Another thing I dig about
being a travel writer is the opportunity of being invited to various
conferences about the travel industry. In the last couple of years, I have
covered some of the biggest travel-related symposiums and talks such as the 2017
World Travel and Tourism Global Council, the 2017
ASEAN-INDIA Summit, both of which were held in Bangkok, Thailand and this
year’s Mekong Tourism Forum held in Nakhon Phanom, Thailand.
Still reeling from the new
set of knowledge I learned from the last conference I attended, good karma went
my way again when I got selected to cover this year’s Madhya Pradesh Travel Mart.
2018 marks the 5th
edition of the Madhya Travel Mart and will be held in the city of Bhopal from
October 5 to 7. According to organizers “over 200 national and international buyers
and about 100 representatives of distinct Indian markets are expected to
participate in it”.
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| Marble Rocks at Bhedaghat, Madhya Pradesh |
I have been to the
fascinating country of India twice – the first time when I went on a personal month-long
journey and the second time, as a chosen participant of the Kerala
Blog Express – a two week journey across the state of Kerala with 29 other
travel bloggers from all over the world.
This shall mark my third
time to visit India and what better way than become a part of an event that
will further promote tourism to this country, especially in the province of
Madhya Pradesh, a place I’ve always wanted to explore.
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| Omkareshwar Temple |
The organizers further
added “the Primary objective of this mart
is to market and promote Madhya Pradesh as a destination throughout the year.
The concept is a B2B platform which will bring tourism stakeholders on a
platform where they would interact to explore opportunities of mutual trade.
The event is being supported by eminent institutions of tourism and hospitality
industry including IATO, ATOAI, ADTOI, TAAI, ITTA, PATA, ICPB, TOFT, IHHA and
TAFI”
 |
| Orchha, Madhya Pradesh |
Expected to exceed last
year’s edition, the organizers are expecting more participants to come from
many countries such as: Singapore, Spain, United Kingdom, United States of
America, Netherlands, Germany, Norway, Thailand, Poland, Australia, Bulgaria,
Canada, Finland, South Africa, Mexico, Fiji, Italy, Russia, Norway, Argentina, Belgium,
Ukraine and France.
This year’s focus will be
to highlight Madhya Pradesh as a year round travel destination.
Post-Event
FamTours
As a member of the media,
I will also join the post-event familiarity tours and I have chosen the one
that includes Gwalior Fort. Perched atop a hill, this 10th century
fortress is one of the most spectacular in all of India. I am feeling high with
excitement about seeing it up close and learning more about its history.
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| Gwalior Fort |
Just being in India again
is making me double up with anticipation. Aside from looking forward to a
successful 2018 Madhya Travel Mart, and meeting many personalities from the
travel industry, I also can’t wait to feast on Indian food once again.
See you all at the 2018 Madhya
Travel Mart.
About
Travel mart
Madhya Pradesh Tourism
Board (MPTB) is organizing the fifth edition of Madhya Pradesh Travel Mart at
Hotel Lake View Ashok, in Bhopal, from 5th – 7th October 2018 The Mart is
designed for exclusive focus on domestic and inbound tourism into Madhya
Pradesh and to reassure the position of the State as a preferred tourist
destination to the world.
The show promises to
provide an opportunity to tap into this ever growing market by bringing a forum
of exceptional one-to-one business meetings. The two day B2B & B2B
exhibition will be attended by representatives from heritage hotels, conference
venues, tour operators and wildlife parks as well as by international buyers
from Europe, South east Asia, Middle East, US, Australia, South Africa and Canada.
The goal is to ensure each
participant, whether it’s the exhibitor, buyer or visitor, gets value for their
investment and time spent. There will be post event FAM Tours for the buyers
& media to places of interest such as Mandu, Sanchi, Kanha and Pench which
will be organized by Madhya Pradesh Tourism Board.
