India gears up for Holland Sales Mission 2018

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Holland Sales Mission 2018 is a three-day event being held from August 28 to 30, 2018, in Delhi, Bengaluru, and Mumbai. The Mission aims to bring all travel trade partners together to update them about Destination Netherlands, educate them on what the country has to offer that will be of great interest to their Indian clientele, and allow them to explore opportunities that lie within. In Delhi, the Mission will be held at the Shangri-La Hotel on August 28. It will then proceed to the Garden City, Bengaluru, on August 29 to be held at the Shangri-La Hotel and conclude in Mumbai on August 30 at the St. Regis Hotel. Holland Sales Mission will help showcase the potential of the destination to the travel fraternity while bringing together key B2B customers under one roof.

At this year’s event, the Dutch delegation is looking forward to interacting with close to 100 agents from each of the three cities, where participants include destination specialists, fence sitters, and other key trade partners. Holland Sales Mission 2018 will witness participation from several private players from the Netherlands, including Lovers Canal Cruise, Efteling Theme Park, Henri Willig Cheese Farm, Madurodam Theme Park, and ITO Tours. KLM Royal Dutch Airlines and Jet Airways would also be part of the event.

Speaking about Holland Sales Mission, SanJeet, India Representative of Netherlands Tourism, says, “Indian outbound to the Netherlands has been growing rapidly, owing to the fact that the destination caters to the demands of all age groups. This growth will surge in the coming years.” The escalation in arrivals, in his opinion, can be attributed to major metros as well as feeder markets. “There has also been a steady increase in MiCE movement, as well as FITs and small groups travelling from India,” he adds.

Seema Datt, Account Director, Netherlands Tourism Office India, says, “All marketing activities that we undertook last year are bearing fruit and are resulting in substantial interest for the Netherlands. Over the last couple of years, we have actively promoted the region not only as a holiday destination but also for luxury, MiCE, weddings, and small group travel. Destinations such as Amsterdam, Rotterdam, The Hague, Utrecht, Leiden, and Volendam have been intensely promoted in recent years.”

The Netherlands recorded a growth of 27 per cent in visitor arrivals from India in 2017, attaining a remarkable surge over the previous year. The Netherlands Board of Tourism & Conventions has confirmed recording 67,000 visitors from India until May, 2018. The Indian market continues to be one of the most important contributors of international visitors into the Netherlands and this year’s Sales Mission aims to achieve greater numbers in this regard.