The ongoing 38th PATA Travel Mart 2015 being held in Bengaluru from September 6-8, 2015 is being hosted by the Department of Tourism, Government of Karnataka. Essentially limited to a buyer-seller meet, The PATA Travel Mart this year witnesses two incremental forums – the Technology Forum which is being conducted in partnership with PhoCusWright and the Investment Forum which will encourage tourism investments in India. “This is the first time the forums are being held alongside the buyer-seller meet. We are expecting a total of 61 countries to participate. The total number of buyers are 248 and 227 sellers. The total number of registered delegates are over 960, including those from India,” said Runeep Sangha, executive director, PATA India, in an exclusive interaction with Express TravelWorld.
Over 32,000 sq ft of exhibition space is being utilised in the mart this year. PATA Travel Mart moves from market to market every year, and is unlike several other marts which are locked into a given market and the expectation that the event will be held there year-on-year. “PATA takes the platform to various markets to help countries to promote tourism to their own country as well as let the local market place get a better understanding of the products that are available internationally,” mentioned Sangha.
PATA Travel Mart 2016 will be held in Jakarta. Though there are little hopes of the mart coming back to India in the next couple of years, Sangha stated, “It will be nice for the mart to come back to India. Ours is a vast country and there are many tourism centres as far the the mart is concerned in India.” Last time the mart was organised in 2011 in New Delhi.