No storm in this tea cup

After the 104-day strike in Darjeeling, the region is gradually springing back to life with agents and tour operators receiving a good number of bookings till June, informs trade at Bengal Travel Mart 2018, held in Siliguri.

AMRITA GHOSH FROM SILIGURI

BUYERS

“The event is a great opportunity to establish partnerships with companies selling products of West Bengal. We’d like to extend thanks to all the partners who made the exhibition successful. We have been introduced to new areas and services to which we previously did not have access to. I have been particularly intrigued by the myriad tourism products that Bhutan has to offer. BTM was a great forum to expand the geography of sales of the exhibition’s participants.” Nadezda Potemkina General Director, Clubtour

“The mart was organised well. I was looking forward to having more hoteliers rather than having so many of ground operators. Everybody here is selling the same destinations, so there’s nothing new and different. The organisers could have got somebody from the attractions segment, like the Darjeeling zoo or someone from the tea garden. Even if we don’t directly deal with them, our interaction with them could have helped us better sell the destination. The products and offerings at the mart were quite repetitive.” Melvin A D’Souza CEO, Dream Vacations

“We were expecting a good number of hotel participants at the event but it turned out quite the contrary. There was almost no hotel from Kalimpong, except that of Mayfair Hotels & Resorts. We want to book all categories of hotels, ranging from budget stay to that of luxury. Nearly 70 per cent of the exhibitors at BTM were travel agents and tour operators. With Siliguri being a stopover destination, more hotels were expected to participate as tourists mostly spend a night here and then proceed further to nearby destinations like Darjeeling, Gangtok and other places.” Pradeep Parekh Founder Trishant Tourism Activities

“The regional mart was a great opportunity for us to know the taste and preferences of the local people here in Bengal. Having a base in Delhi, it is important for us to get an idea of what type of services are being provided in the region to identify the local suppliers. I found some interesting products in inbound, some trekking routes, hiking places and some homestay which will help me to promote my adventure market.” Sudhir Sethi Director Incentive Vacations

“BTM was a good platform for networking with agents and industry professionals. However, there was a lack of the presence of hoteliers whom we could have approached to get better rates. It is important for us to know and identify the hotelier and who we are dealing with. Whenever we book a hotel, we don’t get the best rates; so we don’t have any other way than to book through a travel agent who has previously been contacted. We, therefore, need a right person to contact and inform us about the rates.” Sunita Jain CEO, Skywalk Travels

“BTM is a great platform to meet agents from across the country and be aware of the best rates. The agents who are sharing B2B prices are good as the main aim of my visit here is to find out the best prices in the industry. This is my first time at BTM and I am keen on visiting the event again next year. Gathering information from agents is important as without the B2B rates, we cannot afford to run our business.” Saqib Husain Manager, International Tours & Travels

SELLERS

“This is a perfect networking platform for buyers and sellers of the industry to come, meet and experience other properties, see what the exhibition has to offer and get a first-hand view of the experiences of how the people are of a particular property. All of this will certainly contribute to a significant amount of growth in business – with so many buyers and sellers under one roof, you have your chalk cut out; so grab how much you can! If you are a group like us at Sterling, what happens is that our property gets showcased and buyers realise that there are other similar properties to opt for. Therefore, they have a panoramic business experience when they visit us.” Mainak Mitra Resort Manager, Sterling Holiday Resorts

“After the three-month long strike in the hills, we are gradually picking up on our business and ensuring that visitors are safe and secure to travel. We are hoping that the coming season will fare well as we have already received a couple of bookings till June 20 and expect a few more. Now in its third edition, BTM is only getting better as arrangements have been made in terms of participation, accommodation, transport, etc are very good as compared to last season. There has been increasing importance of outbound and potential in the East and Southeast Asia.” Tushar Ghosh Executive President, Eastern Himalaya Travel & Tour Operators Association

“The mart has only evolved and improved with every passing year in terms of management of the process flow, branding of the event, quality of buyers and sellers and the way in which we are showcasing our product offerings. Today, you will find Darjeeling, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh here under one common ground. Within North Bengal, you will find trekking teams, transporters and hoteliers; so it is a complete package and a bouquet of services a person requires for a tour here.” Hemant Kr Agarwal Proprietor, Suvidhaa Aapki

“At this year’s BTM, we have had a very good response from buyers all over India and sellers primarily from the eastern himalayan region, namely, Bhutan. Nepal, Sikkim and Darjeeling. The so-called three Ts of our region – tea, timber, tourism are now flourishing after the 104-day shutdown in Darjeeling. The travel mart provides opportunities for the buyers and sellers from across the country to showcase their latest offerings and build long term business ties.” Achin Ghosh Director, En route Tour & Travels

“This is our first time in BTM and we are receiving a wonderful response. Last year, the 104-day strike in the hills has affected the entire tourism business in the east, and we are still bearing the brunt of it. The market has not yet flourished like last year, but we are hoping to overcome the situation very soon. BTM is the base to promote our products and services while marketing our business here. The mart is a good platform to interact with both B2B and B2C customers.” Kawsik Roy Assistant Manager—Sales, Lemon Tree Hotels