On the second day of the 12th edition of Great Indian Travel Bazaar (GITB), the exhibition at the Jaipur Exhibition and Convention Center (JECC) in Sitapura was inaugurated. The exhibition opened with the cutting of the ribbon by Director General, Tourism, Government of India, Manisha Saxena; Principal Secretary, Department of Tourism, Government of Rajasthan, Gayatri Rathore; Past President, FICCI, Dr. Jyotsna Suri and Chairperson, FICCI Tourism and Culture Committee & MD, SITA, TCI, & Distant Frontiers, Dipak Deva. Throughout the day there were power packed Buyer-Seller prescheduled B2B meetings.
The international mart has been organized by the Department of Tourism, Government of Rajasthan, the Ministry of Tourism, Government of India and Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI). It is supported by leading national and regional associations like Hotel & Restaurant Association of Rajasthan (HRAR), Indian Heritage Hotels Association (IHHA) and Rajasthan Association of Tour Operators (RATO).
Held after a gap of 3 years, 283 tour operators from 56 countries and State Tourism Board representatives from 9 states are participating in the event.
During an interaction between foreign buyers and the Department of Tourism, Additional Chief Secretary, Forest, Environment and Climate Change Department, Government of Rajasthan, Shikhar Agarwal highlighted the sustainable and eco friendly tourist destination in the state. He said that last year Ranthambore alone received 5 lakh tourists last year generating a revenue of INR 45 crore. He also revealed new destinations that have been developed in the state such as Palighat on Chambal river, Boat Safari in Dholpur etc. Talking about leopard safaris, he said that while Jhalana is already well known, Amagarh leopard reserve has also started recently and now another leopard safari will start in Maila Bagh – giving Jaipur as many as 3 leopard safaris. A bird park is also being developed in Jaipur. The session was moderated by Director, Tourism Department, Government of Rajasthan, Ms. Rashmi Sharma.
CULINARY SHOWCASING BY CELEBRITY CHEF, RANVEER BRAR
Celebrity Chef Ranveer Brar did a live food demonstration for the attendees of the Mart. Focusing on millets, he showed how the popular Rajasthani dish, Gatta can be made with millets. He also talked about the importance of ghee and spices in Indian cuisine. On the occasion, Brar said that Indian food is misconstrued as being very spicy. However, out of the 1100 micro cuisines of Indian food, 400 do not even use spices. Later the food was also available for tasting of the attendees.
G 20 TOURISM EXPO GOLF
Earlier in the morning, over 50 golfers participated in the G20 Tourism Expo Golf at the Rambagh Golf Course in Jaipur. The game was teed off by Secretary Tourism, Government of India, Arvind Singh. The South Korean Ambassador, H.E. Chang Jae-Bok as well as the Secretary General of FICCI, Shailesh Pathak also played in the game. The participants included Senior Government Officials, Diplomats, Industry Leaders and lady golfers. The 18-hole tournament was played on a Stableford format. The G 20 Tourism Expo Golf Event, organised in conjunction with The Great Indian Travel Bazaar 2023 (GITB), aimed at promoting Golf Tourism.
