Wednesday, January 24, 2024
In February 2024, Asia’s premier travel exhibition, OTM 2024, is scheduled to take place from the 8th to the 10th at the Jio World Convention Centre, BKC, Mumbai. This event is set to unite an impressive array of over 1600 exhibitors and more than 35,000 industry professionals from 60+ countries and 30 Indian States & UTs. The show will not only introduce new exhibitors and global destinations to the Indian market but also feature the expanded presence of destinations already established in India, showcasing themselves with larger pavilions. Compared to its 2023 edition, the show size has increased by over 50 percent.
The post-pandemic era witnessed a pivotal shift toward domestic travel, with local travelers compensating for the absence of international visitors. As international travel gradually reopened, Indian explorers exhibited a strong appetite for new experiences, overcoming visa obstacles and disruptions in some countries.
The trajectory of OTM reflects India’s remarkable surge in both domestic and outbound travel. In 2023, the country witnessed a notable increase of 10 million outbound travelers compared to the previous year, showcasing resilience and vitality. Analysts project that collective spending on outbound trips will exceed $42 billion by the end of 2024, solidifying India’s position as one of the most lucrative outbound tourism markets globally. This substantial growth sets the stage for OTM 2024, poised to shape the future landscape of the travel industry.
This year’s edition has already achieved a groundbreaking 95% sold-out exhibition space, emphasizing its commitment to quality networking and a comprehensive trade show experience. Tourism boards and private stakeholders from over 60 countries are expected to participate, showcasing diverse global and domestic travel offerings across two exhibition floors spanning over 250,000 sq. ft, featuring 35+ country pavilions in the three-day expo.
The largest international pavilion at OTM 2024 will be from Saudi Arabia, with other countries like Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Qatar, Bahrain, Morocco, the Maldives, and Azerbaijan also making significant contributions. Among the Indian States, Uttarakhand leads in size, closely followed by Kerala, Gujarat, Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, and others. In the private sector, Travel Boutique Online, NEOM, and Tripjack present substantial pavilions.
This edition of OTM aims to foster invaluable connections within the travel industry, providing a platform for exhibitors to engage with a diverse audience, including vetted travel agents, tour operators, MICE and corporate buyers, wedding planners, as well as film, TV, and OTT producers, form a diverse audience at the event. This creates a distinctive opportunity for businesses to explore the vast Indian market, playing a pivotal role in both domestic and outbound travel. Furthermore, OTM attracts over 300 qualified trade buyers from across the country, underscoring the event’s broad reach and untapped potential.
Sanjiv Agarwal, Chairman & CEO of Fairfest Media Ltd. (the organizers of OTM), emphasizes the show’s expansion. He notes that OTM 2024 has solidified its leading position, experiencing a 50% growth in both area and revenues compared to the 2023 edition.
According to a recent survey by Ipsos, OTM is voted the Leading Travel Show in India and across Asia in 2023, surpassing its competition. The survey reveals that 62 percent of respondents consider it the top show in India, with 50 percent recognizing it as the premier event in Asia. Moreover, 77 percent rated OTM positively, considering it equal to or better than some of the leading international exhibitions.
Notable partners express their positive experiences and expectations for OTM 2024:
List of participating countries includes:
…among others, in addition to exhibitors from 30+ Indian States & UTs.
Saturday, April 27, 2024
Saturday, April 27, 2024
