Thirty exhibitors from Himachal Pradesh from over 10 diverse segments such as adventure, hospitality, leisure came together to meet and do business with more than 65 Hosted Buyers from throughout India and abroad at the inaugural edition of ‘Himachal Travel Mart' last month.

Held at The Ridge in Shimla from April 22 to 24, Himachal Travel Mart invited national buyers and media from across various cities in India. International hosted buyers and media were flown in from countries including Australia, Dubai, France, Germany, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Ukraine, UK and the US.

The B2B seller-buyer networking platform was organised on a pre-fixed appointment basis. On April 22 the inaugural dinner was organised at the Himachal Holiday Home. The chief guest for the event was Shri. Virbhadra Singh. The other dignitaries who addressed the audience were Mohan Chauhan, IAS, Commissioner, Tourism and Civil Aviation, Govt. of Himachal Pradesh and Major Vijay Singh Mankotia, vice-chairman, Tourism Development Board, Himachal Pradesh.

The B2B appointments began on April 23 in the morning at The Ridge, followed by a networking dinner at Hotel Willow Banks in the evening. On April 24, the appointments concluded in the evening, after which hosted buyers and the media departed for a short post-event Familiarization tour near Shimla.

Chauhan said "Himachal has, over the years, contributed immensely to the Indian tourism portfolio with its diverse range of products. The inaugural edition of the 'Himachal Travel Mart' is an extension of our aggressive marketing approach to introduce more tourism destinations and attractions and reinforce the Himachal Pradesh Tourism Brand among the media, buyers and stake-holders."

The event received support from all major travel – trade and hospitality association in India such as ‘Association of Domestic Tour Operators Association of India (ADTOI), Adventure Tour Operators Association of India (ATOAI) and Indian Association of Tour Operators. - TradeArabia News Service