SATTE 2021 was the first major international tourism event that was organised last year in March, since the countries worldwide started imposing lockdowns starting February 2020. Despite fewer exhibitors, the event garnered tremendous response from buyers from across India, and some international too, who, despite the air travel and other restrictions, still managed to attend the event.
The aisles were teaming with buyers, and exhibitors were swearing by their enthusiasm and eagerness to ink new deals and contracts. SATTE 2022, if anything, was at least twice as vociferous. The show recorded more than 120 per cent growth over the previous edition despite a very challenging national and international travel landscape in the wake of Covid-19 pandemic reaching very close to the pre-pandemic size and scale.
The 29th edition was a massive statement on India and the South Asia region’s potential for domestic, regional and global tourism, underpinning UNWTO’s data showing the region as one of the fastest growing tourism markets as well as source market for destinations across the globe. For the domestic tourism in India, exhibitors from every corner of India, from Kashmir to Kerala and India’s western most states of Gujarat and Rajasthan to the country’s North East, were in attendance along with their regions’ leading DMCs, hotels and other suppliers to showcase their products, offerings and destinations to buyers.
Internationally, some 300 international suppliers and 25 countries were in attendance from every single continent, from as far as The Americas to Oceania and Africa, vying for a slice of India and the region’s outbound potential. Azerbaijan that debuted in the Indian market in the late 2018, made its destination launch at SATTE 2019 and swears by expo’s potential to drive incremental traffic. Not only India is the fastest growing source market for Azerbaijan today but is also among its top producing markets, a feat achieved in a space of just about two to three years.
This year it was Saudi Arabia, shrouded in mystery and antiquity and some ambitious new developments aimed at transforming country’s future economic landscape, the country organised its first major destination launch in India at SATTE this year. The land of Mecca and Medina, two of the holiest sites of Islam, Saudi Arabia was the premier partner of the event this year.
While inaugurating SATTE 2022, Chief Guest of the event, Shripad Yesso Naik, Minister of State for Tourism, Govt. of India, said, “Travel and tourism is among one of the world’s largest economic sector creating export and prosperity around the world, and SATTE, South Asia Travel & Tourism Exchange, offers a comprehensive platform to domestic and international buyers and professionals from across the travel, tourism and hospitality industry along with the national (NTOs) and state (STBs) tourism boards. For over two decades, SATTE is recognized as one of the leading travel and tourism exhibitions in the country which conducts business, share knowledge, exchange ideas in order to arrive at solutions.”
The Minister also pointed that SATTE is well supported by the Ministry of Tourism, Government of India, national and international tourism boards, Indian and international travel and tourism associations and stakeholders of the industry.
While exuding confidence in the event, he further said, “This year it is the 29th edition of SATTE. The show has participation of 25 foreign and 25+ states along with private sector players from aviation, cruise, theme parks, attractions, etc. A travel mart of this magnitude is happening in India after a gap of two years. I am happy to see such a large participation of foreign tourism boards, international and domestic travel and tourism stakeholders, state tourism delegates, they are all present here today. I hope the event will facilitate a number of business deals in the value chain of travel and tourism industry.”
Earlier, while welcoming the delegates at SATTE 2022, Yogesh Mudras, Managing Director, Informa Markets – India, said, “Informa Market in India has been an integral part of travel and tourism trade for more than two decades now with SATTE entering its 29th edition. As the travel sector is beginning to see the momentum with the opening of international flights, SATTE 2022 will be a major platform for discussion and dialogues for the revival of national and international travel industry. SATTE has always worked towards developing a roadmap for the lucrative future of this industry.”
“We are extremely pleased to host around 30,000 attendees who are expected to attend this edition of SATTE. We have 1000 plus exhibitors on the floor, so it’s a full-fledged edition of SATTE back again after the gap of a year. There are 25 states tourism boards as well as 25 international destinations (NTOs) who are participating this year. Altogether we have over 300 international participants at the show this year,” Mudras informed.
Attending his first major tourism expo since assuming tourism portfolio, M. Mathiventhan, Minister for Tourism, Govt. of Tamil Nadu, pointed that it is thanks to the mass vaccination programme that now tourism industry is out of Covid mayhem. “With Covid-19 pandemic receding people are rushing back to the tourism spots. Needless to say, that our country, from Kashmir to Kanyakumari, is filled with diversity and tourism. Each state has distinct culture, tradition, food, topography and many other diversities,” he said, while also adding “We see Tamil Nadu now well poised for a giant leap in the sector. When it comes to our state, Tamil Nadu, led by our Honourable Chief Minister M K Stalin, is taking many measures to promote tourism.”
The Minister particularly pointed out state’s first of its kind ‘Tourism Destination Development Scheme’ that he said is a milestone scheme that will help the state identify and develop whole new set of destinations to give fillip to the state’s tourism sector and also boost employment. He further said that there are several other new programmes in tourism aimed at uplifting state’s tourism sector. “Tamil Nadu is also coming up with new Tourism Policy that will seek to provide industry status to the tourism sector. New guidelines are being formulated in order to develop Caravan Tourism, Eco-camping sites and such activities. The state is also organizing its private sector in tourism bringing all the agents and operators under a single umbrella and providing them with the required registrations and accreditions,” informed Mathiventhan.
Paying glowing tributes to SATTE for bringing together such a huge gathering of international tourism fraternity for three-days of business meetings and networking in the sweltering May heat and in the new post-pandemic normal, Rupinder Brar, Additional Director General (Tourism), Govt. of India, also highlighted India’s massive movement of vaccination that has given tremendous confidence to travel and tourism industry and every other sector and has made events like SATTE with such large gathering possible. She said, “What we want to say in a very loud voice to the world is that we are ready to welcome you, the trade is all set to welcome you” while also adding that “Please don’t just visit India in virtual space, instead travel to India.”
Brar urged the delegates and attendees to talk about India and its growing tourism stories to people in order to whet their appetite for the wanderlust. She said, “You have 114 airports within India to plan your travels to and the number of destinations that we can talk about is endless. ‘Dekho Apna Desh’ is the experience which is unending. So, when I say ‘Dekho Apna Desh’ to see my country, it not only refers to us as Indians, but it’s an experience, it’s a process that is for anyone and everyone coming into India.”
She also explained that while tourists are welcome to explore and visit the country, India at the same time is a much-evolved experience that global travellers should seek, whether in terms of wellness, culture and heritage, adventure, rural or eco-tourism experiences or whether one is textiles or music lover, the list is endless, and therefore should be accordingly encouraged to explore these myriad facets of the country.
Congratulating Informa Market in India on the successful organization of the 29th edition of SATTE, Jyoti Mayal, Vice Chairperson of FAITH said, “SATTE is famous in the travel fraternity as South Asia’s leading travel show and has carved a niche of itself in its 29 years of journey. I have been a part of this journey and I have grown with it. It has become a premier show to network and conduct tourism business in the region.” “SATTE being a platform to connect entire Asia, I wish to convey that we at FAITH along with all our ten partner associations are working tirelessly to promote and encash global and regional tourism opportunities which indeed is the need of the hour, to strengthen multilateral, bilateral relations and enhance trade and tourism and make travellers experience entire Asia and the globe,” she further added.
Furthermore, highlighting the role of tourism and the role that premier events like SATTE play in the socio-economic development of a country or region, Mayal said, “Tourism has a very steady growth. It is over 6 per cent CAGR over the last 50 years and the main source of foreign exchange earnings for one-third of the developing countries. Tourism employment opportunities have outperformed other major industries. Importantly, women account for 54 per cent of the employment in the sector compared to 39 per cent to the global economy.”
With the revival of travel and tourism top of the agenda, also speaking on the occasion, Rajiv Mehra, Hony. Secretary, FAITH said, “The contribution of tourism to employment, foreign exchange earnings and to the GDP is known to all. The pandemic brought this vibrant sector to a sudden halt. Now with sky opened and over 192 crore vaccinated, the Incredible India is all set to welcome tourists from across the world.”
Speaking further, Mehra drew attention to bring back the eVisa facilities for all the countries as earlier and also to extend the five-lakh free tourist Visa scheme to future date in order for the industry and the country to take advantage of the scheme. Mehra also drew attention to the opportunities and challenges in the Buddhist sector that encompasses a vast territory, from Bengal and Bihar in the East to all the way to Ladakh, the Northern most territory of India. He also took the opportunity to ask for Infrastructure status for the tourism industry in order for the industry to attract greater investment. Mehra also offered key recommendations concerning marketing and promotion of the country in the overseas source markets that included suggestions related to overseas road shows, website improvements, tax rationalization on ATF, among others.
Industry veteran Subhash Goyal, Member, National Advisory Council, Ministry of Tourism, Government of India, while recalling SATTE from the days when it was first conceived, said, “SATTE is not any ordinary exhibition. It was conceived as a platform for the Indian tourism industry to bring the buyers and sellers from all over the world together. And I am happy today that SATTE is a dream come true, that over a thousand exhibitors are participating in this year’s SATTE. As somebody who has attended all the SATTE, I think this edition is already a grand success. What I want to say is take full advantage of SATTE, network and meet as many people as possible as this is one of the first events after a long time and so well attended.”
