Sustainability, niche, domestic & experiential tourism took centerstage at the 28th edition of SATTE (South Asia’s Travel & Tourism Exchange) organized from March 24-26, 2021 at the India Expo Centre, Greater Noida, Delhi/NCR. The much awaited event was inaugurated by Chief Guest Arvind Singh, Secretary (Tourism), Govt. of India along with key dignitaries Dr. Abdulla Mausoom, Minister of Tourism, Maldives; M P Bezbaruah, Former Secretary – Tourism, Govt. of India and Secretary General, Hotel Association of India; Maneck E. Davar, Chairman, Service Export Promotion Council, Jyoti Mayal, Vice-Chairperson, FAITH, Yogesh Mudras, Managing Director, Informa Markets in India and Pallavi Mehra, Group Director, Informa Markets In India.
The three day expo, witnessed participation from cross-sections of the industry and garnered great support from the Ministry of Tourism, Govt. of India, Service Export Promotion Council (SEPC) of the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Ministry of Ayush and State/UT Tourism Boards such as Gujarat, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Uttarakhand, Kerala, Karnataka, Lakshadweep, Odisha, Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, to name a few. Uttar Pradesh was the ‘Host State’ for SATTE 2021.
International participants such as Nepal, Maldives, Malaysia, Utah and Expo2020 Dubai showcased their product profile and preparedness to woo Indian travelers. Private players such as TravelBoutiqueOnline, ITC Welcome Heritage, My Value Travel, Tripjack, Youngistan Travellers, STS World, Destination India, Nix Tours, Hora Tourism, and Rayna Tours, amongst others, also participated this year.
Speaking at the inauguration of SATTE, Arvind Singh, Secretary – Tourism, Govt. of India said, “India is emerging as a nation to look up to for several countries in terms of health infrastructure, we have already vaccinated 32 million people and would be continuing our efficient drive. Coming to strengthening the foundation of travel and tourism industry, the Ministry has launched ‘Dekho Apna Desh’ campaign which has already organized more than 80 webinars. The website of ‘Incredible India’ has also been updated in multiple languages like Chinese and Arabic to facilitate a smooth flow of communication across multiple countries. Initiatives like SATHI (System of Awareness Training for Hospitality Industry), SWADESH and the Incredible India Tourist Facilitator (IITF) Certification Programme have been launched.”
Yogesh Mudras, Managing Director, Informa Markets in India, added, “Exhibitions like SATTE will surely drive a positive tone among the associated stakeholders and industry players, while strategically strengthening ‘Atmanirbharta’ as envisaged by the Government. We are upbeat about the future and about the efforts we all need to put together for the revival. Two common themes that have emerged are ensuring safe and sustainable growth and greater use of the latest technology solutions. These can be leveraged to build further inroads into niche, in-demand segments like Domestic leisure business, and wellness and health tourism that we are also promoting at SATTE.”
Addressing the gathering, Dr. Abdulla Mausoom, Minister of Tourism, Maldives, said, “SATTE 2021 is a crucial way forward to move past the crisis, which will echo across the globe.” He also thanked Indian Govt. for their support, Indian tourists for visiting Maldives and playing an important role in making it the next door travel destination. By the end of this year, more than 3,00,000 Indian tourists are expected to visit Maldives which is a highest recorded number for any country.
Alongside the expo, the SATTE 2021 conference also presented a host of thought-provoking knowledge sessions. Day one of the conference saw panel discussions on topics such as Domestic tourism: Exploring unexplored, International tourism: Tackling pandemic impact, A destination Showcase by Gujarat and panel discussion on Technology: Adopting SMART tourism. Day two witnessed panel discussions on Religious Tourism, Wellness Tourism and Women in Travel along with Destination showcases by Rajasthan, Uttarakhand and Lakshadweep.
SATTE is recognized as Asia’s Leading travel and tourism exhibition to conduct business, share knowledge, exchange ideas in order to arrive at solution-driven innovations to accelerate the pace of the growth of the industry. It offers a comprehensive platform to domestic and international buyers and professionals from across the travel, tourism and hospitality industry along with National and State Tourism Boards (NTOs and STOs). The latest edition of the expo has laid a concrete steppingstone for the travel and tourism industry to proceed towards a balanced recovery.