Noida, Jan 8 (IANS): With a focus on building new business partnerships and announcements for tourism sector, the 27th edition of South Asian Travel and Trade Exhibition (SATTE) was inaugurated by Union Minister for Tourism and Culture Prahlad Singh Patel at India Expo Mart in Greater Noida.

Considered as one of the leading business-to-business travel trade engagement show SATTE is a three-day expo and has brought over 1,050 exhibitors, l,200 foreign buyers from more than 50 countries and more than 500 domestic hosted buyers from 104 Indian cities to interact with service providers in the hotel and travel industry.

"Events like these showcase our rich culture in a great way. I hope foreign guests and visitors attending the event get a glimpse of our country," Patel said.

"I thank SATTE for representation to states such as Leh-Ladakh in their esteemed event. India is the only country that has a different cultural identity across dimensions and geography," he added.

This year the expo will feature a series of sessions and workshops, presented and lead by high profile speakers and industry stalwarts, covering topics from all aspects of the industry.

The first panel discussion on 'Global Economic Scenario, Tourism Trends and India' on Day 1 discussed about the emerging scenario in global travel and tourism industry and in India.

Speaking on the travel and tourism industry, Yogesh Mudras, Managing Director, for Informa Markets in India, who is the organiser of the event, said, "Despite the current economic and political crackdown, tourism industry still remains one of the fastest growing sectors. The reason for this could be government initiatives like e-visa which has helped in attracting international tourists."