“Tourism is the best way to connect to the world and our efforts are in the right directions. India has diversity in its culture and I appeal to the delegates, they must visit our state stalls in the Mart. They will get to know about the beauty of our culture,” said Prahlad Singh Patel, Union Minister of State for Culture and Tourism (Independent Charge).

The objective of the Mart is to provide a platform at the national level for the trade and hospitality service providers to interact and conduct business with their counterparts from overseas.

The number of international tourists has significantly increased in the last couple of years in the country, indicating a change in perception. The Mart has been organised on lines of major international travel marts held annually in countries across the world, with the objective of positioning the tourist destinations and products of the country in international markets. 

Present at the Mart are delegates from 51 countries including Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, Italy, Indonesia, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Norway, Philippines, Poland, Russia, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Thailand, UK and USA.

The partner state at the event is Gujarat and other participating states include Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Daman & Diu, Goa, Haryana, Jammu & Kashmir, Jharkhand, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Manipur, Meghalaya, Punjab, Rajasthan, Sikkim, Tamil Nadu, Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh.

The Mart features over 170 stalls, where seller delegates from across the country, including tour operators, hoteliers and other stakeholders are in the process of conducting B2B meetings with the international buyer delegates along with participating States & Union Territories showcasing their  unique tourism destinations and products.