7 states and 5 countries coming under one roof for CII Tourism Fest at Chandigarh
Chandigarh to host 2nd CII Tourism Fest from 5–7 Dec to promote India as Tourism hub
Chandigarh is the Host city while Punjab is the Principal Partner State
State – Goa, Karnataka, MP, Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, HP to also participate
Countries – Abu Dhabi, China, Japan, Mauritius, Thailand to also participate
NewZNew (Chandigarh) : The City beautiful is all set to witness north India’s biggest tourism fiesta – CII Tourism Fest 2014, being organised by Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), partnered by Ministry of Tourism, GoI, with Punjab as the Principal Partner State and Tourism Deptt, Chandigarh Administration as the Host City.
Set to be inaugurated by S. Sohan Singh Thandal, Hon’ble Minister of Tourism, Government of Punjab and Shri R V Deshpande, Hon’ble Tourism Minister, Government of Karnataka on 5 December at 10 am at Parade Ground, sector 17, Chandigarh, the fest aims to aggressively showcase the enormous tourism potential in the region and create a roadmap for inclusive and seamless tourism across the region, nation and globe.
Besides Chandigarh and Punjab, various states like Goa, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra are participating in a big way as Partner states while Himachal Pradesh and Chhattisgarh are the Focus States.
They would also showcase their special & attractive tour and travel packages, tourist destinations, unseen tourist spots, serene locations, beautiful places, interesting tours and itineraries etc.
Internationally, 5 countries viz Abu Dhabi, China, Japan, Mauritius and Thailand would also showcase their best to the residents and also forge business ties with the Tour and travel operators and other stakeholders from Northern India.
“Envisioned to contribute to the overall GDP growth, CII Tourism Fest would aim to showcase India as a Global Tourist Destination by creating synergies between various stakeholders, creating enabling policies and desired infrastructure and attracting investments in the tourism and hospitality sector”, shared Mr Ankur Bhatia, Chairman, CII Tourism Fest 2014 & Executive Director, Bird Group.
“North can attract tourists for various forms of tourism like Eco tourism, Religious tourism, cultural tourism, Hill Tourism, Architectural, Farm, Heritage, Weekend and Lifestyle tourism. If an Integrated Tourism Circuit is created with participation and synergy between all key stakeholders like the travel and tourism operators, agencies, governments and the industry from all northern states, tourists inflow can really grow tremendously. To attain this, we have organised the 2nd edition of the Fest”, added Mr Bhatia.
“It would be a unique initiative, primarily aimed at creating awareness about the scope of Rural Tourism, Destination Management, Image building and Cinematic Tourism in the region because of its beautiful and scenic landscapes. The Fest would strongly promote rural tourism under Public Private People Partnership (PPPP) mode”, said Mr Man Mohan Singh, Co-Chairman, CII Tourism Fest 2014 & CEO, Aroma Group.
“Chandigarh has been chosen as the location due to its connectivity with plain states and being a gateway to the hilly states, in addition to being the Capital of both Punjab & Haryana. Chandigarh acts a transit point for tourists in addition to being a hub of Tourism, Culture, Festivity and Business of North India”, Mr Singh highlighted.
20 buyers from overseas and 75 from across the country will also participate that will allow inflow of special packages/ itineraries by State Tourism Authorities & Foreign Tourism Boards, B2B meets and tie ups with tourism department officials. This will ultimately increase inflow of International and Domestic Tourists, giving push to the Hospitality & Transport industry in the northern region.
“CII Tourism Fest’ aims to showcase opportunities of tourism and hospitality sector in India, address some of the limiting factors and portray India as a preferred tourist destination with a large domestic base”, shared Mr Pikender Pal Singh, Regional Director, CII NR.
“Various stakeholders that would participate in addition to governments include Hoteliers, Hospitals, Tour Operators, Travel Agents, Golf Courses & Resorts, Central & State Government Tourism Agencies, Tourism Board of various Countries, Airlines, Airports, Air Charters Companies, City Transport Providers, Railways and IRCTC, Industry experts in hospitality and tourism, Administrators of academic programs in hospitality and tourism, Publishers of journals and academic textbooks, Tourism Web Portal Companies, Educational Institutes, Holiday Clubs, Spa & Wellness Centers etc” , he added.
According to CII, the conferences would dwell on aspects like Promoting Incredible !ndia, participative role of Central & State Governments and agencies, sessions on Renewed National Outlook on Tourism : Role of Trade Associations, Hospitality Industry, Outbound Destinations and impact of tourism on economy, Marketing and branding strategies etc.