NE BUSINESS BUREAU
AHMEDABAD, SEP 6
Medical practitioner-turned-politician Tamil Nadu Tourism Minister Dr M Mathiventhan on Tuesday inaugurated the TTF Ahmedabad, the biggest travel trade show in India since the pandemic.
Wooing the Gujaratis to visit Tamil Nadu, Dr M Mathiventhan said, “Tamil Nadu has more tourism destinations like Rameshwaram, Madurai and Mahapalipuram for spiritual and heritage tourism. Tamil Nadu Tourism Development Corporation (TTDC) has been offering ecotourism, wellness tourism, beach tourism, wildlife tourism, rural tourism and adventure tourism to cater to the needs of all. With well trained guides, tourism and hospitality infrastructure facilities Tamil Nadu is the right destination for Gujaratis.”
- TTF Ahmedabad commenced at the Gujarat University Exhibition Hall and will remain open for three days -. 6th, 7th & 8th September, from 11 am to 7 pm.
- The show is staging post-pandemic rebound of domestic and international travel, with over 700 participants from 3 countries and 22 Indian states and UTs.
- For the convenience of tourists from Gujarat, Tamil Nadu Tourism Development Corporation runs its tourist information centre on Ashram Road in Ahmedabad. All bookings can be done here. The contact No. is 9033308665.
“We are extremely happy to be hosting TTF Ahmedabad in this vibrant market of Gujarat – the state having great influence and contribution in the rebound of travel and tourism in this post-pandemic phase. The massive participation from exhibitors and the overall response from visitors are proof that the industry is headed in the right direction and is recovering with utmost vigour,” said Sanjiv Agarwal, Chairman & CEO, Fairfest Media Ltd., the organisers of TTF.
“TTF Ahmedabad, which is our biggest show of the TTF series, has received great support from the Host State, the travel industry at large and our association partners who are together gearing up for the revival of travel and tourism. Providing a gateway to access this huge and vibrant tourism market of Gujarat, TTF – India’s largest travel trade show network – is a well-timed show right before the Diwali and winter vacation travel seasons ahead,” he added.
The 3-day show is staging post-pandemic rebound of domestic and international travel, with over 700 participants from 3 countries and 22 Indian states and UTs.
For the convenience of tourists from Gujarat, Tamil Nadu Tourism Development Corporation runs its tourist information centre on Ashram Road in Ahmedabad. All bookings can be done here. The contact person is D Vinod (M) 9033308665.
TTDC Krishnagiri DTO D Umashankar said, “Senior Citizens will get 20% discount, while it will be 25% for differently-abled and 10% for groups of over 10 people.”
Answering a query on Gujarati and Jain food, K Ravi from Rameshwaram TTDC replied that, “For a group of over 30 people, food of their choice will be arranged on request. The tourist groups can bring their own cooks and use our kitchen facilities.”
If the response to the show is any indication, the coming months of 2022-2023 is expected to witness a booming growth in travel and tourism across India. As the Indian domestic travel market is notably among the most resilient markets globally. Outbound travel from India is also booming with pent up demand, although there is a backlog in visa processing for many foreign countries.
With 68% of Indians expected to travel domestically in 2022 itself, domestic tourism undoubtedly plays a major role in the country’s economy as well. According to reports, domestic air passenger traffic grew by nearly 67 percent (year-on-year) to 5.72 crore during January-June 2022.
Gujarat is one of the most valuable tourism markets and destinations. According to reports, the contribution of tourism to the GDP of Gujarat was estimated to be around 10.2 percent of the state’s total gross domestic product in the year 2022, up from about five percent in 2015. Ahmedabad in particular has a significant contribution toward this growth.
Gujarat has also reaped benefits of revival in incoming tourists. Air passenger footfalls in Ahmedabad rose by 194% in the first quarter of 2022-2023. Around 21.2 lakh passengers including international and domestic travellers, transited through the city airport during the period of April-June alone. The hotel occupancy and average daily rate (ADR) across hotels in Ahmedabad is witnessing a significant increase due to increase in corporate activities and the upcoming wedding season. As per hoteliers, ADR has increased from a low of INR 2,900 per room per night in April-May last year to as high as INR 5,500 per room per night. Occupancy levels have increased to an average of 75 percent across all hotels.
Goa, Himachal Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Rajasthan, Uttarakhand, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha and Uttar Pradesh are the Partner States of the show. Assam, Jammu & Kashmir, Punjab, Tamil Nadu, Telangana and Andaman & Nicobar Islands are displaying their best as Feature States. Gujarat, the Host state is also showcasing all its attractions, and has offered its full support to the show. Private sector participants from all over India, from many states are also present at the show.
TTF Ahmedabad has participation from abroad as well, including from Nepal, Turkey and UAE. Most of the states are participating with delegations of tour operators and hoteliers, in appreciation of the unabated spirit of Indian travellers that kept thronging these destinations throughout the pandemic, as they remained open with necessary precautions in place.
India Tourism too has a key presence at the show, showcasing all their campaigns and programmes such as ‘Azaadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav’, ‘Dekho Apna Desh’, ‘Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat’.
Sandeep Nanduri, IAS, Managing Director – Tamil Nadu Tourism, Karnesh Sharma, IAS, Director Tourism – Government of Punjab, along with other dignitaries from the industry were also present at the inaugural function.
