Leading travel show in Asia, 2024 edition of OTM receives an overwhelming response from global tourism markets

PRNewswire
Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], January 24: OTM 2024, the leading travel show in Asia, scheduled from 08-10 February 2024 at the Jio World Convention Centre, BKC, Mumbai, is all set to bring together an impressive lineup of over 1600 exhibitors and more than 35,000 industry professionals from 60+ countries and 30 Indian States & UTs. Uniting new exhibitors and global destinations, the event will see the debut of new countries in the Indian market via OTM. Additionally, destinations that have previously been promoted in India are making a substantial impact by showcasing themselves with larger pavilions. The show size has grown by over 50 percent compared to its 2023 edition.
Amidst and post-pandemic, domestic travel became a crucial pillar for the hospitality industry, persisting as local travelers stepped in to compensate for the absence of international visitors. Following the reopening of international travel post-pandemic, Indian explorers displayed an insatiable appetite for new experiences. Despite facing visa obstacles and disruptions in some countries, their unwavering enthusiasm remained undiminished.
The journey of OTM mirrors India's remarkable surge in domestic and outbound travel. With a notable increase of 10 million outbound travelers in 2023 compared to the previous year, the Indian market demonstrated resilience and vitality. Analysts predict that collective spending on outbound trips will surpass $42 billion by the end of 2024, solidifying India's position as one of the most lucrative outbound tourism markets globally. This significant growth sets the stage for OTM 2024, positioned to shape the future landscape of the travel industry.
This year's edition has already achieved a groundbreaking 95% sold-out exhibition space, a testament to its focus on quality when it comes to networking and the overall trade show experience. Tourism boards and private stakeholders from more than 60 countries are expected to participate, showcasing a diverse range of global and domestic travel offerings across two separate exhibition floors of over 250,000 sq. ft, including 35+ country pavilions in the three-day expo.
The largest international pavilion at OTM 2024 will be from Saudi Arabia, with Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Qatar, Bahrain, Morocco, the Maldives, and Azerbaijan following suit. Among the Indian States, Uttarakhand takes the lead in size, closely followed by Kerala, Gujarat, Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, and others. In the private sector, some of the most substantial pavilions are from Travel Boutique Online, followed by NEOM and Tripjack. (List of participating countries at the end)
This year's edition of OTM, the most impactful one to date, is aimed to foster invaluable connections within the travel industry, offering a platform for exhibitors to engage with a varied audience comprising vetted travel agents, tour operators, MICE & corporate buyers, wedding planners, and film, TV & OTT producers. The event presents a unique opportunity for businesses to tap into the expansive Indian market, which represents a significant portion of domestic and outbound travel. In addition, OTM hosts over 300 qualified trade buyers nationwide, with 150+ attendees specifically hosted from Delhi NCR, showcasing the extensive reach and potential of the event. Travel trade buyers from across India have registered as visitors, set to engage with thousands of sellers during the three-day exhibition.
"98 percent of our exhibitors in 2023 stated that OTM effectively connects them with their desired business audience. The event has emerged as the leading travel trade show in not only India but all of Asia in 2023. OTM 2024 has consolidated further on this lead, with the show growing approximately by 50% in the area and revenues," said Sanjiv Agarwal, Chairman & CEO of Fairfest Media Ltd. (organisers of OTM).
He further added, "The pandemic shock and geopolitical shifts thereafter have put India on a sweet spot in both, domestic and outbound travel, which is reflected in the unprecedented growth of OTM 2024. World class facilities at the recently opened JWCC have also helped immensely."
According to a survey recently conducted by Ipsos, the world's third-largest market research agency, OTM is voted the Leading Travel Show in India and across Asia in 2023. It surpassed its competition, with 62 percent of respondents acknowledging it as the top show in India and 50 percent recognizing it as the premier event in Asia. Additionally, 77 percent rated OTM positively, considering it equal to or better than some of the leading international exhibitions.
What our partners have to say:
* "We've been participating in OTM for many years. It is a great opportunity that provides us and various stakeholders including tour operators, travel agents, hoteliers, and even homestay owners from Uttarakhand to interact, network and showcase offerings to trade buyers from participating states and countries. We expect OTM 2024 to be bigger and better than previous years. This year we would like to introduce our new initiatives like Himalaya darshan by helicopter, adventure tourism in the state as well as an update on the special train promoting hidden gems in Uttarakhand especially the Manaskhand (Kumaon) region," said Shri.Sachin Kurve, IAS, Secretary, Department of Tourism, Government of Uttarakhand & CEO, Uttarakhand Tourism Development Board.
* "We've been associated with Fairfest Media, the organizers of OTM since 2017. OTM is one of the largest travel shows in India. This year's event is being held at the Jio World Convention Centre in Mumbai with countries like Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Turkey, Portugal among others participating as exhibitors. I truly feel that OTM is a must attend event for MICE operators, travel agents, wedding planners, for a truly holistic global experience," said Gajesh Girdhar, National Coordinator, Network of Indian MICE Agents (NIMA).
* "Travel and destination weddings go hand-in-hand, and OTM is the platform where the two meet. Great energy, lots of conversations, and meaningful networking!" echoed Parthip Thyagarajan, CEO, WeddingSutra.
* "OTM for us as a company is very meaningful. It has helped us to meet a lot of buyers serving in the market especially west of India. The networking and the time spent at the event helps us in building our relationship further. You meet some new customers, suppliers, or the people you're working with. For me, it's a festival of the travel industry. I'm very excited to be there for three days. OTM 2024, especially now with Jio, the whole execution and the aura of the event has completely changed since the event happened last year and I'm sure the event will be big in 2024. The event is getting extremely strong in the outbound plus inbound and domestic as there are people willing to travel more and more. I think India plays an extremely important role in the outbound ecosystem. It will only grow from here on and I believe everyone wants a piece of India. Hence, I truly believe OTM is going to be the biggest show when it comes to supply and exhibitors in the recent years of OTM. This year like all years will be a fruitful productive year for everybody," said Ankush Nijhawan, Co-Founder, TBO.com.
List of participating countries:
- Azerbaijan Tourism Board
- Bahrain Tourism & Exhibitions Authority
- Bangkok Metropolitan Authority
- Bhutan Tourism
- Cambodia Tourism
- Cuba Tourist Board
- Egyptian Tourism Authority
- ENIT Italy
- Greek National Tourism Organisation
- Tourism Fiji
- Israel Tourism Board
- Korea Tourism Organization
- Karelia Tourism (Russia)
- Mauritius Tourism Promotion Authority
- Malaysia Tourism Board
- Maldives Marketing and PR Corporation
- Ministry of Culture & Tourism, Republic of Indonesia
- Visit Morocco
- Nepal
- Tourism Promotions Board Philippines
- Polish Tourism Organisation
- PROMPERU
- Qatar Tourism
- Rwanda Tourism Board
- Saudi Tourism Authority
- Sri Lanka Tourism Board
- Seychelles Tourism Board
- Taiwan Tourism Administration
- This is Athens-Convention & Visitors Bureau
- Tourism Authority of Thailand
- Turkiye Tourism Promotion and Development Agency
amongst others, in addition to exhibitors from 30+ Indian States & UTs.
About OTM:
OTM Mumbai is The Leading Travel Show in Asia. Each year, OTM brings together India and Asia's travel community under one roof. 35,000 travel and tourism professionals, Tourism Ministers, CEOs of travel brands, and businesses from over 80 countries and all Indian States attend OTM each year. OTM 2024 is scheduled to be held at the world-class Jio World Convention Centre in Mumbai on the 8th, 9th and 10th of February 2024. OTM is organised by Fairfest Media Limited. (https://otm.co.in/)
About Fairfest:
With clients from over 100 countries, Fairfest is a leading media company providing world-class platforms for doing business in one of the fastest-growing markets in the world - India. Established in 1989, Fairfest organises the industry-leading TTF and OTM international travel fairs for the rapidly expanding tourism industry, as well as Municipalika, a leading event on municipal management and sustainability.Fairfest also runs DailyBrief, one of India's highest-rated news apps and publishes Travel News Digest (TND), collating the world's relevant news for the travel trade fraternity. (https://fairfest.in/)
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