By IANS,
New Delhi : Travel industry delegates from 27 countries and 22 Indian states came together Friday to participate in the biggest travel industry fair in the country.
Oneworld Travel Mart (OTM), a three-day exhibition, will give a platform to over 350 participants to showcase their travel and tourism solutions.
“We are excited to organise a travel show which not only caters to India alone but is also a global forum,” said Fairfest Media CEO, and OTM organiser Sanjiv Agarwal.
Calling tourism a key driver in economic growth, he claimed that it contributed 8.6 percent to the Gross Domestic Product(GDP).
“This sector currently employs 4.9 crore people,” he added.
The annual event focused on outbound travel. Phillipines, Zimbabwe and Syria were the featured countries this year with a strong presence in the exhibition. The ambassadors of Syria and Philippines were also present for the inauguration ceremony.
This year’s OTM has a large participation by China, Sri Lanka and Turkey, besides the featured countries.
The key players in the tourism industry including national and state tourism boards, hotels and resorts, tour operators, travel agencies and airlines will use the event as a networking opportunity and to woo consumers.