30th TTF Kolkata begins
Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Nepal are taking part as Partner Countries while Thailand and Bahrain have joined as Feature Countries
Travel and Tourism Fair (TTF), oldest and one of the biggest travel trade show networks in India kick started the 30th edition of TTF Kolkata on July 12.
TTF Kolkata will be held until July 14, 2019 at the Netaji Indoor Stadium and Khudiram Anushilan Kendra with 440 exhibitors, including pavilions of various national tourism boards and state tourism boards. Participants from 14 countries and 25 Indian states are joining the show this year.
Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Nepal are taking part as Partner Countries while Thailand and Bahrain have joined as Feature Countries. Other countries being represented in TTF Kolkata include Bhutan, China, Malaysia, Nepal, Singapore, South Africa and UAE. India Tourism will also have a prominent presence at the show.
Among Indian states, West Bengal and Uttarakhand have the largest pavilions, followed by Odisha, Gujarat, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan who have set up extensive state pavilions with their private operators. Tamil Nadu, Himachal Pradesh, Assam, Jharkhand, Lakshadweep, Tripura, Nagaland, Jammu & Kashmir and Karnataka have also set up state pavilions, to attract tourists.
This year, TTF Kolkata will be for the first time hosting the TTF Forum. A knowledge-sharing platform, TTF Forum at Kolkata will witness a panel discussion on Exploring Travel and Tourism Opportunities Beyond Eastern India: How Bangladeshi Tourists Outnumbered European Travellers to India.
The panel will have speakers from prominent destination management companies from Bangladesh.
TTF Kolkata has always been a must-visit event not only for the travel trade and tourists from Kolkata but also the neighbouring country of Bangladesh.
Bangladesh topped Foreign Tourist Arrivals (FTAs) in 2017, with a footfall of 2156557 tourists. On the other hand, it also receives a majority of international tourists from India.
TTF Kolkata has also received consistent support from the Ministry of Tourism, State Tourism Boards, National Tourist Offices, thousands of private exhibitors and trade associations and continues to be a unique platform providing opportunities for buyers and sellers from across the country to showcase their latest offerings and build long term business ties.
"TTF Kolkata is India's oldest and one of the busiest travel trade shows in India. With the increasing importance of outbound and inbound potential in the East and Southeast Asia, it serves as a strategically important gateway for the industry. That is the reason it is a full house show every year since the last 29 years – a legacy that we are proud of," remarked Sanjiv Agarwal, Chairman and CEO of Fairfest Media Ltd.
TTF is supported by Incredible India, TAAI, OTOAI, ATOAI, ADTOI, IATO, IAAI, SKAL International, NEHATO and ETAA.
Travel News Digest is the official publication of TTF. After Kolkata, West India edition of TTF will take place in Ahmedabad (August 30, 31, September 1), Surat (September 6-8), Mumbai (September 13-15) and Pune (September 20-22).
In 2020, TTF Bengaluru is scheduled from January 17-19 and TTF Chennai on January 24-26.
