BLTM – India’s trade show on business, leisure travel and MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Events) – saw the participation of over 200 domestic and international exhibitors from India, Asia, Europe, and other global destinations.

Among the exhibitors were renowned partners such as Moscow City Tourism Committee, Singapore Tourism Board, Sri Lanka Convention Bureau, St Petersburg Convention Bureau, the Ministry of Tourism, Government of India.

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These partners were joined by state tourism boards and co-exhibitors from captivating destinations like Goa, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, Meghalaya, and Telangana, adding to the event’s diverse appeal.

Evgeny Kozlov, First Deputy Head of the Office of the Mayor and the Government of Moscow, Chairman of Moscow City Tourism Committee, said: “Before the pandemic, the tourist flow from India grew by 12-15 per cent
annually. Now we are on the road to recovery – all the conditions have been created for this.”

“Indian business tourists were the second most numerous in Moscow as of 2022. In this regard, the Moscow City Tourism Committee and NIMA (Association of MICE Agencies of India) jointly launched the Moscow MICE Аmbassadors programme just this year. In 2024, the programme is expected to expand with four streams of 50 participants each, resulting in a total of 200 Moscow MICE Ambassadors by the end of the year,” he said.

The inaugural ceremony took place in the presence of key dignitaries such as Evgeny Kozlov, First Deputy Head of the Office of the Mayor and the Government of Moscow, Chairman of Moscow City Tourism Committee, Sergey
Ivanov, Chairman of the State Committee on Tourism of Tatarstan, Sergei Azarenkov, CEO, St Petersburg Convention Bureau, Kean Bon Lim, Area Director, India, South Asia, and Africa, Singapore Tourism Board, Krishantha
Fernando, General Manager, Sri Lanka Convention Bureau, RK Suman, Regional Director (North), Ministry of Tourism, Government of India, Sanjiv Agarwal, Chairman and CEO, Fairfest Media Ltd and Gajesh Girdhar, Chairman, Network of Indian MICE Agents (NIMA).

Emphasizing on the outbound tourism market, Gajesh Girdhar, Chairman, Network of Indian MICE Agents (NIMA), said: “India’s outbound tourism market is surging, set to reach US$ 15,163.4 million in 2023, with an anticipated 11.4 per cent CAGR through 2032.”