India to host PATA Travel Mart 2023 in Delhi from Oct 4-6: Ministry of Tourism

India will host the 46th edition of the Pacific Asia Travel Association Travel Mart at Pragati Maidan in Delhi from October 4-6, the Union Ministry of Tourism said on Saturday.

The physical version of the event is being held after a hiatus of three years due to the COVID-19 pandemic, officials said, adding that the PATA Travel Mart 2023 will be held at the International Exhibition-cum-Convention Centre (IECC).

The IECC complex was also the venue for the G20 Summit held from September 9-10.

Headquartered in Bangkok, the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA), which was founded in 1951, is a renowned not-for-profit association recognised internationally for its role as a catalyst in the responsible development of travel and tourism in the Asia-Pacific region, the ministry said in a statement.

The event in Delhi will bring together tourism professionals and business stakeholders from across the world, offering a unique platform for networking, learning and collaboration, the officials said.

India will also be participating in the PATA Travel Mart in a ''substantial manner''. ''A designated pavilion for India at the Mart will create an immersive experience of the gamut of destinations in India both known and lesser known,'' the statement said.

State governments of Rajasthan, Gujarat, Delhi, Karnataka, Telangana, Uttarakhand, Madhya Pradesh and other ministries will also put up stands and stalls to display their products, it said.

''Although the Mart is an exclusively B2B mart, it will help bring forth the diverse gamut of thematic products such as wellness, adventure, heritage, culinary and art and craft of different states to a global audience,'' a senior official said.

PATA Travel Mart is one of the important international trade exhibitions catering to the tourism sector and it serves as a platform for trade interactions between global buyers and sellers mostly from the Asia-Pacific region.

This year, the event will feature different activities, including the prestigious PATA Gold Award, the PATA Youth Symposium and the PATA Forum on Sustainability, besides the B2B Mart.

The success of the G20 Summit held this year has already ''placed India as one of the sought-after destinations for hosting larger scale events and conferences'', the ministry said.

With its sustainable and inclusive tourism activities, ''India is fast becoming the preferred choice destination for organising MICE events,'' it said.

The G20 New Delhi Leaders' Declaration while recommitting to achieving SDGs has highlighted the crucial role of tourism and culture as a means for sustainable socio-economic development and economic prosperity and noted the Goa Roadmap for Tourism as one of the vehicles for achieving the SDGs, it added.

The Ministry of Tourism, on the occasion of World Tourism Day on September 27, also globally launched the sustainable program of Travel for LiFE, under the aegis of Mission LiFE, targeted towards the tourism sector, promoting tourists to follow responsible behaviour while travelling, the statement said.