Kolkata travel convention plans are set to bring around 700 representatives from India and abroad to the city after Durga Puja, as the Travel Agents Association of India (TAAI) prepares to hold its 69th annual convention from October 25 to 27. The event is expected to include about 100 overseas delegates and will place Kolkata’s meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions (MICE) potential at the centre of the programme.
The convention is being held in the year TAAI completes 75 years. According to a report by Sanmarg, the association has invited West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari, state urban development minister Agnimitra Paul, Union Tourism Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, Union Civil Aviation Minister Kinjarapu Ram Mohan Naidu and Union Minister of State for Education Sukanta Majumdar.
TAAI’s return to India for a national convention comes after its previous three events were held in Abu Dhabi, Colombo and Singapore. The association’s last convention in India was held in Srinagar in 2018, the report said. The Kolkata event will therefore bring a large industry gathering back to the country after several years, while also connecting the city’s hotels, airlines and travel businesses with domestic and international trade participants.
The three-day programme will include business-to-business meetings involving airlines, travel agents and hotel operators. Discussions are also expected to focus on the adoption of new technologies in tourism and on expanding commercial opportunities across the sector. An awards ceremony will recognise senior members and pioneers of the travel industry, according to the report.
Anjani Dhanuka, TAAI’s regional president, said the convention’s activities and the opportunities that follow them could be important for Kolkata and West Bengal. She said the Kolkata chapter would use the event to position the city as a major MICE destination and promote it as an attractive tourism destination for international visitors.
The event also includes familiarisation visits for delegates to destinations across West Bengal. The itinerary is expected to cover the Ayodhya Hills in Purulia, Digha, the Sundarbans, Darjeeling and Mayapur. These visits are intended to present the state’s geographical, cultural and tourism diversity to industry representatives who could influence future travel itineraries and business relationships.
The convention comes amid a broader push to promote domestic tourism and reduce the foreign exchange spent on overseas travel, an emphasis previously articulated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and cited in the report. For Kolkata, the immediate event will test the city’s ability to host a sizeable trade gathering while showcasing its wider regional tourism network.
The convention is scheduled to take place from October 25 to 27. Further details on the programme, delegate participation and the business meetings are expected from TAAI and its Kolkata chapter.
