NBTC Holland Marketing, in collaboration with Amsterdam Airport Schiphol, KLM Royal Dutch Airlines and Jet Airways, is organizing the Holland Sales Mission 2018. This three-day event is being held from August 28 to 30, 2018, in Delhi, Bengaluru, and Mumbai.
During the three days, the Mission aims to bring together over 300 travel trade members and educate them about the tourism offerings in the Netherlands that will be of great interest to their Indian clientele, as well as allow them to explore opportunities that lie within. The objectives of this event include creating awareness about the destination, providing first-hand information to the travel fraternity and encouraging business tie-ups.
Holland Sales Mission 2018 includes participation from several private players from the Netherlands, including Lovers Canal Cruises, Efteling Theme Park, Henri Willig Cheese Farm, Madurodam Theme Park, and ITO Tours. 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 and key trade partners. The delegation will also provide an overview of the booming tourism industry during the interactive sessions.
Participants will get an opportunity to interact with Indian agents through product
presentations and one-on-one meetings. This opportunity is key to promote deals and increase product knowledge amongst the trade. Airline partners – KLM Royal Dutch Airlines and Jet Airways – will further highlight the connectivity to the destination.
A spotlight on visas will also help the industry clear any doubts and increase awareness amongst the trade. Members from the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands will grace the event and make presentations addressing the way forward with regard to visa queries. This will be a vital opportunity for the travel fraternity to obtain a clear picture of visa norms.
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. During B2B meetings, the Dutch partners will enlighten their Indian travel trade partners on Holland being an ideal getaway destination for scenic wonders, adventures and business pursuits.
The Indian market continues to be one of the most important contributors of
international visitors into the Netherlands. The country recorded a growth of 31 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, and this year’s Sales Mission aims to achieve even greater numbers. The compact nature of the country and high volume of visitor attractions and activities make Holland resemble a large metropolitan area. It lets Indian visitors discover their passion in culture, shopping, cycling or enjoy the millions of tulips.
Participating partners from the Netherlands
Efteling
Efteling, a fantasy-themed amusement park in Kaatsheuvel, the Netherlands, is packed with fairy-tale attractions, captivating shows, and enchanting thrill rides. The park had a successful year in 2017, further positioning it as one of the most popular of its kind in Europe. As a new destination for India, agents can be the first to introduce the theme park to clients seeking an authentic experience in a non-commercialised setting. Last year, Efteling opened a new indoor dark ride – Symbolica: Palace of Fantasy – that takes guests on an adventure through the hidden rooms of a royal palace. It also opened its newest accommodation – the Holiday Village Efteling Loonsche Land – located within walking distance of the park and boasting a three-star hotel with 75 rooms and 65 holiday houses. Efteling is open all year round and is an ideal family short-break destination. It has grown to become one of Europe’s biggest theme parks and is now ranked in the top 25 theme parks in the world according to the Tea Theme Index 2016.
Henri Willig Cheese Farms
Henri Willig’s cheese farms show to more than one and a half million visitors a year the traditional way of making the famous Dutch cheese. What makes the attraction popular amongst tourists and tour operators alike is its authentic Dutch atmosphere, the informative character of the experience and the fact that it is possible to try all the cheese! What’s more? Admission to the cheese farms is absolutely free. The team at Catharina Hoeve Zaanse Schans, the cheese farm in Zaandam, is suitably dressed in Dutch attire, ready to welcome guests. Upon arrival, guests are offered a professional demonstration of the cheese-making process after which they are welcome to sample all the unique flavours. All varieties of cheese are produced with microbial rennet and are therefore suitable for vegetarians as well. With a wide range of souvenirs, everyone has the opportunity to take home a nice memento or gift.
ITO Tours
ITO Tours is a family-run destination management company for all ground services in the Netherlands, Belgium and West Germany, with offices in the Netherlands. Their multilingual staff handles leisure and MiCE groups from all over the world. ITO Tours’ enthusiastic team is extremely helpful and always on the lookout to develop great programmes and remarkable tours for its clients. ITO Tours is constantly improving its knowledge about fast-changing markets and following trends, enabling them to rethink Holland as a mono-destination. Visitors are impressed by seeing multiple countries in a few days, and ITO Tours is able to add more to their experience. ITO Tours UK will be opening this fall and will be able to help visitors with the best and cheapest accommodation in London, the United Kingdom, and the rest of Europe.
Jet Airways
Jet Airways, India’s premier international airline, was founded in 1992. It began its
operations on May 5, 1993, to 12 destinations. Today, Jet Airways operates a fleet of 121 aircrafts and flies to 66 destinations spanning the length and breadth of India and beyond. Manchester (UK) will be its newest international destination that will be added in November, 2018. Jet Airways’ network provides enhanced connectivity through 100-plus interline and 21 codeshare partners. JetPrivilege, the airline’s rewards and frequent flyer programme, provides superior benefits allowing members to accrue and redeem miles through its airline and non-airline partners. Jet Airways has also concluded an Enhanced Commercial Agreement with codeshare partners Air France and KLM to provide matchless connectivity to Europe over gateway points Paris CDG and Amsterdam Airport Schiphol.
KLM Royal Dutch Airlines
KLM Royal Dutch Airlines was founded in 1919, making it the world’s oldest airline. KLM has been flying to India for over 85 years. Known for being innovative, service oriented and ‘Dutch to the Detail’, its on-board experience is a perfect blend of Dutch and Indian cultures. During the summer, KLM operates daily flights from Delhi and thrice weekly from Mumbai. Passengers flying from India experience the comfort of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner loaded with features, ensuring the journey is a memory to cherish! Passengers flying in World Business Class experience the comfort of full flat beds with direct access to the aisle. In Economy Class, seats have a greater recline. India is an important market for KLM and the network presence has grown enormously over the years. Starting winter 2018, KLM will add an additional frequency from Mumbai, making
it four weekly departures. Together with partner Jet Airways, there are 32 weekly
departures between India and Amsterdam.
Lovers Canal Cruises
Lovers Canal Cruises is the best choice to discover the beautiful Amsterdam canals. The tour takes you through the unique canals of Amsterdam that have made the list of UNESCO World Heritage sites. While sailing, Lovers Canal Cruises offers clients information in 19 languages (including Hindi). Boats depart from different locations and their capacity varies from 12-120 seats. In 2017, Lovers Canal Cruises introduced the Indian Dinner Cruise in collaboration with Saravanaa Bhavan and Kitchen Rani, which has been a huge success. Lovers is located opposite the Central Station and has six bus stops right next to the departure point. A trip to Amsterdam is only complete if travellers get a chance to experience the city while sailing over the many canals, watching picturesque Amsterdam pass by.
Madurodam
Fancy a stroll through a miniature Holland? Madurodam, one of the top five most-visited theme parks in Holland, is a magnificent miniature town in the Netherlands. In this family-friendly theme park, travellers can discover Holland’s most iconic landmarks and history through a story of miniatures as well as interactive shows. Located in The Hague, less than one hour from Amsterdam and in a safe and secure environment, Madurodam offers all Dutch icons at a glance – the canal houses, the cheese market, windmills, the Peace Palace, Rijksmuseum, Anne Frank House and much more. The miniatures are built on a scale of 1:25. In Madurodam, visitors can enjoy the full Holland experience in one place. In September 2018, a new attraction about water management will also be
launched; a spectacular story about land reclamation and how the Dutch manage to live below sea level! Visit Madurodam any time of the year to learn of Holland’s culture and rich heritage in a stunning park filled with flowers and exceptional miniatures.
