PATA Travel Mart 2008 to Debut on September 16 in Hyderabad

With just over two months remaining before the opening ceremony of the PATA Travel Mart (PTM) 2008 in Hyderabad on September 16, planning is nearing completion to make this major travel industry show a landmark event for the city and India.

The number of registered buyers has already topped the target to reach 367 individuals representing 322 companies from 57 countries.  This is a significant increase over the 49 countries attending last year’s PTM.

PATA records show that European buyers continue to dominate while buyer figures have soared 22% from China (PRC) and 58% from India. 

More than 90% of PTM 2008’s contracted space has already been sold to exhibitors from 34 countries.  Some 28% of the sellers represent Indian companies while 72% are from the international marketplace. 

[Pictured: The HICC is India’s first purpose built convention facility.]

The China National Tourism Administration will set up the China Pavilion to be occupied by several provincial offices including Hangzhou, Shanxi, Jilin, Anhui, Shandong and Hainan.  

The North America Pavilion makes its PTM debut in 2008 and will feature the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority, the National Tour Association, the San Francisco Convention and Visitors Bureau and San Francisco International Airport.

The three-day interactive travel mart – set to be the largest travel industry event ever organised in the state capital of Andhra Pradesh – will take place from September 16 – 19 in the Hyderabad International Convention Centre (HICC).

This state-of-the-art ACCOR-managed facility which opened in January 2006 was built as joint venture between Emaar Properties of Dubai and the Andhra Pradesh Investment Infrastructure Corporation.

Set in suburban Hyderabad on 15 landscaped acres, the centrepiece of the HICC is a 6480 sq. m pillar-free hall able to accommodate 5000 delegates.  Soundproof mobile walls covered with teak and silk partition the space into six halls and there are 18 break-out rooms.

[Pictured; The 260 room Taj Krishna leads the list of PTM’s official hotels.]

The HICC has the latest in conference-friendly amenities including rear projection screens, halogen lights, ergonomic chairs and 22 cappuccino machines.

Heralded as “Asia Pacific’s best travel contracting and networking show”, PTM will also feature a series of strategic workshops focussing on the India and South Pacific markets.

The India workshop moderated by Ashwini Kakkar, Executive Vice Chairman, Mercury Travels will feature executives from Kuoni, Amadeus and Jet Airways.

Rajasthan will be one state actively promoting its cultural attractions at the PTM.  Rajasthan’s ‘Pink City’ of Jaipur together with the Indian capital of New Delhi and the city of the Taj Mahal, Agra are the cornerstones of the internationally recognised Golden Triangle tourist circuit.

In addition to popular destinations like Jaipur, Jodhpur and the desert town of Jaisalmer, Rajasthan’s unique heritage hotels will be promoted during PTM.

A heritage hotel as defined by India Tourism is a property built no later than 1935 that has maintained its original design and form.

According to the Heritage Hotels Association, Joint Secretary, Randhir Vikram Singh there are 141 heritage hotels in Rajasthan. 

Around 15 properties are brought up to the required standard to quality as a heritage hotel every year.  Their grandeur, ambience and architecture give them a significant edge over other hotels, he said.

Delegates flying into Hyderabad for PTM will land at the country’s most hi-tech airport.  Opened in March, the 105,300 sq. m terminal of the Rajiv Gandhi International Airport is more than ten times the size of the exhibition centre!

The vast facility which completed 100 days of commercial operations on July 2 has the capacity to serve 12 million passengers a year.

Hyderabad’s new airport – the first built under a public-private partnership – boasts of one of the longest runways in South Asia at 4,260 meters.

The ultimate master plan is to cater for 40 million passengers per annum with a total built up area of 900,000 sq. m.

Further acquisition of land to the north and south will allow expansion of a third and fourth runway system.

The A380-capable airport has also been designed to support the IT-savvy Hyderabad in its bid to become an international air hub.

[Pictured: The Charminar has been the landmark of Hyderabad since 1592.]

The city is already a tourist centre with several stand-out attractions including the architecturally unique Charminar located in the heart of the old city and Golconda, the largest fortress ruins in the world.  

Crowning an isolated hill in suburban Hyderabad the medieval fort, the centrepiece of a nightly sound and light show, will be a signature venue for events planned during PTM.

Exclusive Report by Thomas E. King, TravelMole’s Travel and Lifestyle Editor