TravTalk India Online Magazine
Considering the high visitor spend, and growth potential of India, Utah Office of Tourism is on its first ‘real sales mission’ in the country to promote the destination, says Zach Fyne, Global Markets Specialist, Utah Office of Tourism.
Janice Alyosius
With an aim to deepen existing partnerships with tourism stakeholders in India and foster new partnerships, the Utah Office of Tourism organised a series of roadshows and media conferences in Mumbai and Delhi from 16 to 20 January 2023. The events were attended by Rachel Bremer, Global Markets Director and Zach Fyne, Global Markets Specialist, who enthusiastically interacted with the travel fraternity and media professionals, while assuring them about the importance of India market for Utah’s tourism industry. The events also saw officials from U.S. Commercial Services marking their presence. Commercial Officer David Pasquini and Commercial Specialist Ruma Chatterjee were present in Mumbai, while Commercial Attaché Debra Martin and Commercial Advisor Aashima Sachdeva attended events in Delhi.
Highlighting the efforts that the Utah Office of Tourism made to increase its market share from India in 2022, Fyne said, “Bringing a new destination on the other side of Earth to a market as massive as India is a challenge we have been thrilled to take on. This is our first real sales mission from our destination in this market. So, it’s really about getting the brand awareness out and letting people know that there is more to the United States than just Orlando, LA, New York, and that’s just the great American road trip that is Utah.” In 2023, the Utah Office of Tourism will aim to double its accomplishments of 2022 by continuing to collaborate with top wholesalers in developing new Utah products, hosting more travel trade and media across the state to absorb and learn about their destination offerings, attending roadshows in collaboration with Indian DMCs to spread awareness of their Utah-based tours, and opting to the Brand USA roadshow in March for additional exposure.
Speaking of the Indian market, Fyne said, “India ranks among our top 10 international markets in terms of both visitation and spending. That was even before we had international representation. So, we are relatively new to the market, and we anticipate India to be one of our top performers in the Asia Pacific region. Because we have been present in the international market throughout the pandemic, Utah is expected to outpace our Western neighbours in terms of both visitation and spending.” He added, “We will be continuing to focus on the leisure market with a special emphasis on experienced travellers to the United States of America that already have a U.S.A. visa and are open to exploring the beautiful scenic landscapes of the American West.”
Utah Tourism has also been working on developing a new training platform, Utah Specialist Academy, for the travel trade to become certified as Utah Specialists, with a heavy emphasis on showcasing beautiful imagery and video assets to drive home the gorgeous landscapes of each region.
