The 38th annual PATA Travel Mart 2015 (PTM2015) officially opened in Bangalore, India on the evening of September 6, 2015, with the official PTM2015 Opening Ceremony hosted by the Ministry of Tourism, Government of India. The Mart, generously hosted by the Department of Tourism, Government of Karnataka, has attracted over 1,000 delegates from 61 destinations.
The total number of delegates for PTM2015 includes 456 Sellers from 266 organisations and 28 destinations, along with 242 buyers from 233 organisations and 50 source markets.
The traditional lamp lighting and ribbon cutting ceremony took place on the morning of Monday, September 7. The ceremony was conducted by Sri Ananth Kumar, Honourable Minister for Chemicals and Fertilizers, Government of Karnataka; Srimati Umashree, Honourable Minister of State for Women and Child Development, Empowerment of the Differently abled and Senior Citizens & Kannada and Culture, Government of Karnataka; and Sri. R.V. Deshpande, Honourable Minister for Large & Medium Scale Industries and Tourism, Government of Karnataka in the presence of PATA Chairman Kevin Murphy, PATA CEO Mario Hardy, members of the PATA Executive Board and many distinguished guests from India and overseas.
Addressing a media briefing at the Bangalore International Convention Center on Monday, September 7, Mr Murphy stated that, “Over the years the Mart’s continued success has been due to its ability to continue to add further value for our delegates and members, while striking the right balance between quality and quantity for our registered buyer and sellers.” Mr Murphy also wished all delegates every success with their networking and contracting activities. He stressed the remarkable value of conducting business at PATA Travel Mart, noting that the annual event remains one of Asia Pacific’s most value adding and cost effective networking and contracting event.
The PATA Chairman also used the opportunity to thank Christ University in Bangalore for hosting the PATA Youth Symposium on Friday, September 4. The event, organised by the Association’s Human Capital Development team with the theme ‘Human Resources Challenges and Opportunities for Tourism’s Next Generation’, attracted over 200 young professionals.Mr Murphy also praised Phocuswright, a strategic partner of PATA, for co-organising the PATA Technology Forum along with Connecting Travel on Sunday, September 6. The Technology Forum allowed delegates to gain the latest trends and insights into the travel and tourism industry.