Getting the best bargain

The three-day event, a highly awaited fixture in the travel industry, had over 250 participants from all over India which included representation from 17 states and three countries.  Karnataka Tourism had a very impressive presence at the TTF.

Apart from Karnataka, Jammu & Kashmir as well as Kerala were the feature states. The main highlight of TTF Bangalore though was the Himachali Food and Cultural Festival organised by the Himachal Pradesh Tourism.

Bangloreans at the venue got a taste of scrumptious Himachali cuisine which they lapped it up with delight.  In spite of the demand, Himachali cuisine was served only during lunch time at the venue.

Talking about the authenticity of the cuisine, Madhu Sankhyan of the Himachal Pradesh Tourism said, “The cook has been brought from Himachal to make sure that the people of Bangalore are served authentic Himachali food.” Apart from the cuisine, the festival also featured Himachali men and women performing a traditional dance called Nati which was a delight to watch.

Nepal, which is observing 2011 as Visit Nepal Year, also had a big presence at the TTF. Nepal and Hong Kong were the feature countries at the fair. Apart from State Tourism Organisation, TTF Bangalore saw participation from a large number of hotels, resorts, travel agents, tour-operators, cruise lines, railways, travel portals and publications.

Sudhakar Rao of Rao Travels, a participant at the event said, “This is a great place to network and build contacts in the travel fraternity. Healthy competition exists and even the customers benefit as they are provided excellent travel deals at a reasonable price.”

Bangloreans at the venue too agreed that the travel fair surely broadened their horizon as far as new travel deals and destinations were concerned. Suchismita Mohanty, a customer service executive at the venue said, “I come here every year, and this fair just seems to be getting better. Information wise, this is your one stop when it comes to planning a trip.”