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• Heads of Travel Trade Associations suggest strategies to promote tourism in Delhi
• India showcases its breathtaking tourism potential at the three-day show
Kapil Mishra, Tourism Minister of Government of NCT Delhi today inaugurated the Delhi edition of the Travel and Tourism Fair (TTF) 2017, India’s oldest and largest annual travel trade show network that brings together over 200 participants from across the country to showcase the rich potential of tourism in India.
The three-day event, being held at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium Complex, New Delhi, provides a robust platform to the stakeholders of the domestic tourism industry to market their products, interact with trade partners, establish new networks and strengthen the fabric of the sector.
Industry leaders present at the inaugural included Manmohan Sadana, Regional Director (North), India Tourism Delhi; Pronab Sarkar, President, Indian Association of Tour Operators (IATO); P P Khanna, President, Association of Domestic Tour Operators of India (ADTOI); Capt. Swadesh Kumar, President, Adventure Tour Operators Association of India (ATOAI); Praveen Chugh, President, Travel Agents Federation of India (TAFI); Subhash Goyal, Chairman, STIC Travel Group.
Speaking on the need for better cooperation between the government and tourism industry, Mishra, said, “There are certain barriers that need to be bridged which can only be done when the government and industry join hands and start working together. I appeal to the tourism industry to come with clear policies and suggestions to the Ministry and we will start working together to achieve the low hanging fruits available to us. We will make sure that GST will be implemented in the right manner and that no one in the industry suffers due to it.”
Delhi, the Host State is one of the most important hubs of tourism in India, used by inbound and domestic tourists to move on to other destinations. However, the state itself has a lot to offer to tourists. Properly packaged and marketed, it can increase the length of stay of tourists in Delhi. Platforms like TTF provide an opportunity to project and market the state of Delhi as a comprehensive tourism destination, besides being a tourism hub.
“We are working alongside the Central Government to make Delhi a destination city, positioning it as a spiritual and heritage circuit. I see two barriers for the tourism industry in Delhi– cleanliness and safety. I will personally lead this campaign,” the Minister added.
TTF also provides a platform to the private sector, hoteliers and attractions from Delhi to participate under the banner of Delhi Tourism in the same way that other states and countries do.
The industry representatives present on the occasion stressed on the need for lower taxation to promote tourism. They recommended that the luxury tax in Delhi should be brought down and applied on actual rather than printed tariffs, which the Minister agreed upon. They also suggested that GST on tourism should be at the lowest slab.
The New Delhi edition of TTF saw the participation of industry stakeholders from 20 States/ Union Territories as well as four countries. The event is expected to attract a footfall of 4,000 trade visitors and 5,000 general visitors over the three days.
The largest pavilions this year are from Himachal Pradesh, Gujarat, Odisha, Uttarakhand, Jammu & Kashmir, Madhya Pradesh, Andaman & Nicobar and Jharkhand.
South India Hotels & Restaurants Association (SIHRA), the southern region of Federation of Hotels and Restaurants Association of India (FHRAI) is participating at TTF New Delhi along with 10 members. SIHRA is looking forward to more productive interaction to know more about the requirements of guests, thereby increasing hotel occupancy in the south.
“Domestic tourism within India is a huge and fastest growing market. In 2015, Indians took over a billion trips within India. TTF concentrates on this market,” said Sanjiv Agarwal, Chairman & CEO, Fairfest Media Ltd (organiser of TTF and Publisher of Travel News Digest).
TTF is organised in nine major cities annually viz Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Bangalore, Chennai, Ahmedabad, Hyderabad, Surat, and Pune.
Ministry of Tourism, Government of India and major travel trade organisations like Indian Association of Tour Operators (IATO), Association of Domestic Tour Operators of India (ADTOI), Adventure Tour Operators Association of India (ATOAI), Travel Agents Federation of India (TAFI), Outbound Tour Operators Association of India (OTOAI), IATA Agents Association of India (IAAI), SKAL International, Enterprising Travel Agent’s Association (ETAA), South India Hotels & Restaurants Association (SIHRA) lend its support to the event.
“TTF is India’s largest and most influential travel trade show network that the travel and tourism industry looks forward to each year. Given the rapidly growing Indian tourism market, the platform has been attracting immense interest from across the industry as it provides a solid platform for the stakeholders to interact directly with travel trade, corporate as well as general tourists. Going forward, we hope for larger participation from Delhi government on a scale commensurate with its tourism potential,” adds Agarwal.
Of the three days of the event, first half of the show (i.e. from Monday to Tuesday till 3 pm) is reserved for the travel trade, after which it is open to public (i.e. from Tuesday afternoon till Wednesday evening). Entry to the show is free and there is a surprise gift for every family visiting the show during the public hours.
Source: travelnewsdigest.in