Prevailing economic conditions have compelled the global travel industry to look at new source markets and India stands in the top two As we gear up for SATTE 2013, there has been a keen interest in South Asia's leading travel mart. With India now being looked at more favourably as a very important market for global tourism products, SATTE is undoubtedly the ideal platform for newer destinations to tap into the Indian market. The current economic conditions have compelled the global travel industry to look for new source markets, and India and China have emerged as the top two. At ITB Berlin earlier this year, SATTE received very positive feedback from destinations such as The Seychelles, Zambia, Botswana, Philippines, The South Pacific Tourism Organisation, Japan, Hungary, Germany, Panama, Venezuela, Brand USA, Kenya and Singapore's Changi Airport along with a host of private sector participants from Singapore and other countries - all of whom have become aware of the immense potential of the Indian market. At Arabian Travel Mart in Dubai (ATM), key exhibitors from the Middle East region said they are now looking eastwards to do business with India, and many countries and individual Emirates from the UAE are optimistic about the Indian market. Prominent names include Dubai, Sharjah, Fujairah, Oman, Abu Dhabi, and Ras-Al-Khaimah among others. At Bula Fiji Tourism Exchange 2012 (BFTE) in Fiji, 15 nations from the South Pacific said they want to work closely with the Indian travel trade to increase awareness of their countries. These nations intend to work together under the umbrella of The South Pacific Tourism Organisation (SPTO). International players who continue to show keen interest in SATTE 2013 include Abu Dhabi, Argentina, Bhutan, Dubai, Egypt, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Jordan, Kenya, Macau, Malaysia, The Maldives, Mauritius, Oman, Spain, Thailand and Turkey, and many more. State Tourism Boards such as Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Lakshwadeep Tourism Board, Punjab, Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh and Odisha have also expressed their support for next year's event. Many of the above key national and international tourism players are already rebooking at SATTE 2013. SATTE 2012 set milestones for the Indian travel and tourism industry. The event saw a record number of sellers. Exhibitors came from over 33 countries and 23 states in India and over 550 companies exhibited at the event with an impressive year on year growth of 6.7 per cent. SATTE's success continues to demonstrate India's ever growing importance, both as a destination and as a lucrative market. SATTE 2013 (http://www.satte.in) will be held at Pragati Maidan, New Delhi, from January 16-18, 2013 and its companion event SATTE Mumbai at World Trade Centre on January 21-22. About UBM India - UBM India is a subsidiary of UBM plc, which is the second largest independent exhibition organiser in the world. It is the largest trade exhibition organiser in India, responsible for 26 exhibitions in different locations across the country. The company is also involved in the organisation of conference programmes throughout India and in the publications of trade journals and magazines. For further details please visit the UBM India website, http://www.ubmindia.in For details on SATTE 2013, please contact Ms. Pallavi Mehra, Key Accounts Manager, UBM India pallavi.mehra@ubm.com +91-11-23765552/99109-11887 SOURCE: UBM India Pvt. Ltd.