India’s Leading Travel and Tourism Show
- The second edition of SATTE Awards goes underway
Mumbai, January 31st 2018: UBM India inaugurated the Silver Jubilee edition of SATTE, South Asia’s leading travel and tourism exhibition at the Le Meridien, New Delhi. Scheduled for 31st January – 2nd February 2018 at Pragati Maidan, the signature exhibition in its 25th year is all set to play host to over 1,000 exhibitors and represent over 50 countries and 28 Indian states.
The glittering inaugural ceremony, which was held as a prelude to the expo, witnessed the presence of some of the most prominent personalities from the travel and trade industry of India. Chief Guest Mr. KJ Alphons, Minister for Tourism (I/C), Govt. of India, along with Mr. T.S. Rawat, Chief Minister, Uttarakhand; Mr. Amitabh Kant, CEO, NITI Aayog; Mr. Faiyaz Koya, Minister for Industry, Trade and Tourism Fiji; Mr. I Gde Pitana Dy. Tourism Minister, Indonesia; Mr. Bo Keun Choi, Senior Officer, Regional Programme for Asia and the Pacific, UNWTO; Mr. Subhash Goyal, Member, National Tourism Advisory Committee; Mr. Navin Berry, Founder, SATTE; Mr. Michael Duck, Executive Vice President, UBM Asia and Mr. Yogesh Mudras, Managing Director, UBM India inaugurated the show amidst an august industry gathering from the travel and trade fraternity.
SATTE provides 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) to congregate and conduct business, arrive at solution-driven innovations to counteract economic uncertainties, and promote inbound, outbound and domestic tourism in India. This most favoured industry platform is also well supported by the Ministry of Tourism, Government of India and ‘Make in India’ initiative of the Govt. of India.
Over a span of three days, SATTE 2018 will witness to several exciting partnerships and announcements that promise to augur in new trends in the industry. Visitors at the signature expo can expect to witness a number of features including a special pavilion of 10 start-ups, as well as a live show at ‘Colors of SATTE’ apart from other captivating activities. This year, SATTE is also happy to engage its exhibitors and visitors to pledge for sustainable tourism under the unique I-Pledge scheme where they pledge to conserve natural reserve; respect and save wildlife; say no to plastic; dispose waste smartly and travel responsibly. Over 30,000 pledges have been registered at last count.
Speaking at the inauguration of the Silver Jubilee edition of SATTE, Mr. Yogesh Mudras, Managing Director, UBM India said, “The tourism industry has been a major engine in the economic growth of India. While it contributes almost 7% to nation’s GDP, it also provides over 12% of the total employment in terms of jobs. The industry itself has been growing at an unparalleled rate. This is evident from the very fact that the country is now ranked 40th in the Travel & Tourism Competitiveness Index in 2017, a huge leap of 25 places from 2013. As the disposable income rises and more Indians travel, the industry is only poised to flourish further.”
“From hosting tourism boards from across the nation and the world under one roof to providing a unique opportunities for discussions pertaining to trending subjects like sustainable tourism, travel technology, skill development by acknowledged industry thought leaders, SATTE has carved a unique place as the most comprehensive industry platforms in the country. This year, we are proud to achieve a milestone with the Silver Jubilee edition of SATTE, celebrating and encapsulating 25 year’s of success in the domain. With an aim to analyze and forecast trends and developments in the travel trade industry along with helping businesses prosper, SATTE 2018 promises not only constructive but also informative and engaging three days”, he further added.
Addressing the gathering at the event, Mr. I Gde Pitana Dy. Tourism Minister, Indonesia said, “Almost half a million tourists from India visited Indonesia in 2017 which is a 29 per cent growth over 2016. Similarly, the number of Indonesian tourists in India has increased by 7 per cent. While 98% of all tourists are satisfied with their visit in Indonesia, 90% find it above their expectations. With Indonesia hosting the Asian Games this year, we expect the tourism sector to further benefit from it.”
Record participation:
From Maharashtra, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, Goa & Odisha and Himachal Pradesh to Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka, Kerala, Punjab, Uttarakhand, Delhi, Jharkhand, Andaman and West Bengal, SATTE 2018 is featuring an array of State Tourism Boards, with many of them increasing their presence at the 25th edition. The eight North Eastern states are participating under the Incredible India Pavilion of the Ministry of Tourism, Govt. of India.
As far as NTOs are concerned, Spain, Peru, Czech Republic, Ho Chi Minh City, Singapore, Hong Kong, Macau, Turkey, Philippines, Japan, South Korea, Fiji, New Zealand, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Azerbaijan, Egypt, Israel, Sharjah, Dubai, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Malaysia, Taiwan, Mauritius, Indonesia, Abu Dhabi, Visit Russia, Visit Florida and Las Vegas and Oman, amongst others will be showcasing their destination and launches. SATTE 2018 is witnessing return of Taiwan, Mauritius, Bangladesh, Philippines on the floor. While Turkey, Thailand, Srilanka and Dubai are Partner countries, Mauritius and Madame Tussauds are feature destination and feature attraction respectively. Similarly, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Goa, Odisha and Jammu & Kashmir are Partner States for this year with the show being supported by the Ministry of Tourism, Govt. of India.
In its 25th edition, the expo has witnessed an increase in participation from an array of hospitality players and products such as -- Movenpick, Neemrana, Treebo, Sterling Resorts, Minor Hotels, Dusit, Melia Hotels International, Shangri -La Hotels and Resorts, DS Group, Choice Hotels, Abad Hotels, Lords
Hotels, Alcon Victor Goa, Zen and Singge Palace from Ladakh, Grand Imperial Agra, Somatheeram, Ramada Kerala, Ananta Resorts, Venetian Cotai, Ayana Resorts Bali, Marasa Africa, Banyan Tree, Disneyworld Paris, EuropeCar, The Ultimate Travelling Camp and many more.
Insightful conferences:
One of the key features of SATTE 2018 is the conference programme from January 31 to February 2 that promises industry discussions and sharing of new insights pertaining to the sector and industry best practices. Moreover, SATTE is hosting six panel discussions that will bring together stakeholders of the industry on a single platform, allowing exchange of ideas that will add value to Indian tourism at large. The sessions of the conference will touch on topics such as – ‘How to realize effective collaboration between stakeholders for sustainable tourism? How can we achieve the successful journey to 2030?’; ‘Visa Reforms & Tourism Growth’; Travel Technology; MICE, Cruise Tourism and Niche Tourism to name a few. The three day conference will also see destination presentations by tourism boards such as -- Czech Tourism, Egypt, Dubai, Ho Chi Minh City, West Bengal; a product presentation by Tragly and a Workshop and a panel discussion on Skill Development in the Hospitality Sector.
Recognising the Best:
As a pre-cursor to the expo, UBM India is hosting the second edition of the SATTE Awards. The awards is an endeavour to recognize and celebrate the excellence, achievements and innovations of key stakeholders in the Travel and Tourism industry and is based on transparent, authentic and genuine parameters, a philosophy which is imbibed in the values of SATTE. The awards night also includes networking opportunities, presentations and other features. The 23 categories of awards cover various segments of the travel and tourism industry including tour operators, hotels, destinations, online travel portals, to name just a few. In just its second year, the Awards have received an overwhelming response from the travel and industry.
SATTE continues to receive the support of international organizations and Indian travel trade associations such as World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA), United Federation of Travel Agents Associations (UFTAA), Indian Association of Tour Operators (IATO), India Convention Promotion Bureau (ICPB), Travel Agents Association of India (TAAI), Federation of Hotel and Restaurant Associations of India (FHRAI), Travel Agents Federation of India (TAFI), Association of Domestic Tour Operators of India (ADTOI) and IATA Agents Association of India (IAAI), to name a few.
