BLTM 2026 opened today at Yashobhoomi, Dwarka, bringing destinations and travel businesses from Sri Lanka, Israel, Saint Petersburg(Russia), Nepal and Thailand, together with the Indian travel market.
The ninth edition brought together 500+ exhibitors from five countries and 18 States & Union Territories, with 300+ hosted buyers and 12,000+ pre-scheduled business meetings. Day 1 recorded a 10% increase in visitor turnout compared with last year’s opening day. More than 10,500 qualified trade visitors are expected in the next two days of the event. Registration is complimentary for trade visitors across all three days.
The event was inaugurated by Shri Suneel Anchipaka, IAS, Managing Director, Delhi Tourism and Transportation Development Corporation, as Chief Guest and Dheera Hettiarachchi, Chairman, Sri Lanka Convention Bureau, as Guest of Honour.
The inauguration was also attended by distinguished members of the diplomatic community and senior tourism and industry leaders, including H.E. Mahishini Colonne, High Commissioner of Sri Lanka to India; Oday Hatim Mohammed, Chargé d’Affaires, Embassy of the Republic of Iraq; Penday Dorji, Counsellor (Economic), Royal Bhutanese Embassy; Kapila J. Kumara, Minister Counsellor (Commercial), High Commission of Sri Lanka in New Delhi; Vivien Espoir Elengs Maloba, Third Secretary, Embassy of the Republic of the Congo; and Suhail Ahmed, Commercial Specialist, Embassy of the United States of America.
Senior representatives from the travel and MICE industry included Sunil Kumar R., President, Travel Agents Association of India (TAAI); Jagdeep Bhagat, President, Travel Industry Association (TIA); Gajesh Girdhar, Founder & Chairman, Governing Council, Network of Indian MICE Agents (NIMA); Naveen Rizvi, Vice President, SITE India Chapter; N. S. N. Mohan, Vice President, SKAL International; Dinesh Kummar, Chairman-North India Chapter, TAFI; and Rajesh Arya, President, GAEHP.
Speaking at the event, Suneel Anchipaka, IAS, Managing Director, Delhi Tourism and Transportation Development Corporation, said, “Delhi is taking a more collaborative approach to tourism development, with the Delhi Tourism Board bringing government and industry stakeholders together as equal partners. We are placing greater emphasis on MICE, the concert economy and spiritual and heritage tourism. On the MICE front, we are working towards establishing a dedicated convention bureau to attract more business events to the city. Platforms such as BLTM play an important role in this effort by bringing destinations, tourism boards, MICE planners and industry stakeholders together, creating opportunities for partnerships that can translate into tangible business for Delhi and contribute to India’s tourism growth.”
Sanjiv Agarwal, Chairman & CEO, Fairfest Media Limited said, “BLTM 2026 reflects the growing opportunity in India’s business travel and MICE market, and the increasing interest from destinations and suppliers looking to engage with Indian buyers. With strong international and domestic participation, a curated Hosted Buyer programme and thousands of pre-scheduled meetings, our focus this year is on enabling purposeful connections that translate into long-term business partnerships. As the industry evolves, BLTM continues to bring the right buyers, destinations and travel businesses together on one focused platform.”
The opening day saw buyers and exhibitors engage across MICE, corporate travel, group travel, destination weddings and leisure, with discussions centred on what destinations need to offer to win Indian business, how technology and human engagement are reshaping business events, and how MICE can deliver measurable business outcomes. The programme featured sessions including “Competing for the Indian MICE Market: What Makes a Destination Win?”, “Future Ready Business Events: Innovation, Technology and Human Connection” and “It’s Not a Holiday – Redesigning MICE for Real Business Outcomes.”
The strong international participation at BLTM comes as India’s MICE and business travel opportunity continues to expand, with rising demand for conferences, incentive travel, corporate meetings, destination weddings and premium group travel. BLTM cites India’s outbound MICE tourism market as projected to reach USD 13.4 billion by 2031, while the wider India MICE market was valued at USD 49.4 billion in 2024 and is projected to reach USD 103.7 billion by 2030, growing at a CAGR of 13%.
This growing opportunity is reflected in the participation at BLTM 2026, with Sri Lanka as the Partner Country, Israel as the Feature Country and Saint Petersburg as the Focus Destination. Delhi is the Host State, while Odisha and Goa are participating as Partner States and West Bengal, Punjab, and Tamil Nadu as Feature States. The event brings together tourism boards, hotels, resorts, travel companies, convention bureaux and destination management companies with Indian travel trade, corporate buyers, wedding planners and MICE specialists.
Rural tourism also has a dedicated presence at BLTM 2026, with initiatives showcasing rural homestays and authentic village experiences from Madhya Pradesh, Delhi NCR, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand. The initiative aims to connect rural tourism enterprises with the travel trade while highlighting local culture, traditional cuisine, handicrafts, nature-based experiences and sustainable livelihood opportunities for local communities.
BLTM’s appointment-led format is designed to turn this convergence into business opportunities, with pre-scheduled meetings, a Hosted Buyer programme and speed networking sessions connecting international suppliers with qualified Indian buyers across MICE, corporate travel, leisure, group travel and destination weddings.
BLTM Continues on 3 and 4 September
BLTM 2026 to continue on 3 and 4 September, with further B2B meetings and a programme of industry sessions and networking initiatives. Day 2 will feature “Business Session by NIMA – AI X MICE: From Event Tools to Intelligent Operations,” “WeddingSutra Engage: Travel and Destination Weddings 2027,” “The Future of MICE: AI, Experiences and New Markets,” the B2B Speed Networking Session and TIA Recharge 3.0. Day 3 will conclude with the Valedictory and Awards Function and the Responsible Tourism Awards by ICRT.
