OTOAI Moscow meet ends on high note

More than 200 delegates from India attended the Outbound Tour Operators Association of India’s (OTOAI’s) 6th Annual Convention, organised at the Carlton Hotel in Moscow, Russia. The four-day convention witnessed B2B meetings between the delegates and local partners. It gave the visitors a glimpse into the offerings of Moscow and St Petersburgh.

Nisha Verma

Kicking off the convention, Himanshu Patil, President, OTOAI, said the event will educate the members about Russia as a destination and will change the perception of the country for tourists. “The business sessions and panel discussion went very well. The delegates also had B2B meetings and exchanged ideas with the local partners. The feedback I have received was positive,” he said.

The theme
According to him, the best takeaway for the delegates was the theme ‘F3: Fast Forward Future – the intelligent travel’. “The way technology and travel are rapidly changing, the best takeaway is to adapt to these changes. In today’s world of social media, what we will showcase from Moscow and St Petersburg, will let people know how this destination is not only beautiful but also how safe it is.”

Why Moscow?
Shravan Bhalla, Vice President, OTOAI and Chairman, Convention, said that the association chose Moscow as the host city for its convention because for the past few months, the association team members were investing their time in a destination which benefitted not just the destination but also the Indian tour operators.

“During our various meetings with Moscow City Tourism Committee in India, as well as in Moscow on recent visits, we found the city to be one of the world’s most fascinating and safe, rich in history, culture and architectural beauty.”

Huge participation
Sidharth Khanna, General Secretary, OTOAI, revealed that this was one of the biggest conventions that OTOAI has organised. “Apart from 200 delegates from India, we had more than 50 DMC suppliers from Russia, primarily from Moscow and St Petersburg.” Monia Kapoor, Joint Secretary, OTOAI and Co-Chairman, Convention, added, “We have had an interactive B2B session. Most of the agents are going back armed with enough information and knowledge.”