According to the organiser, the partnership comes off the back of India’s $300 million investment in developing its tourism infrastructure – with the aim of attracting more than 13 million visitors to the destination by 2020.

WTM London will take place between November 7-9 at the city’s ExCel centre, during which India’s Ministry of Tourism are due to meet with WTM Buyers’ Club members from the country’s “key source markets” including the US, UK, China, Australia, France, Germany, Canada and Spain.

Secretary for the Ministry of Tourism Vinod Zutshi said India was “privileged” to be working with WTM - adding that the event was the “perfect platform” for the destination to promote itself. 

“There is an ever-increasing amount of new and exciting products to educate the world’s leading buyers about. WTM London is an event when the Indian tourism stakeholders get to meet the world’s buyers and sign business agreements. The Ministry of Tourism and the Indian exhibitors look forward to a very successful WTM London 2016,” Zutshi said.

Senior director of WTM London, Simon Press, added: “WTM London is delighted to welcome India as its premier partner for 2016. India has been a key exhibitor at WTM London in recent years, including its sponsorship of the WTM Buyers’ Club in 2015.

“Becoming WTM London’s premier partner cements that relationship further and puts India in prime position to promote the diversity of the country’s tourism offering to more than 9,000 of the world’s most important buyers through the WTM Buyers’ Club. These buyers will sign deals worth more than £2.5 billion with exhibitors.”