at the event include live stage performances at the festival by …

Destination DC, the official destination marketing organisation for Washington DC, organised three-city sales mission in Mumbai, Ahmedabad and Delhi. Connecting with over 300 travel partners in the three cities, the organisation shared plans to promote the new tourism developments and unique offerings of the District.  “With a 32 percent increase in visitation, India has proven to be one of our most successful growth markets, ranking fourth globally. We see immense potential among Indian travellers. Through this roadshow, we aim to establish strong partnerships and continue to market not only the key attractions in the city, but also its dynamic neighborhoods that reflect the ‘DC Cool’ brand,” said Mr. Elliott L. Ferguson, II, president and CEO of Destination DC. In 2017, Washington DC welcomed 135,000 visitors making India as the 4th largest overseas market for the destination. From 2015 to 2017, visitation to DC increased by 67 per cent.  The National Cherry Blossom Festival (held from March 20 – April 14) was the theme of the sales mission. More than 1.5 million visitors descend upon Washington, DC every year to admire the 3,000 cherry blossom trees in full bloom. With $11.2 billion in development underway. There are 18 hotels in the pipeline adding 3,987 rooms to the city, including recently opened Conrad Washington, DC and Hilton Washington DC National Mall, anticipated to open in April 2019.  The International Spy Museum moves to L’Enfant Plaza on May 12 and the Washington Monument reopens this spring. The Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History’s “Fossil Hall” reopens in June.

As per the latest statistics, Bahrain Tourism & Exhibitions Authority (BTEA) witnessed a 43 per cent jump in tourist arrivals from India in 2018. The revenue generated was 80 per cent higher than 2017. Bahrain Tourism has had its presence in India since January 2017 and has been aggressively promoting the destination in the market. Over the last few years, Bahrain has also emerged as a prime wedding destination due to various offerings like the short flying time from India which is below four hours, the number of five-star international chain of hotel options and a variety of venues.   The Kingdom has infrastructure ready with convention centers, accommodation facilities and scenic locations that are capable to host small, intimate to large events. Bahrain is also building a new state of the art exhibition and convention center that will have 10 exhibiting halls with a total 95,000 sqm. and a conference hall that can house 4,000 people.  In order to increase tourist arrivals, Bahrain is going to launch world’s largest underwater theme park, covering an area of over 100,000 square meters.  The ecofriendly project will be undertaken in partnership with the Supreme Council for Environment, Bahrain Tourism and Exhibitions Authority (BTEA), and the private sector. This is in line with the BTEA’s strategy to promote the MICE and wedding sector and further develop the country’s tourism sector under the slogan of ‘Ours.Yours.’, which contributes towards Bahrain’s economy and the 2030 Economic Vision.

The Indian trade delegation that is currently in France to attend the annual show Rendezvous en France 2019 organised by Atout France has been exploring the potential of regions yet unfamiliar to the Indian travellers. The 32-member delegation hosted by Atout France India includes tour operators from Mumbai, Delhi, Ahmedabad, Chennai and Bengaluru. The regions that the Indian delegates found appealing for their clients include Provence and the Rhône-Alpes. The two-day show is being held in Marseille this year to promote the region in the international markets. About 915 tour operators from 73 different countries are attending this B2B travel show, one of the biggest trade events in France.

On the occasion of Goût de France/Good France 2019, a French culinary event is set to take place in 70 restaurants in India, among 5000 worldwide on March 21. Mme Sonia Barbry, Consul General of France in Bombay and Sheetal Munshaw, Director, Atout France jointly launched a special buffet featuring signature French dishes prepared by chefs who participated at the event held recently at the Residence of France in Mumbai. This year, each restaurateur will freely interpret his own version of a French menu, using his local and seasonal produce. Each menu will showcase a more responsible cuisine, more respectful of the planet’s resources and of the diners’ health. The guests opting for the set Goût De France/ Good France menu for the evening, will also stand a chance to win a 3 night/4 day sojourn in Northern France.