Informa Markets in India ( formerly UBM India ), India’s leading B2B exhibition organizer, is all set to bring in its first physical exhibition post the lockdown with the 28th edition of SATTE (South Asia’s Travel and Tourism Exchange) from the 24th to 26th March 2021, at the India Expo Centre, Greater Noida, Delhi – NCR. The expo will see participation from cross-sections of the industry to kickstart the revival of Indian tourism.
The pandemic played havoc with public health, necessitating a lockdown that had a huge impact on the entire spectrum of M.I.C.E (meetings-incentives-convention-exhibition) that employs 60 million people, of whom 10 million were directly affected by the Covid-19 crisis. With the Government recognizing B2B expos as enablers of business opportunities across all and catalysts for the economy, restarting trade exhibitions with SATTE by Informa Markets In India will be a step towards Atmanirbharta as envisaged by the Government for the nation.
With international air travel restrictions during the pandemic, this year, SATTE reoriented its strategy that is mainly focused on the domestic market along with some unique International destinations that have opened doors for tourists post the lockdowns were uplifted. Despite prevailing uncertainty, SATTE 2021 has 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 Tourism Boards such as Gujarat, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Uttarakhand, Karnataka, Jammu and Kashmir to name a few. While Nepal, Maldives, Malaysia and Utah are joining SATTE 2021 to share their product profile and strategy to lure international travellers. Private players such as TravelBoutiqueOnline, ITC Welcome Heritage, My Value Travel, Destination India, Nix Tours, Hora Tourism and Rayna Tours amongst others are also participating in SATTE this year.
Speaking on the announcement of the 28th edition of SATTE and the restart of physical expos by Informa Markets In India, Mr. Yogesh Mudras, Managing Director, Informa Markets In India said, “The year 2020 saw a mayhem in the ecosphere of travel, tourism and hospitality industry due the ongoing pandemic. Yet, travel, tourism and hospitality players have remained strong in these times of adversity, seeking ways to mitigate the losses and grow the sector in novel ways. The industry started to bounce back gradually since the festive season from October 2020. The beginning of 2021 looks promising with the advent of the vaccines, feasibility of undertaking short haul destinations and with key Indian destinations welcoming tourists. Progressively opening up travel, showcasing versatility, and defying difficulties through virtual systems administration is vital for all those whose livelihoods depend on the industry.”
“To prepare for 2021, we are delighted to kickstart our physical trade exhibitions through SATTE in complete adherence to government’s extremely balanced SOP, further ring-fenced by Informa’s AllSecure health and safety standards. As the world’s leading events’ organiser, Informa has developed a detailed set of enhanced measures to provide the highest levels of hygiene and safety at its events, providing everyone with the reassurance and confidence that they are participating in a safe and controlled environment. With an exciting line-up of conferences, SATTE 2021 will host a series of sessions and workshops, presented and lead by high profile speakers and industry stalwarts, covering topics from all aspects of the industry, making it future fit in a post-Corona world,” he further added.
SATTE 2021 conference will present a host of thought-provoking knowledge sessions. The conference will discuss topics such as Domestic tourism: Exploring unexplored; Technology: Adopting SMART tourism; Luxury tourism: outbound alternative?; International tourism: Tackling pandemic impact; Religious tourism: potential untapped; Wellness Tourism: the big opportunity and Women in travel to name a few
In the last 27 years, SATTE has grown with the consistent support of the Ministry of Tourism as well as all State Tourism Ministries/Boards and the Indian travel and tourism fraternity in totality. Continued support of international organizations/associations and Indian travel trade associations such as Indian Association of Tour Operators (IATO), Travel Agents Association of India (TAAI), Association of Domestic Tour Operators of India (ADTOI), Travel Agents Federation of India (TAFI), Outbound Tour Operators Association of India (OTOAI), IATA Agents Association of India (IAAI), Hotel Association of India (HAI), Federation of Hotel & Restaurant Associations of India (FHRAI), India Convention Promotion Bureau (ICPB), Network of Indian MICE Agents (NIMA), Association of Buddhist Tour Operators (ABTO), Universal Federation of Travel Agents Association (UFTAA), Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA), Skal, Enterprising Travel Agents Association (ETAA) amongst others to name a few have helped bolster the efforts of SATTE.
Testimonials and innovations:
Arvind Singh, Union Tourism Secretary, Govt. of India
“We are very happy that SATTE is being organized. A game changer, the expo will definitely instill confidence to restart domestic tourism in a big way and create avenues of growth.”
Mr Pradeep Lulla, President, Travel Agent Federation of India (TAFI)
“We wish SATTE, all the best. The most important exhibition in this part of the world, SATTE will be the first exhibition after the Lockdown at which we would be able to meet and interact with our travel partners and associates. We wish it all the success.”
Jenu Devan, Managing Director & Commissioner, Gujarat Tourism
“Gujarat Tourism is participating in various conferences and exhibitions like SATTE as domestic tourism is picking up. It is high time that the state and central government promote the same. SATTE and ADTOI are trying to revive the Tourism industry, we are also assisting them for revival of the industry.”
Mr. Subhash Goyal, Hon. Secretary, FAITH shares his thoughts on SATTE 2021
“I have been associated with SATTE since its inception. I am very happy that the physical event is being organised and I am sure it would be a grand success. The timing of this event is apt because vaccination has started in full swing and the confidence of people is very high. This is the right time for hotels, state governments, tourism departments, travel agents and tour operators to advertise their products and participate in a big way. I wish SATTE a grand success and I am sure that this will be the beginning of tourism bouncing back in India and South East Asia.”
Aarish Khan, Chief Commercial Officer, Travel Boutique Online
At SATTE, TBO Group will showcase its newly launched TBO Cargo, which will be able to serve and act as a facilitator for agents to get the best prices for shipping cargo via airlines/ships. Another launch is TBO Marine, a hybrid e-commerce platform to cater to the niche market segment of the marine industry. Via this platform, customers will get quick and easy access to global seaman fares, providing an immaculate travel management service.”
Hussain Patel, Managing Director, Tripjack Pvt Ltd.
“At Tripjack, innovation is a continuous process. At SATTE, we will be showcasing the advances made in our fast-growing Flights, Hotels, & API product and also will be launching Railways & Cruises at SATTE 2021. Tripjack Rail will be India’s first B2B railway product to be mobile-enabled, allowing agents to book tickets on the go.”
Gurbaxish Singh Kohli, Vice President, FHRAI (The Federation of Hotel and Restaurant Association
“Ours is a people oriented industry, WFH is neither possible nor effective and therefore, I support and welcome the opportunity to interact physically in the largest travel and tourism show in South East Asia with 250+ Domestic and International buyers and 100+ exhibitors. Our industry needed a confidence boost. The timing of this event is the essence, with India pioneering in the manufacturing of two vaccines. Being the first such large physical event, the industry will have the opportunity to get together, generating a lot of interest, inquisitiveness and footfall while maintaining all the necessary safety protocols. I wish SATTE 2021 all the best.
Mr. Ankush Nijhawan, MD – Nijhawan Group & Co-Founder – TBO
“It will be a show after 12 months where I will meet my travel partners physically. We all should come in full force and meet our peers, transact, exchange business and give confidence to each other that the market will bounce back..”
Mr. Carl Vaz, President, SKAL International India
“SKAL India is proud to partner with SATTE. It’s now time for us to get back in the game by meeting up at the first face to face game changing event for 2021. SKAL India looks forward to engaging with our trade partners there — be it from the hospitality, aviation, ground transportation or the retail chain. Let’s meet, let’s network and get our businesses on track. On behalf of the entire team, I wish all of you a successful event.”
