Delivering her key note address at the inaugural,Ms. Manisha Saxena, IAS, Director General, Ministry of Tourism, Government of India said that the GITB is bound to grow from strength to strength, as so much serious business is happening through GITB and people are actually sharing the various aspects that the country offers. 

Underlining that India is 365-days destination, Ms. Saxena said, “India is not just a six-month destination from October to March. It is actually a 365-day destination. We have just launch an initiative called ‘Coolcation’ to dispel the myth that summers are hot in India. There are some cool pockets in India too. Wed in India is the focus this year as we endeavour to showcase India’s culture and traditions around weddings across the country. At the same time, while weddings and meetings are important, India is a land with vibrant cultural experiences and it offers much more. Our effort is to make India’s tourist destination much more attractive.”

She was speaking during the inaugural of 13^th‘The Great Indian Travel Bazaar’ (GITB)at Jai Mahal Palace. The 3-day expo is being organised at Jaipur Exhibition & Convention Centre (JECC) till 7^th May, 2024.

Elaborating on Rajasthan’s charm for travel& tourism connoisseurs, Smt. Rathore, Principal Secretary, Department of Tourism, Government of Rajasthan said, “The state is celebrated for the seamless integration of all five critical aspects of tourism - attraction, accessibility, accommodation, amenities and activities.And the icing on the cake is the proactive policies of the government, not only declaring tourism and hospitality sector as industry, but also providing so many concessions as part of our heritage guidelines, boosting tourism in the rural areas by rural tourism policy. The ultimate objective is to increase the experience in Rajasthan to promote experiential travel in state.”

“GITB is a perfect example of public-private partnership. This event has contributed a lot towards the growth of tourism sector,” Smt. Rathore added.

Earlier, welcoming the guest to GITB 2024, Mr. Dipak Deva, Chairperson, FICCI Tourism & Culture Committee & Managing Director, Travel Corporation of India said, “The Indian tourism industry has had a very good year, be it inbound tourism, domestic tourism or weddings. The sector contributed 9.2% of GDP with 42 million jobs. The GITB serves as a platform for us to come together, exchange ideas, foster collaborations and showcase the incredible offering of our country to the world. Let us take this opportunity to not only promote tourism, but also work towards sustainable practices that will preserve our culture and natural heritage for generations to come.”

Underling the contribution of GITB in inbound tourism in India,Dr. Jyotsna Suri, Past President, FICCI & CMD, Lalit Suri Hospitality Group said, “Considering the overwhelming response that GITB has received, it is bound to grow bigger in the coming years. Over the last 13 to 14 years, we've had 3,500 FTOs visiting us and more than 1,23,000 meetings. That's an incredible number.”

Citing an instance of his discussion with a foreign delegate,Mr. S.K. Pathak, Secretary General, FICCI exhorted all the stakeholders to come together and make country’s tourism destinations clean & tidy.  

Dr. Rashmi Sharma, Director, Department of Tourism, Government of Rajasthan presented the vote of thanks. 

Mr. Kuldeep Singh Chandela, President, Hotel & Restaurant Association of Rajasthan (HRAR) was also present on the occasion.

GITB 2024 is being organized bythe Ministry of Tourism, Government of India, along withDepartment of Tourism, Government of Rajasthan and Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI). It is also supported by Hotel and Restaurant Association of Rajasthan (HRAR), Indian Heritage Hotels Association (IHHA) and Rajasthan Association of Tour Operators (RATO). The focus of this year’s event is to promote India as a wedding destination.

The evening commenced with scintillating and spellbound cultural performance by folk artists of Rajasthan who enacted a number of dance acts around wedding theme.

Policymakers, key players from the tourism and hospitality industry and tour operators from over 52 countries are participating in the GITB 2024. More than 11,000 structured face-to-face business meetings are scheduled to take place around 250 foreign buyers (FTOs) and a large number of Indian sellers(exhibitors) during the event. In addition, an exhibition with around 300 booths comprising DMCs, state tourism boards, hotels, and many more will be held.

Representatives of Tourism Boards from various states, including Odisha, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Tamil Nadu, too are participating alongside stalwarts from India's tourism, travel, and hospitality sectors.

Entry to GITB 2024 is restricted to registered Foreign Buyers and Indian Exhibitors only.