New Delhi: The biggest tourism showcase platform, The India Tourism Mart, is scheduled to be held from 23-25 September 2019 in New Delhi. ITM is a B2B platform that brings tourism buyers and sellers under one roof giving opoortunity to all stakeholders to showcase their product, interact, seek information and share experiences. Aimed at being totally indegenious it leverages itself to compete with international tourism platforms like WTM and ITB.
Announcing the second year of India Travel Mart 2019, FAITH (Federation of Associations in Indian Tourism & Hospitality) and Ministry of Tourism , Government of India, plans to take tourism in India to a milestone that aims at touching the 20 million mark by 2020.
FAITH brings together ten tourism trade related bodies comprising of tour operators, hotel and resturant associations, travel agents etc like FHRAI, HAI, IATO, TAAI, TAFI, ADTOI, ATOAI, ICPB, IHHA and ITTA. The objective of the mart is to have B2B meetings between the Indian Tour Operators (sellers) and foreign tour operators (buyers) creating a marketplace to transact business opportunities for tourism stakeholders to enhance india's tourism potential in toerms of tourist arrival into india.
The 3 days tourism mart will be organised at Ashoka Hotel and will be inaugurated by Tourism Minister Prehlad Patel. Nitin Gadkari, minister for Shipping and Transport will be Chief Guest. Speaking to media persons Joint Sectretary, Ministry of Tourism, Billa, said, ''This is the second edition of ITM. Two elements to this event are addressed...inclusivity, which means the entire industry particpation, second principle of equality ie smaller players should also get an opportunity to showcase their products. So there are various formats one industry led event supported by the govt as we want the industry to put the money where its mouth is. We are supportig them by inviting our buyers and reaching out to our missions abroad. We expect a number of states to come and showcase themselves with cross section of industries pitching in too encouraging Public private partnership. Basically the ministry is handholding the industry.''
Honorary Secretary FAITH Subhash Goyal informed that the industry will give 900 rooms free to foreign tour operaters along with other organisations giving free tours and transport and transfers. Last year recorded 224 buyers in 2 days time from 62 countries. This year we are expecting 300 buyers from 66 countries. 200 buyers have been selected. Its an excellent example of public private partnership. Travel media is invited to be on board. Last yr 25 state govts participated, some of then has offered free tours eg Gujarat, Punjab.''
Selection of buyers is a very transparent method which can be done through the website www.indiatourism.com. Buyers this year are from the MICE segment, Adventure tourism, religious tour segment and many others. In the selection process there are representatives of all 12 associations of FAITH Board members along with representatives of Ministry of Tourism. Those people who have already availed of Govt of India hospitality in the alst 2 yrs are not eligible. Once the buyer is selected he has to pay a registration fee of Rs 200 then get free tickets from their home place to India and back. Taj, Oberoi, Leela, Meridian, Ashoka are providing rooms. Adventure operaters are giving FAM tours.
Chairman FAITH informed that ITM will help acheive the goal of 20 million tourists ariival by 2020 and that the support of the Ministry of Tourism, Government of India has been vital in sharing the singular aim of promoting inbound tourism from the globe to India.
