India Tourism Mart (ITM) will have both virtual and physical shows this year. According to a statement by Federation of Associations in Indian Tourism & Hospitality (FAITH), the collective body of the travel trade and hospitality associations, which executes the B2B tourism showcase for the Ministry of Tourism, a Virtual ITM will be hosted between February 18 and 20, followed by a physical show in September 2021, once the global pandemic situation improves after the vaccination.

The ITM organisers are hopeful to have Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurate the B2B virtual exhibition. “The FAITH associations are eagerly anticipating ITM 2021 virtual to be inaugurated by the Hon’ble PM of India. This will position Tourism@Made in India in services in line with the highly successful Make in India in manufacturing. The ITM 2021 virtual will also hope to showcase and be a curtain-raiser for the actual physical ITM to be held in September 2021 highlighting a tourism ready India once the vaccine is successfully deployed,” the Federation informed.

The organisers are expecting a participation of selected tour operators (buyers) from 90 countries for the virtual exhibition of Indian tourism. The elite international buyers will reflect a strategic mix of target countries which are critical, developed and under developing markets for India. B2B interactions will take place in a mix of leisure, adventure, MICE, heritage and niche tourism sectors.

Due to the global pandemic, the ITM Virtual will have a lot of focus on domestic tourism this year with domestic tourism buyers who too will be invited reflecting a mix of tourism trade, corporate and institutional tourism buyers.

Another landmark showcase this year will be a very engaging virtual knowledge tourism conclave which will focus on bringing the best in tourism and policymakers to discuss how Indian tourism is strategic to India’s socio-economic goals and critical as the country targets post-pandemic revival.