India tourism appointed Representation Plus to assist them at WTM with their press conference and travel trade event hosting nearly 300 guests at the two events. During these events Smt. Rashmi Verma, Secretary for Tourism made the following announcements about its market share and position, e-visas, new 24/7 security helpline. With over 1 million British visitors a year Aashima, Director of Tourism, expended on the new website and app, India's experiential and medical tourism offers. World Champion Snooker player and Real Marigold Hotel star Dennis Taylor participated in both events reminiscing on his fond memories and experiences of India including playing on the first ever snooker table in the Ooty Club, birth place of snooker over 140 years ago.

 “The tourism sector in India is growing at a fast pace. India received 10.04 million Foreign Tourists in 2017 registering an increase of 14% over 2016 which is much higher than the world average of 6.8%. We are targeting an increase in the number of Tourists from our main markets which includes the UK. India in 2017 received around 1,000,000 tourists from the U.K and we see great potential for receiving more tourists from this market”, commented the Secretary of Tourism.

 The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC), ranked India in 3rd place in the Power Ranking category for share in GDP, in 8th place in foreign tourists expenditure, 3rd in domestic visitor spend and 3rd in investment in the travel and tourism sector. The report evaluates the performance of 185 countries over the last seven-year period (2011-2017).  While India's ranking in the Travel and Tourism Competitive Index (TTCI) of World Economic Forum moved up 25 places in less than four years which is a significant achievement.

 “India introduced e-Tourist Visas, to facilitate foreign travellers visiting the country. The e-Visa facility has received positive feedback from tourists across the globe. In the year 2017, a total of 1.7 Million foreign tourists arrived in India on e-Tourist Visa of which 305,954 were from the UK. This facility is now available to nationals of 166 countries for entry through 25 designated Airports and 5 designated seaports in India”. She added.

 India offers enormous diversity in topography, natural resources and climate. It is a fascinating kaleidoscope of races, languages, religions, customs and traditions. India is thus a tourist destination for all travellers in all seasons. Over the years, Indian tourism has travelled far beyond its primary focus around the golden triangle of Agra's Taj Mahal, Rajasthan's forts and Delhi's immersive history. It now offers almost every conceivable type of vacation, including leisure, spiritual, wellness, nature, adventure tourism, beach tourism and cultural tourism.  India is a transformed tourist destination competing to give the best. Tourism has been recognised as a means of achieving high economic growth and realizing social objectives for better quality of life. In order to achieve these objectives, the Ministry of Tourism and Government of India is according high priority to increasing Foreign Tourist Arrivals in India.

The Development of the local infrastructure is being backed by improved connectivity. Tourist amenities at major railway stations have been revamped. Air connectivity has been introduced on new routes. Plans have been firmed up to revive low-cost or no-frills airports across the country. Highway development has received a major focus to provide easy access to various tourism destinations.

“The Safety and Security of tourists is also our prime concern. The Ministry of Tourism has launched a 24/7 Toll-Free Multi-Lingual Tourist Helpline in 12 International Languages including Russian. The helpline offers assistance to callers during times of distress while travelling in India and if need be alert the concerned authorities”. Concluded Smt. Rashmi Verma, Secretary for Tourism.

A new Incredible India website and mobile app has been launched to provide easy access to information on tourism destinations within India. The website showcases India as a holistic destination, revolving around major experiences, such as spirituality, heritage, adventure, culture, yoga, wellness and more.  The website has many useful features to make it more interactive and to provide a deeper engagement for travellers visiting the website. India Tourism is in the process of translating the contents of the website into different international languages including Russian to deliver real time personalized experiences to the visitors in their own language: www.incredibleindia.com.

India has a vast coastline dotted with beautiful beaches both on the eastern and western coast. The Indian beaches with their sparkling sands and amazing views are perfect for family vacations. The States of Goa, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Odisha as well as Andaman & Nicobar Islands, Lakshadweep Islands, Puducherry, etc. have various beach resorts and provide many water based sports and adventure activities for tourists. Cruises are also now available to a number of tourist destinations along India's west and east coast.

“Various tourism products can be enjoyed through rail travel. We have luxury trains such as Palace on Wheels, Deccan Odyssey etc. which provide tourists with a truly royal experience. These trains are equipped with world class amenities to enhance the pleasure of travelling and experiencing different tourism destinations in India”. Explained the Director, while showing an array of beautiful short video clips available on youtube. 

“The popularity of India as an adventure tourism destination is growing rapidly. It offers various adventure sports such as mountaineering, trekking hand gliding, paragliding, bungee jumping and river rafting. 73% of the Himalayan Region is in India and provides opportunities for different types of adventure sports. India is celebrating 2018 as the 'Year of Adventure Tourism'. The PATA Adventure and Responsible Tourism Conference and Mart (AT&RTCM) is being held in India from 13th – 15th February 2019 promoting the country as an adventure tourism destination” she added.

Indian systems of medicine i.e. Ayurveda, Yoga, Sidha, Naturopathy, etc. are some of the most ancient medical systems in the world. India has emerged as a major medical tourism destination in Asia providing holistic treatment through a combination of ancient and modern medical healthcare at comparatively low cost. 

The Ministry of Tourism has launched a Certification Course on tourism facilitation. This will be an online learning management system on a pan India basis to enable the youth living in the remotest part of the country to learn new skills and facilitate tourists visiting their places. The online Learning Programme will lead to the creation of jobs and provide tourists with skilled facilitators.

Right up until the end of WTM there were regular performances of  traditional Indian dances, henna, turban tying, yoga and meditation demonstrations and a Bollywood workshop.