Himalayan News Service

Kathmandu, February 10:

Nepal Tourism Board (NTB) along with private sector travel trade companies participated in the second multi-destination and multi-city travel trade road show held in Chennai, Bangalore, Mumbai and Delhi from January 17 to 25. The Outbound Travel Road Show — 2005 (OTR), in the major metros of India, was very successful.

The event, organised by Travel Media Networks, India succeeded in gathering five destinations together under one roof to collectively market their countries to the Indian travel trade industry, states a press release issued by NTB, today. Sri Lanka Tourism Board, Mauritius Tourism Board, Dubai Tourism Board and British Tourist Board along with their respective contingent of tour operators, luxury resorts and hotel chains also showcased their products and services, along with NTB and Nepali participants at the OTR. Nepal Desk with its prominent location and highlighted display of Nepal’s major tourist attractions, received an overwhelming response from both Indian travel trade companies and tourists. The road show held in the four major commercial and business metros of India, Chennai, Bangalore, Mumbai and Delhi attracted over 400 leading tour operators and travel agents at a ‘one stop travel shop’ in their cities during the course of two days at each city.

Over 40 suppliers, some independent and some under the umbrella of the National Tourism Boards of the respective countries, interacted with the Indian travel trade company professionals. The format and locations chosen for the workshop provided the participants with cost-effective and advantageous conditions to meet prospective buyers from India and to secure the maximum amount of business. Without doubt India is one of the fastest growing economies of the future and there has been a phenomenal growth in India’s outbound market in the past five years. Indian travelers have proven to be resilient and adventurous and more and more destinations are becoming aware of this.

At OTR 2005, NTB and the Nepali participants successfully promoted Nepal as the closest, value for money, holiday destination so as to cash in on this increasing travel trend from India.

From the NTB’s desk, Indian travel trade at all the cities was well informed about the increased air accessibility to Nepal as well as updated on Nepal’s new destinations, new products and increasing soft adventure options.