Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/1517455
B M & T ••• March/April 2024 ••• www.blackmeetingsandtourism.com 37 An awe inspiring nation, whether you get carried away to the golden soil of Rajasthan in North India, feel drawn to sit with the silent rocks and ancient ruins of Hampi in Karnataka state in Southern India, answer to the call of the wild in Madhya Pradesh of Central India, or simply surrender to the pristine beaches along the Arabian Sea in Goa - West region, Incredible India! will welcome you with open arms and shower you with an unwavering commitment to share her vast range of offer- ings and unlimited potential with an aim to redefine experiential travel highlighting "vibrant rural villages" and "immersive cultural odysseys'' including wellness, entertainment, adventure, luxury, weddings, govern- ment homestay programs, and much more. The options are endless when it comes to accommodations from pre- mium to mid luxury and luxury to inaccessible luxury with rapidly expanding brands leading the way like Abercrombie & Kent and the IHCL, whose brands include Taj - 'the unrivaled guardian of grandeur', SeleQtions, ama, Vivanta, and Ginger. But India's anticipated growth also means redefining mid-price affordable luxury for the business and leisure traveler that offers a no extravaganza approach with excellent accommodations and limited services and facilities as Alliance Hotels & Resorts aim to do expanding to 4000 rooms and 45 locations by the end of 2024 to include Goa, Bhutan, and Bangladesh. A trend that seems to be just the beginning of much bigger things to come in the Hospitality & Tourism Industry, the Marriott chain is said to be adding an additional 190 hotels in 2025, while The Radisson aims to open 300 new hotels with a strong focus on emerging locations in Tier I and Tier II cities like Hyberdad, Bengaluru, Ujjain, Raipur, Sonamarg, Manali, Kerala, and Visakhapatnam by the end of 2025, in the race to unlock the true potential of India's numerous destinations. With both new and existing markets in mind, the Indian government committed $120 billion towards multiple mega infrastructure projects underway including railways, roads, and highways leading to new air- port terminals supported with new IATA technology, signaling a huge step in operational preparedness making many more regions of India accessible for modern travelers to explore outside of the more well known destinations and most assuredly position India as a premiere inbound venue hosting international events. And as such, India recently took center stage at the commencement of the 46th edition of the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) Travel Mart at the International Exhibition- Convention Centre (IECC), Pragati Maidan, New Delhi October 4-6, 2023, 8 years since it was last held in India in 2015, just off the heels of the G20 Summit, throwing sustain- able tourism and social responsibility into the spotlight. An excellent platform that encourages collaboration and unparalleled business expansion opportunities, the event featured two forums, one on 'Responsibility ' and the other on 'Opportunity' with a special summit on 'Sustainability', as well as a Youth Symposium. Nearly 1,000 partic- ipants were in attendance including tour operators, media representa- tives and key players in the travel and tourism industry for the three day live in-person event which marked a stark contrast from the limitations posed by Covid. Setting that stage was, Pragati Maiden, a sprawling 146 acres of land in the heart of India's capital, offering 61,290 sq. meters (659 720,07 sq. feet) of covered exhibition space that 'lures you in with it's sheer size and grandeur'. Designed aptly with world class convention accommodations, this iconic center has a capacity for 7000 people in a single format, six modern exhibition halls, two large auditoriums with up to 900 seating capacity, 24 meeting rooms and an underground parking facility of 4,800+ capacity. With ease of access to Indira Gandhi