The inaugural ceremony, witnessed the presence of some of the most prominent personalities from the travel and trade industry of India.

UBM INDIA inaugurated the Silver Jubilee edition of SATTE, South Asia’s leading travel and tourism exhibition at the Le Meridien, New Delhi. Scheduled for 31st January – 2nd February 2018 at Pragati Maidan, the exhibition in its 25th year is all set to play host to over 1,000 exhibitors and represent over 50 countries and 28 Indian states.

The inaugural ceremony, witnessed the presence of some of the most prominent personalities from the travel and trade industry of India. Chief Guest Mr. KJ Alphons, Minister for Tourism (I/C), Govt. of India, along with Mr. T.S. Rawat, Chief Minister, Uttarakhand; Mr. Amitabh Kant, CEO, NITI Aayog; Mr. Faiyaz Koya, Minister for Industry, Trade and Tourism Fiji; Mr. I Gde Pitana Dy. Tourism Minister, Indonesia; Mr. Bo Keun Choi, Senior Officer, Regional Programme for Asia and the Pacific, UNWTO; Mr. Subhash Goyal, Member, National Tourism Advisory Committee; Mr. Navin Berry, Founder, SATTE; Mr. Michael Duck, Executive Vice President, UBM Asia and Mr. Yogesh Mudras, Managing Director, UBM India.

Speaking at the inauguration, Yogesh Mudras said, “The tourism industry has been a major engine in the economic growth of India. While it contributes almost 7 percent to nation’s GDP, it also provides over 12 per cent of the total employment in terms of jobs. The industry itself has been growing at an unparalleled rate. This is evident from the very fact that the country is now ranked 40th in the Travel & Tourism Competitiveness Index in 2017, a huge leap of 25 places from 2013. As the disposable income rises and more Indians travel, the industry is only poised to flourish further.”

Addressing the gathering at the event, I Gde Pitana Dy. Tourism Minister, Indonesia said, “Almost half a million tourists from India visited Indonesia in 2017 which is a 29 per cent growth over 2016. Similarly, the number of Indonesian tourists in India has increased by 7 per cent. While 98 per cent of all tourists are satisfied with their visit in Indonesia, 90 per cent find it above their expectations. With Indonesia hosting the Asian Games this year, we expect the tourism sector to further benefit from it.”

From Maharashtra, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, Goa & Odisha and Himachal Pradesh to Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka, Kerala, Punjab, Uttarakhand, Delhi, Jharkhand, Andaman and West Bengal, SATTE 2018 is featuring an array of State Tourism Boards, with many of them increasing their presence at the 25th edition. The eight North Eastern states are participating under the Incredible India Pavilion of the Ministry of Tourism, Govt. of India.

As far as NTOs are concerned, Spain, Peru, Czech Republic, Ho Chi Minh City, Singapore, Hong Kong, Macau, Turkey, Philippines, Japan, South Korea, Fiji, New Zealand, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Azerbaijan, Egypt, Israel, Sharjah, Dubai, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Malaysia, Taiwan, Mauritius, Indonesia, Abu Dhabi, Visit Russia, Visit Florida and Las Vegas and Oman, amongst others will be showcasing their destination and launches. SATTE 2018 is witnessing return of Taiwan, Mauritius, Bangladesh, Philippines on the floor. While Turkey, Thailand, Srilanka and Dubai are Partner countries, Mauritius and Madame Tussauds are feature destination and feature attraction respectively. Similarly, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan,

Maharashtra, Goa, Odisha and Jammu & Kashmir are Partner States for this year with the show being supported by the Ministry of Tourism, Govt. of India.

In its 25th edition, the expo has witnessed an increase in participation from an array of hospitality players and products such as -- Movenpick, Neemrana, Treebo, Sterling Resorts, Minor Hotels, Dusit, Melia Hotels International, Shangri -La Hotels and Resorts, DS Group, Choice Hotels, Abad Hotels, Lords

Hotels, Alcon Victor Goa, Zen and Singge Palace from Ladakh, Grand Imperial Agra, Somatheeram, Ramada Kerala, Ananta Resorts, Venetian Cotai, Ayana Resorts Bali, Marasa Africa, Banyan Tree, Disneyworld Paris, EuropeCar, The Ultimate Travelling Camp and many more.

SATTE continues to receive the support of international organizations and Indian travel trade associations such as World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA), United Federation of Travel Agents Associations (UFTAA), Indian Association of Tour Operators (IATO), India Convention Promotion Bureau (ICPB), Travel Agents Association of India (TAAI), Federation of Hotel and Restaurant Associations of India (FHRAI), Travel Agents Federation of India (TAFI), Association of Domestic Tour Operators of India (ADTOI) and IATA Agents Association of India (IAAI), to name a few.