BLTM 2019 registers high interest from buyers and sellers, grows 50% over last year

January 28, 2019: Launched in 2016, India’s first full-fledged travel mart BLTM is dedicated to Business, MICE and Luxury Travel. Recently concluded BLTM 2019 was held on 18th and 19th January at the Leela Ambience Convention Hotel, Delhi. Qualified buyers from the capital and the rest of India were hosted at the event.

115 exhibitors from 26 Countries and 13 Indian States and Union Territories showcased at the two-day event. BLTM Delhi experienced an unprecedented footfall of 1,225 B2B visitors and more than 200 buyers from India. All participants were fully hosted at the show venue hotel.

The 2:1 Hosted Buyer to Seller ratio and additional footfall ensured the travel mart was always abuzz.

Dignitaries who graced the BLTM inauguration were H.E. John A.E. Amaratunga, Minister of Tourism, Sri Lanka; H.E. Austin Fernando, High Commissioner for Sri Lanka in India; Kumar De Silva, Chairman, Sri Lanka Convention Bureau; Dr Trust Lin, Director of Taiwan Tourism Bureau; Ismail Amer, Egyptian Tourism Counsellor; Subhash Goyal, Chairman, STIC Group; Suresh M, Chairman, EEMA; Sanjiv Agarwal, Chairman and CEO, Fairfest Media Ltd and V Suresh, President, Fairfest Media Ltd and others.

“We have been participating at BLTM for the past two years and the show has grown enormously since then. Last year, we received some great response from the travel trade sector and this year too our co-participants were glad to be a part of BLTM. The buyers here at BLTM mean business and they have great potential as well. I would love to be a part of upcoming BLTMs,” said Dr. Trust Lin, Director of Taiwan Tourism Bureau.

The show opens doors to India's 6.5 million outbound luxury and MICE tourists, as well as the fastest growing business travel market in the world.

Gracing the largest country pavilion at BLTM was Sri Lanka Convention Bureau, returning participant from last year. The tourist mart also saw enthusiastic participation from National Tourist Organisations (NTOs) from Dubai, Egypt, Bangladesh, Taiwan, Spain, Greece, and the Philippines.

Spain Tourism added a distinct flavor to BLTM by hosting an entertaining evening for Hosted Buyers together with Warq Tourism and Palladium Hotel Group. The evening was marked by dancing, sangrias, tapas, and dinner.

Major Indian Tourism Boards matched up to their international counterparts. The Indian State Tourism Boards (STBs) of Andhra Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, West Bengal, and Punjab ensured their representation with a large number of sellers to showcase India at its best.

Some of the star exhibitors of BLTM 2019 include Hotel & Restaurant Association of Bhutan, Ambuja Neotia, Leisure & Luxury Hotels and Resorts, RailYatri.in, Denzong Leisure and Spiceland Holidays.

Some of the event partners put their best foot forward and put on a stupendous show. Cox and Kings, BLM's knowledge partner organized a destination workshop on Georgia and Azerbaijan on an inaugural day. Air India and Ethiopian Airlines were the Partner Airlines while the Ground Transportation Partner was Eco Rent A Car - Europcar. Just Click Karo.Com was the online B2B Travel Partner.

Some exhibitors who attended another prominent travel mart in Greater Noida and then shifted to BLTM opined that the event provided a better Return on Investment (ROI) while others concluded the event was just as good.

The onsite meeting was one of the most anticipated features of BLTM. Buyers and sellers interacted face-to-face, fresh appointments were made on the floor and pre-made appointments were hosted with ease.

Hosted buyers at BLTM included corporate travel planners with purchasing authority, travel companies catering to business, leisure, MICE and luxury travel, MICE travel managers and buyers, MICE organizers and managers, business travel managers and buyers, film destination companies, associations, wedding planners and event management companies.

One of the Hosted Buyers, Preeta Venugopal, Executive Office Administration, Bekaert Industries Pvt Ltd said, “This was my first time at BLTM and I think organizers have put in a lot of effort to make the show look perfect. I got to see many different exhibitors from all over the world and India. I was amazed to see so many new destinations in India. BLTM will definitely help me in planning my next travel as it has provided me with perfect suppliers. I want to thank the organizers for giving me a chance to spectate a great show like BLTM.”

“BLTM filled a vacuum in the evolution of travel trade shows in India by sustaining an event focused on business travel and MICE buyers. This year, the show attracted a large number of B2B visitors from the leisure sector as well. However, the presence of more than a 100 corporate buyers is what makes it unique,” remarked Sanjiv Agarwal, Chairman & CEO of Fairfest Media Ltd, the organizers.

Many of the buyers and sellers at BLTM Delhi will be also participating in OTM Mumbai a couple of days later, from January 23 to 25, at the Bombay Exhibition Centre.