Government of Himachal Pradesh, in partnership with PHD Chamber, is organizing a 4- Day International Tourism Expo “Destination Himachal : Shimla Mega Mart & Conclave on Unforgettable Himachal : Opportunities Unlimited” from 12-15 June 2009 at Shimla.  More than 2 Lakh tourists and business visitors are expected to visit the mega mart.

Objective of the Himachal Pradesh Government and PHD Chamber is to position Himachal on the international tourism radar. The Expo which has attracted participation from Sri Lanka and Pakistan shall highlight the tourism potential & investment opportunities in the hill.  Ambassadors of Indonesia, Brunei and other Diplomats are also attending the event. At the two-day Conclave, eminent tourism experts shall deliberate on strategies for placing the State more prominently on the World Tourism Map.

Though PHD Chamber has been regularly organizing such expos in other states, in partnership with the respective State Governments, this is the first time that Himachal has been selected due the huge potential it opens up for tourism. In fact seeing the huge response in other States, PHD Expo have become an annual event in some cities. These events provide a unique opportunity for promoting state tourism & business for all stakeholders in the tourism industry.

The Conclave, organised simultaneously with the Expo aims to strategize for future development of tourism in HP keeping with the international trends. Tourism Boards of Himachal, Rajasthan, Chandigarh, Chhattisgarh and MP have confirmed participation and others from Uttarakhand, J&K and Delhi are also likely to join.

The conclave has an interesting line up of speakers with Tourism Ministers of a few States, Senior Central & State Government Officials, representatives of Industry Bodies, Foreign and State Tourism Boards, Captains of Tourism Industry, Hotel and Civil Aviation Industries and Tourism experts besides the Chief Minister Mr. P K Dhumal who is personally giving a lot of attention to this major event, other VIPs who have confirmed their presence include Mr. Anand Sharma, Union Minister for Commerce and Industry and Kumari Selja, Union Minister for Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation & Tourism.

Other participant’s who will exhibit/sell their products/services in the International Expo include various State and Foreign Tourism Boards, tour operators, local entrepreneurs and State PSUs, FMCG Companies, artisans, Corporate supplying products/services to tourism and hotel industry, educational institutes, travel portals , telecom service providers , tourist transporters , Airlines & Heli Service Providers, DTH Service Providers , Travel Insurance Companies & Banks.

B2B interactions shall be held between Indian Tourism Industry representatives & their counterparts abroad and prospective investors & State Government for setting up tourism projects in HP. 

The exhibition shall have world-class infrastructure to accommodate a large number of exhibitors and shall offer an excellent opportunity for business networking and exploring investment opportunities in Himachal. 

Anjula Singh Solanky
Dy. Secretary-Media Relations
PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry