The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : Travel mart from today

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Jul 21, 2007
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Karnataka

Karnataka - Bangalore

Travel mart from today

Staff Reporter

BANGALORE: Indians are travelling across the world like never before. For proof, look at the statistics: industry estimates put the increase in the number of outbound tourists at 20 per cent, making it the fastest growth in the Asia-Pacific region. Four lakh tourist arrivals last year put India firmly on the world tourist map. Yet, Indian tourists account for a mere 0.3 per cent of world travellers.

However, the Indian tourist population is just about to explode. And pushing that impending boom are travel exhibitions such as the forthcoming three-day India International Travel Mart, from July 21 at Sree Kanteerva Indoor Stadium. .

Participants

Tour operators from Maldives, Greece and Egypt will be participating in the mart for the first time. Among the list are Eygpt Tourism and delegation, Maldives Tourism Promotion Board, Thailand Tourism Authority and delegation, Dubai Tourism and delegation, Malaysian Airlines, Indian Airlines, Kuoni Holidays, SOTC, www.viajustgo.com, Star Cruises, Air Mauritius, Sri Lankan, Cosmos & Globus, Europe Incoming – UK, Ace Travels – Greece, Tourism Malaysia and delegation.

The tourism departments of Karnataka, Kerala, Pondicherry, Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Jammu and Kashmir, Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand, Assam, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Andaman and Nicobar Island will also be participating in the mart.

The mart will feature an exclusive international section designed to cater to the demand, according to which, more than Rs. 32.2 crore will be spent by tourists embarking on overseas travel.

Various discount offers and packages will be available at the mart. Sri Lankan, for instance, has discount offers ranging from 5 per cent to 50 per cent on different routes for spot reservations at the venue.

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