FICCI 3rd Outbound Tourism Summit concludes successfully

Priyanka Saxena Ray

Setting up the tone and context of the Summit, Ankush Nijhawan, Chairman, FICCI Outbound Tourism Committee & Co-Founder, TBO.com & MD, Nijhawan Group kick-started the event by stating that Outbound Tourism from India, which is currently on a high, will continue to scale up in times to come. “Outbound tourism from India is rapidly evolving into a significant revenue and employment generator. As more Indians travel abroad, we witness a surge in economic activities that benefit both the home country and the destinations visited. The growth in this sector not only boosts foreign exchange earnings but also creates a plethora of job opportunities within the tourism ecosystem. India’s strategic role as a key stakeholder in outbound tourism underscores our commitment to fostering global connections and economic development.”

The release of the FICCI-Nangia Knowledge Paper “Navigating Horizons: The Rise and Future of Indian Outbound Tourism” was the highlight of the event as the paper stated that Indian Outbound Tourism is likely to reach USD 55388.41 million by 2024.

The address by Dr. Jyotsna Suri, Past President, FICCI & CMD, The Lalit Suri Hospitality Group also highlighted the immense underlying potential of the Outbound Tourism in India and how it indirectly contributes to also bringing in Inbound traffic as ‘empty planes won’t fly to international destinations.’

This was followed by addresses by Seitenov Darkhan, Deputy Ambassador, Embassy of Kazakhstan to India; Priyanga Wickramasinghe, Deputy High Commissioner of Sri Lanka to India, Amb. Mary M. Mutuku, Deputy High Commissioner of Kenya to India and vote of Thanks by Manab Majumdar, Senior Advisor, FICCI.

The first Panel Discussion of the Summit was titled – How Outbound Tourism is playing a crucial role as a Key Growth Driver and Contributor in the growth of Indian Tourism Industry.

This panel discussion explored the multifaceted ways in which outbound tourism from India is contributing to the nation’s economy and Job creation. Moderated by Disha Shah, Director & COO, ICE Group India, the Panellists included Sudhir Patil, Founder & Chairperson, Veena World; Guldeep Sahni, Managing Director, Weldon Tours & Travels; Anup Taneja, Senior Director, Global Sales, India & Subcontinent,Marriott Hotels; Amit Sudhakar, CFO, BLS International and Prasanna Subramaniam, Chief Technology Officer, Fly91.

Up next was the panel discussion, which focused on what the Outbound Indian Traveller wants. It saw representatives from leading country tourism boards come together and discuss a strategy to attract more Indian tourists and meet their evolving demands. The Panellists included TsioryAndriamparaniarivoRandrianarivony, Counsellor, Embassy of Madagascar to India; Ketevan Lagvilava, Head of Consular Section, Embassy of Georgia to India; Ahmad Johanif Mohd. Ali, Director, Malaysia Tourism PromotionBoard; Kean Bon Lim, Area Director – India, South Asia & Africa, Singapore Tourism Board and Gaurav Chauhan, Wedding Planner & Owner, GC Events.

The third and final post-lunch session talked about the ‘Emerging Trends in Outbound Tourism from India’ and discussed the dynamic shifts reshaping the travel landscape for Indian globetrotters. Industry leaders delved on how increasing disposable incomes, digital advancements, and evolving consumer preferences are driving a surge in outbound travel.

Moderated by Gurjit Singh Ahuja, Consulting Editor, Travel Trade Journal, the panellists included Sandeep Dwivedi, Managing Director- India & Subcontinent (TravelSeller), Amadeus; Saurav Chakraborty, Founder & CEO, Travelbuddy.com; Pran Sathiadasan, Vice President, Commercial Operations (Indian subcontinent), Flydubai.com; Srijit Nair, General Manager- India, Middle East & Africa, Rail Europe; Birendra Singh, Area Manager, Indian Sub-Continent, Booking.com and Saurabh Bhargava, Associate Vice President, National Sales, NorthIndia- IHCL (Taj Hotels).