BENGAL TRAVEL MART 2022: 6th Edition of Bengal Travel Mart
A funfair event at Mayfair Siliguri
“Tourism is one of the priority sectors of West Bengal Government,” says Gautam Deb, Mayor Siliguri city
The Voice of Chandigarh | Travel Trade Reporter|H.C. Gera (Bureau Chief)
The 6th Edition of Bengal Travel Mart was held at the Mayfair Hotels & Tea Resort at Siliguri with much funfair. The galaxy of speakers, the buyers and sellers’ meaningful stalls, and the participants registered during Bengal Travel Mart spoke volumes of preparation & planning. A word of appreciation for such a wonderful event may be a little insufficient but the organizers really deserve much more than merely a few words of appreciation for such a huge task of management.
I was a witness to the entire show right from day one when I started for the FAM. The teams assigned for each task, whether for arranging transport, accommodation or other related activities did their best to make the event very comfortable for members attending the FAM. Hats off to the organizers!
The Inauguration
The inaugural ceremony was fascinating in the well-lit auditorium of Mayfair Hotel with a beautiful backdrop of Bengal Travel Mart and other publicity materials of the stakeholders and media partners. After the lighting of an auspicious lamp by the dignitaries on the dais, the speakers shared their views about the role and achievements of Bengal Travel Mart.
It was indeed the first-ever post-pandemic physical mart for the stakeholders from different segments of tourism like tour operators, airlines, buyers and sellers, hotel industry stalwarts, and representatives from government and the private sector of tourism who gathered at one platform.
The Director of Mayfair Hotel and Tea Resort Siliguri, Ms. Sanjna Ray while welcoming the dignitaries highlighted the various properties of Mayfair hotels and resorts located in Pan India. She also appreciated Bengal Travel Mart for its excellent initiative for the promotion of Tourism in the North-East.
Mr. Sandipan Ghosh, General Secretary, Eastern Travel and Tour Operators Association (EHTTOA) while speaking stated that the 6th Edition of Bengal Travel Mart is the first physical Mart being organized in India after the pandemic. He dedicated this mart in the name of Late Kalyan Deb the then Senior Vice President (Honorary).
The Chief Guest Mr. Gautam Deb, the Mayor Siliguri Municipal Corporation while inaugurating the 6th Edition of Bengal Travel Mart congratulated the entire team of Bengal Travel Mart for initiating steps to organize the post-Covid Mart in Bengal State in a meticulous manner. He reiterated that Bengal Travel Mart offers an opportunity for the buyers and sellers to interact for increasing the business prospects in the tourism industry. He concluded with the remarks that tourism is one of the most priority sectors of the West Bengal government. He further continued that the government under the leadership of Honorable Chief Minister Ms. Mamata Banerjee is committed to promote tourism in the state in a big way.
The others who spoke during the inaugural session were Ms. Rina Mahapatra, Additional Secretary Government of Odisha, Mr. Debasish Moitra (President EHTTOA), Mr. Ranjan Sarkar, Deputy Mayor Siliguri Municipal Corporation, Mr. Pratul Chakraborty, Chairman, Municipal Corporation, Siliguri, Bibek Suba, Hemant Aggarwal and Mr. Uday Bhattarai, Manager Nepal Tourism board.
The Technical Sessions
Two technical sessions were held during the Bengal Travel Mart. These sessions were full of knowledge and expertise. The topic of the first technical session was ‘Back to Tourism and Hospitality.’
The Moderator for this interesting topic was Dr.Angshuman Chatterjee.
The Panelists were Mr. Samik Ray National Award-winning Guide, Ms. Rina Mohpatra, Additional Secretary, Department of Tourism, Government of Odisha, Mr. Siju Nair- Operational Manager, Mayfair Tea Resort Siliguri, Mr. Sumit Mitruka- Chairman Summit Hotels, Mr. Akash Bansal, Operational Manager, Courtyard by Marriott Siliguri and Mr. Vijay Mohan-Advisor EHTTOA. The topic was very much engrossing and current one which drew the attention of panelists from the audience during interactions. Suitable replies were given by the panelist when some queries were raised by the media, and other prominent persons like Mr. P.P. Khanna, President ADTOI, and Mr. Rajat Sahni of Rave Tours and Travels.
The Second Session of the panel discussion was also thought-provoking and the topic was equally interesting, ‘How technology has revolutionized Travel.’
The Panelists during the session:
Mr. P.P. Khanna-President ADTOI, Mr. Jagdeep Bhagat-Coordinator NIMA, Mr. Siju Nair-Operation Manager, Mayfair Tea Resort Siliguri, Ms. Akansha Garg-Founder Director, Waxpol Hotel and Resorts, Ms. Anupama Gupta- DDP Group, Mr. Manpreet Singh VP-Agency Line TBO.
The session went well with the latest topic and the moderator Mr. Hemant Aggarwal-Founder Suvidhaa Aapki, handled the entire show. The panelists were quite apt with the topic and discussed the same at length. The tour operators, travel agents, and stakeholders are now fully trained and are well versed with all intricacies of digitalization for quick response to their clients. Now under the concept of ‘digitalization India’, it is indeed a revolutionary step when digitalization took the lead with swiftness and aptness for the travel industry.
The moderator kept engaged with all the panelists through his skill and in-depth knowledge on the subject. After the technical session, the question & answer session was not only brainstorming but interesting as well.
Overall the 6the Edition of Bengal Travel Mart was an event that was well organized and it will not be easy for the participants, buyers & sellers, and all stakeholders to get the memories erased in the near future.
Well-Done Bengal Travel Mart!
