Globe Connect India has commenced its five-city Maharashtra roadshow aimed at strengthening tourism partnerships, connecting emerging destination management companies (DMCs) with travel agents, and creating new business opportunities across the travel trade. The inaugural edition of the roadshow was held in Mumbai on June 15 at Hotel Peninsula Grand, Saki Naka, followed by the second event in Vashi on June 16 at Crescent Hotel. The third leg will take place in Pune on June 17 at Centurion Hotel, followed by Sambhaji Nagar on June 18 at IRA by Orchid, and concluding in Nashik on June 19 at 7 Apple Hotel.
The initiative is supported by the India Tourism Office Mumbai, Tripura Tourism, IRCTC, Maharashtra Tourism, and Gujarat Tourism.
The roadshow features 18 exhibitors from different parts of India, showcasing their travel products and services to a wider network of travel agents across Maharashtra. Many participating companies are new entrants in the market, including HRT Vacation Odisha, Stonewood Hotels, Rann Tent Resorts, and Kongdori Travels from Srinagar, offering them exposure to a larger distribution network.
The Globe Connect India initiative is led by organisers Dilip Sinha, Dharmendra Singh, and Divyang Bhavsar. The objective of the roadshow is to introduce new destination management companies (DMCs), strengthen industry relationships, and create new business opportunities within the travel and tourism sector.
TTJ was on ground at its Mumbai edition. Speaking to TTJ, Dilip Sinha highlighted the objective behind the initiative, stating that the platform is designed to connect the travel trade with new DMCs offering competitive packages with a strong focus on service quality.
He said, “We started with Maharashtra because we are locally based and it is a strong market for us. We launched in Mumbai and other key cities first due to the strong travel agent base to create awareness about our initiative. However, our aim is to expand into tier 2 and tier 3 cities in Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, and South India, and we intend to conduct these editions by the end of this year.”
He further added that smaller cities today are generating significant business opportunities, but local stakeholders often face challenges in networking and market access. Dilip Sinha also expressed appreciation for the support of participating sellers, noting their trust in the initiative. He added that Globe Connect India is also planning to onboard international DMCs in its upcoming events to further broaden opportunities for the travel trade.
Dharmendra Singh, co-organiser, highlighted the initiative’s focus on bridging the gap between DMC suppliers and local travel agents. He noted that many DMCs across India remain disconnected from regional travel trade networks and often rely on multiple intermediaries for business.
“Many DMC suppliers are not connected with local travel agents across different markets, so they book through various sources. Through this initiative, we are directly connecting them with end buyers, and for many sellers, this is the first time they are meeting agents in Maharashtra,” he said.
Dharmendra Singh added that the approach ultimately benefits travel agents and their clients by enabling better packages and competitive deals through reduced intermediaries. “At the end, travel agents and their clients get better packages and deals by eliminating various middlemen. There are many such DMCs across India, and we started with Maharashtra because many sellers see the state as a strong source market, but they have had no direct connection here,” he added.
Subrata Sharma, Assistant Exhibition Officer from Tripura Tourism, said that the state is participating in Mumbai for the first time to promote its tourism offerings and is happy to be part of the Globe Connect India Maharashtra roadshow.
He added that Tripura Tourism will be participating across all five roadshow destinations in Maharashtra. “The response has been very encouraging. It is a good platform to promote our state, and we are receiving several enquiries about Tripura. We are happy to be part of this initiative,” Subrata noted.
The Globe Connect India Maharashtra roadshow highlights a growing need for direct engagement between DMCs and travel agents. The initiative is successfully fostering collaboration, improving market access for new suppliers, and creating a stronger, more connected travel trade ecosystem across regional and emerging tourism markets.
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 with travel agents, and creating new business opportunities across the travel trade. The inaugural edition of the roadshow was held in Mumbai on June 15 at Hotel Peninsula Grand, Saki Naka, followed by the second event in Vashi on June 16 at Crescent Hotel. The third leg will take place in Pune on June 17 at Centurion Hotel, followed by Sambhaji Nagar on June 18 at IRA by Orchid, and concluding in Nashik on June 19 at 7 Apple Hotel.){kind=link}