OTM 2026 Opens in Mumbai, Highlighting India’s Role in Global Travel Markets
OTM 2026, Asia’s travel trade exhibition, officially opened at the Jio World Convention Centre, bringing together the international travel and tourism community at a time when India continues to gain prominence as a key outbound travel market.
Recognized by NielsenIQ as the Leading Travel Trade Show in India and Asia for two consecutive years, OTM 2026 is hosting more than 2,200 exhibitors from over 60 countries. The show features participation from 45+ National Tourism Organisations and is welcoming over 50,000 travel trade visitors, including more than 1,000 senior travel industry professionals, over the three-day event.
Event highlights
Exhibitor participation
OTM 2026 features over 2,200 exhibitors representing national and state tourism boards, airlines, hotels and resorts, destination management companies, cruise operators, attractions, and travel technology providers.
International representation
Destinations from Europe, Africa, Asia, the Middle East, the Americas, and Oceania are present, reflecting engagement from both established outbound markets and emerging destinations looking to strengthen trade ties with India.
Buyer engagement
The show is welcoming more than 50,000 trade visitors, including hosted and VIP buyers, supporting B2B engagement across leisure, corporate travel, MICE, weddings, and niche travel segments.
Structured business meetings
More than 50,000 pre-scheduled B2B meetings are expected over the three days, reinforcing OTM’s role as a platform for business-led interactions.
Leadership and knowledge exchange
The OTM Forum brings together policymakers and senior leaders from across the travel ecosystem, including executives from MakeMyTrip, Cleartrip, Thomas Cook India, SOTC Travel, Paytm, TBO.com, Google India, Deloitte, Reliance Industries, Aditya Birla Group, Godrej Industries, VFS Global, and IHCL, alongside national tourism boards and airlines.
One of the sessions, “Unlocking EU–India Opportunities for Tourism and Hospitality,” is being organised in collaboration with European institutional partners and will examine opportunities for collaboration between India and European destinations.
India’s position in global destination strategy
The opening of OTM 2026 reflects a shift in how global destinations engage with India. Rising disposable incomes, improved international connectivity, and growing interest in experiential and long-haul travel have positioned India as a key market for global tourism strategies. This trend is evident at OTM 2026, where destinations are engaging through long-term trade partnerships and structured market-development initiatives.
Inaugural programme
Day 1 began with the official inauguration of the exhibition, followed by a VIP walkthrough and exhibitor interactions. The inaugural programme, titled “India Takes Its Place on the Global Travel Stage,” was inaugurated by Manoharan Periasamy, Chairman, Tourism Malaysia; Richard Duval, Minister of Tourism of Mauritius; Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah, Minister for Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts, Sarawak; and Ruwan Ranasinghe, Deputy Minister of Tourism, Sri Lanka. The session was moderated by Tanya Khanijow.
The afternoon included the CEOs’ Lunch and a panel discussion titled “India at 100 Million: The Global Race to Capture the Next Big Traveller Wave,” featuring destination leaders from Switzerland, Mauritius, the Cayman Islands, Uzbekistan, Malaysia, and France. The day concluded with a discussion on India’s online travel market, featuring senior leaders from Cleartrip, MakeMyTrip, and Paytm Travel.
Destination and airline participation
OTM 2026 features official participation from nearly 50 global tourism boards across multiple regions. In addition to long-established outbound destinations, several emerging markets are engaging with India through targeted participation in the show.
Reflecting the role of air connectivity in outbound growth, Malaysia Airlines is participating as the Partner Airline, highlighting its network, India-focused offerings, and regional connectivity. Several other airlines, including Air India, are also participating.
Platform for business engagement
Beyond the exhibition floor, OTM 2026 continues to position itself as a B2B platform that facilitates structured engagement. Hotels, resorts, destination management companies, cruise operators, and travel technology providers are engaging through pre-scheduled meetings, on-ground discussions, and curated networking formats. More than 50,000 B2B meetings are planned across the event.
As part of its international expansion, Fairfest Media has recently added WTE Miami to its portfolio, extending its market-access platform beyond Asia and strengthening links between India, Asia, and the Americas.
Programme ahead
Days 2 and 3 will focus on segment-led discussions covering leisure travel, corporate mobility, destination weddings, marketing, distribution, and technology. Sessions will explore changing traveller preferences, corporate travel development, experience-led tourism, and the evolving role of intermediaries, concluding with the Valedictory and Awards Function.
Commenting at the inauguration, Sanjiv Agarwal, Chairman & CEO, Fairfest Media Ltd., said that OTM was created to reflect the evolving dynamics of global travel, where India has become a key market for destinations worldwide. He added that the participation at OTM 2026 reflects how international destinations are aligning their strategies with Indian traveller demand.
Over the three days, the OTM Forum will continue with a mix of closed-door and open sessions examining outbound travel growth, destination strategy, aviation connectivity, corporate travel, emerging markets, and travel distribution.
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