Air India has stepped up its engagement with the United Kingdom’s travel industry to promote inbound tourism to India, hosting an exclusive networking event in London with Union Tourism and Culture Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat on the sidelines of the World Travel Market (WTM) London.
The event brought together representatives of leading UK travel companies and international travel platforms to discuss opportunities to increase tourist arrivals into India, strengthen market partnerships and showcase the country’s diverse tourism offerings.
Participants included senior representatives from Southall Travel, Brightsun Travel, Moresand, Skylord Travels, Carlton Leisure, TUI, Trailfinders, Kuoni, Expedia, Trip.com and Akbar Travels. Representatives from London Gatwick Airport also attended, highlighting the role of collaboration between airlines, airports and travel companies in expanding international visitor traffic.
Air India strengthens tourism partnerships
The engagement comes as India seeks to strengthen its position as a global tourism destination and attract more international visitors through improved air connectivity and coordinated destination marketing.
Air India said it remained committed to supporting the country’s tourism ambitions through its expanding international network and enhanced connectivity.
The airline and the Ministry of Tourism (MoT), Government of India, recently signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to jointly promote India as a premier global tourism destination and strengthen its position as an aviation and transit hub.
Focus on global visibility and transit tourism
The agreement provides a framework for coordinated initiatives covering tourism marketing, destination promotion, trade engagement, transit tourism and improvements in visitor experience.
By combining Air India’s expanding global network with the Ministry of Tourism’s flagship Incredible India campaign, the partnership aims to improve India’s visibility in international markets and encourage more overseas travellers to explore its cultural, heritage, natural and experiential tourism offerings.
The collaboration also seeks to leverage India’s growing aviation connectivity to promote the country as a transit destination, potentially creating additional opportunities to attract international visitors.
The London gathering reinforced the commitment of Air India and its tourism industry partners to deepen engagement with the UK travel trade and position India as a preferred destination for international travellers