It’s a great pleasure to see so many familiar & new faces here today. Looking out, I see savvy travel designers, distinguished hoteliers, leading destination management companies, super-hot destination tourism boards, and luxury lifestyle experts.

We have buyers joining from 15 cities across the country, with clients in over 60 Indian cities, and attendees who have flown in from more than 14 countries.

Together, we have a diverse community of luxury travel professionals, one that has worked tirelessly towards a commendable, common goal — to deliver unparalleled travel experiences and create memories of a lifetime for our discerning clients. I’d like to take this moment to acknowledge your amazing achievements.

Luxury Tribe may be a relatively new brand, but we have a strong spirit and stable vision, and I would like to share a little about these with you.

Let’s start with how my team and I journeyed to this point. We first planned to launch Luxury Tribe & ILLUME , in Singapore in 2020.

We all know what happened next, and due to the pandemic, we had no option to postpone our plans, and instead we decided to launch Luxury Tribe & ILLUME virtually in 2021.

Years ago, when all of this was just a little seed planted in my mind, this wasn’t how I had pictured Luxury Tribe evolving. But now I look back and am extremely proud that, even in the middle of the pandemic, we were able to conduct highly successful back-to-back virtual travel trade event.

Today, I am truly moved to host this event, something that I have been looking forward to for the last three years! As we all gather here in-person, we can continue the conversations, building relationships, and networking that we have done online for the past two years.

How about those two years, a period that many of us would rather forget? What a rollercoaster ride for the travel industry, a period of severe disruption, while we were in the middle of it, we weren’t sure it would ever end.

The pandemic threw challenges in our face, one after the other, and generated seismic shifts in behaviour of our customers. And yet, somehow, through a combination of resilience, innovation, and adaptability, we have embraced this new normal, and today, we are standing tall.

For now, let’s leave this past behind us, and grab the momentum that this event celebrates by looking forward. Let’s explore new horizons, seize upon new technologies, and tap into new markets.

Let’s look to create a future for travel that is sustainable, responsible, and, of course, profitable! And what better time to work with affluent Indian travellers than now.

According to a study in 2022 by Morgan Stanley ‘India is booming’. It is growing 5.5% annually, will be third largest economy in four years, and the third largest stock market by 2030.

And the Henley Global Citizens Report 2022 notes that the High-net-worth individual growth rate for India in the 10 years to 2031 will be 80%, compared to 20% for USA and just 10% for the UK. All the signs point to one thing — India, more now than ever, is brimming with possibilities.

Luxury Tribe India starts with the ILLUME today, which will explore the New Era of Luxury & Experiential Travel for Affluent Indian Customers.

It’s a topic that we are all deeply entrenched in, one that we all have expertise in, and yet one we can still learn much about from each other’s varied experiences.

Today, we kick off with six panel discussions, probing subjects such as the future of luxury travel, marketing and branding strategies, sustainability and social responsibility, and the future of India’s luxury travel market.

Each panel comprises of experts in the respective fields who will be able to offer unique insights and perspectives today. On the second and third day, we have pre-scheduled one-to-one appointments for the registered delegates.

These appointments represent unmatched opportunities for you to exchange ideas, better understand client profiles, and showcase the offerings that you curate specifically for the Indian affluent market.

These three days comprehensively showcase the three pillars of Luxury Tribe — sharing of knowledge and trends, our travel ILLUME, the forums to network and connect through one-on-one meetings.

What is important to understand as we all build relationships and lasting connections, is that quality always trumps quantity — it’s not about how many people you meet, but about who you meet.

By carefully selecting attendees, Luxury Tribe is able to address the needs of international suppliers — with a fast-track introduction to the Indian market through the intelligence shared in ILLUME — and buyers, who will benefit from the knowledge sessions with a focus on how to expand and grow your business.

As this event has evolved and grown in ways that bring a smile to my face. I am also excited to announce that our media publication, World Travel Magazine, will launch an Indian edition in May this year. Our Magazine’s India edition launch is of great personal pride.

Since 2013, we have published and printed Southeast Asia’s leading luxury travel and lifestyle publication, World Travel Magazine, in Singapore, distributing it to readers throughout Southeast Asia.

The addition of this dedicated Indian edition expands the platform, and our footprint, into Asia’s fastest growing consumer market. The first edition of this print and digital quarterly, covering the months May to July, will hit newsstands and bookstores very soon! So keep your eyes out.

Wait, there is more good news. We will be organising an Autumn/Winter edition of Luxury Tribe in Q4 this year, It will be held in the Middle East, the exact dates and location will be announced next month.

Of course, none of this would be possible without my team, who has worked with enthusiasm and vigour, to bring this event to life. Without their hard work and dedication, Luxury Tribe would not be possible, I am eternally grateful to all of them.

I would like to express my sincerest thanks to Leela Hotel, Jaipur, for providing us with this stunning venue – Thank you Sharad, Thank you Rajat & the entire team of Leela Jaipur.

And a big thanks to all our partners who have helped us put together this amazing event. And lastly, I would like to express my gratitude to all of you, the delegates who have joined us — from all over the world.

Your support and encouragement have inspired me and given me great strength to take this venture forward, to make Luxury Tribe an ongoing marketplace for Indian luxury travel.

Your presence here is living proof of the strength of our community, and the importance of bringing like-minded people together. It is you, with your industry intelligence, infectious energy, and willingness to collaborate, that really drive Luxury Tribe.

I look forward to reflecting on the amazing results that this event will produce. I sincerely hope that you have an effective, and most importantly enjoyable, three days.

Thank you all once again.

Sheetal Rastogi, Founder – Luxury Tribe

The Leela Palace, Jaipur

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