HYDERABAD: Denizens looking for the joy of travel, the thrills of adventure and pleasures of discovering new places and people, can attend the 79th edition of India International Travel Mart (IITM), which got underway here on Friday.
The three-day tourism & travel expo, organised by Sphere Travelmedia & exhibitions, showcases a variety of destinations such as pilgrimages, adventure, culture, beaches, hills, cruises, luxury travel among others. Some of the international participants of this year include Malaysia, Dubai, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Thailand.
The event was scheduled to be inaugurated by IT minister KT Rama Rao, but got underway without any inauguration ceremony as the minister failed to turn up for the event.
‘’India is fast emerging as one of the most interesting and productive countries for travel and trade industry, both for leisure and business travel. We are expecting over 15,000 buyers in these three days,” Sanjay Hakhu, director, Sphere Travelmedia, told newsmen.
Apart from offering guides, locations and tourism packages in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, the event showcases travel and hospitality products from every part of the country. There are a few interesting packages and deals, which will be available only at the three-day event. For instance, visitors can avail special offers to Malaysia, including a round-trip flight tickets at `11,577 with Air Asia, apart from several packages for stay in Kuala Lampur, Genting Highlands, Penang, among others.
Similarly, a round-trip to Mauritius could cost between `35,000-40,000. On the other hand, a trip to Maldives could be available between `18,000-20,000.
There are similar packages for different countries, as well as special offers for states within the country.
“Domestic tourism is the backbone of the Indian travel industry with the arrivals in excess of over 500 million,” said Rohit Hangal, director, Sphere Travelmedia.