Most wanted: Indian travellers

India's biggest travel trade show, Outbound Travel Mart (OTM) has marked its presence among NTOs, travel agents and tourism companies. This was reflected in the overwhelming response and participation at the justconcluded OTM 2015 in Mumbai.

Outbound Travel Mart kicked off on a high note on February 4 in Mumbai with Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, inaugurating the three-day event at the Bombay Convention & Exhibition Centre. It hosted over 2,500 participants from 70 countries thereby showcasing the huge market potential of Indian outbound.

Fadnavis, who also holds charge of the state's tourism portfolio, said, “I would like to congratulate OTM for successfully organising a travel trade show of this magnitude. Both Indian and international tourism is set to get a huge boost out of this show. As the state host, Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation (MTDC) has also participated as we have a special focus of promoting Maharashtra as a tourism destination.”

OTM, held from February 4-6, will be quickly followed by TTF Delhi scheduled to be held at the swanky Thyagaraj Sports Complex located near INA Market from February 10-12, 2015. Many of the international and domestic participants of OTM Mumbai are also participating in the TTF. Fadnavis took a tour of the exhibition, halting at various NTO stalls including the Philippines and Japan and also took a virtual tour of the bullet train at the 'Visit Japan' stall. His consent to be the chief guest at the event indicates the impor- tance the Government of Maharashtra accords to promotion of tourism in the state.

In fact, MTDC had a sizeable presence in OTM Mumbai, ably supported by a large number of private sector operators as co-exhibitors in the Maharashtra Pavilion at the expo. The two-month-old Fadnavis Government has already taken up a slew of initiatives towards boosting tourism in Maharashtra.