Mixed reactions from buyers, sellers as ITM comes to end

PANJIM, OCT 17
Goa’s first ever International Travel Mart (ITM) culminated today with buyers and sellers expressing their mix reactions for the event.
The dates of ITM were questioned by many, who felt that it should have been little after Kerala Tourism Mart (KTM), which attracts huge international participation.
“ITM should be prior to KTM or after that. We should know that international buyers fly down for KTM annually and we can’t expect them to come again within two weeks for ITM,” said Mario Nazareth, General Manager, O Hotel, Candolim.
He said that he will be putting across to organizers suggesting them to shift the annual date of ITM according to KTM.
Nazareth, however, said that ITM put up a good show and the response was good.
Jack Ajit Sukhija, representing Welcome Heritage, Panjim Inn, said that KTM should be the deciding point for announcing dates of ITM. “It would have been better, if ITM was just after KTM,” he said.
Sukhija said that although being for the first time, infrastructure for ITM was good. “We have to improve the buyers’ list,” he said adding that ITM has the capability to gain popularity like KTM.
The participants, who have put up their stalls, feel that the organizers should unveil the list of buyers in advance so that the industry can start dialogue with them before they arrive here.
“The footfalls on the stalls are low compared to what we were expecting,” Atish Fernandes, Director (operations), First Class Holidays reacted.
He said that buyers list was kept confidential till the last which stopped us from contacting them.
“We are willing to participate next year. The organizers should also take the sellers and buyers into confidence before putting up the show next time,” Fernandes said.
Fernandes’ company is into inbound tour in Goa and Uttar Karnataka. “He said that 15 per cent of the people who interacted during the event were here to sell their own locations like South Africa and South East Asia,” he stated.
The four day long ITM which began on October 14 had various sections including knowledge sessions in which industry experts expressed their opinion on various issues.