Explain the concept and role of travel mart in tourism industry. In what ways do these travel mart help to promote tourism.

A travel mart is a place where the producers, sellers and buyers (mostly intermediaries) of tourism products and services meet face to face to transact business. Quite often we find that new trends in the industry are creating impacts on demand and supply structures in the practice of tourism.

Even a healthy tourism destination is not free of problems which are generated not only in the origin markets, but also in the manner in which the travel trade finds short term solutions to its own problems. For example, Air India offers groups of women travellers a significant discount to Singapore and Hong-Kong, and this generates the demand for special facilities for women travellers from India. Although Air India’s discount was operable in the lean season, it creates a new trend.

A trade fair or a travel mart is the combined effort of the seller, the .buyer and the State to ensure that tourism prospers and realizes the benefits that are possible. In India, our membership of the Pacific Area Travel Association, introduced us to the concept of a travel mart, when PATA conferences were held in different locations and countries of the region.