On World Tourism Day, the Raipur marketplace will bring together grassroots tourism operators, national and international travel stakeholders, with a renewed focus on AI, technology and year-round industry learning.

The Central India Connect Marketplace 2026, presented by the Chhattisgarh Tourism Board in association with the Chhattisgarh Travel Trade Association (CGTTA), is set to return for its third edition on 27 September 2026 at Mayfair Lake Resort, Raipur, marking World Tourism Day with a renewed focus on technology, collaboration and stronger connections across the tourism ecosystem.

Entering its third year, Central India Connect is building on the foundation of its previous editions while expanding its role as a platform where travel and tourism stakeholders can connect, discover, collaborate and exchange knowledge.

A key focus of the 2026 edition is to create a stronger bridge between local tourism businesses operating at the grassroots level in Chhattisgarh and the wider national and international travel ecosystem.

BRIDGING LOCAL AND GLOBAL TOURISM

One of the distinctive aspects of Central India Connect is its effort to bring local ground operators into the mainstream travel trade.

The marketplace will bring together tourism stakeholders and operators working across different parts of Chhattisgarh, including Bastar, Surguja, Tatamari, Kawardha, Korba and Rajnandgaon, alongside participants and travel businesses connected to national and international destinations.

This creates a unique platform where local and global tourism stakeholders come together under one roof.

For operators working directly on the ground in Chhattisgarh — developing local experiences, managing destinations and offering tourism products and services — the marketplace provides an opportunity to showcase their work to a larger audience of travel professionals, destination representatives and potential business partners.

The larger objective is to bridge the gap between grassroots tourism and the mainstream travel industry, giving local businesses greater visibility and creating opportunities for their products and services to connect with the wider national and international tourism network.

A STRONGER FOCUS ON AI AND TECHNOLOGY

With the event being held on World Tourism Day, the 2026 edition is also placing a special focus on Artificial Intelligence and technology in tourism.

The initiative aims to encourage members of the travel trade to understand emerging technologies and explore practical ways in which AI and digital tools can contribute to their businesses, marketing efforts, customer engagement and overall operations.

Speaking about the third edition, its expanded vision and the focus on technology and AI, Ritesh Mundhra, Program Chairman, Central India Connect Marketplace 2026, said:

“This is the third year of Central India Connect, and this year we are looking at making it bigger and better while building on everything we have done in the previous editions. Since this edition coincides with World Tourism Day, we are also placing a strong focus on the use of AI and technology in tourism. We want to help our members understand and adopt technology in the best possible way, and explore how it can add value to their businesses.

At the same time, our focus remains on maintaining continuity and bringing everyone together so that stronger collaborations can happen across the industry. We are currently looking at bringing four to five partners from the technology space on board, along with a speaker who can share insights on AI and technology in tourism.

Importantly, we don’t want this conversation to end with the event. As an association, we are working towards creating regular learning opportunities throughout the year by collaborating with experts and speakers for sessions that can help our members stay updated, learn new technologies and continuously evolve with the industry.”

The technology focus is therefore intended to extend beyond the marketplace itself. CGTTA is looking at creating regular learning and knowledge-sharing opportunities throughout the year, allowing members to engage with experts and stay updated with developments shaping the travel industry.

A MARKETPLACE BUILT AROUND CONNECTIONS

At its core, Central India Connect continues to focus on creating meaningful interactions within the travel and tourism industry.

The 2026 edition will feature a dedicated B2B interaction and exhibition segment from 3:00 PM to 6:30 PM, followed by stage programmes from 7:00 PM to 9:30 PM.

The marketplace will provide exhibitors, travel agents, tour operators, destination representatives, hospitality businesses and other tourism stakeholders with an opportunity to interact directly, discover new products and destinations, exchange ideas and explore potential collaborations.

By bringing together businesses operating at different levels of the tourism ecosystem, the event aims to create opportunities for connections that may otherwise remain difficult for smaller or locally based operators to access.

LOOKING BEYOND A SINGLE EVENT

Another important objective for CGTTA this year is to ensure that the conversations initiated at Central India Connect continue throughout the year.

As technology changes the way travellers discover destinations, businesses market their services and tourism professionals interact with customers, continuous learning has become increasingly relevant to the travel trade.

The proposed sessions with technology professionals and industry experts will form part of a larger effort to create regular opportunities for members to learn, exchange ideas and adapt to the changing tourism landscape.

GROWING INDUSTRY PARTICIPATION

The 2026 edition is supported by a growing network of travel and tourism partners.

Tripjack joins Central India Connect Marketplace 2026 as the Main Sponsor.

The event’s Co-Sponsors, listed in alphabetical order, include:

1. Apoorva Tours & Treak
2. Halo Vacation
3. Imperial Getaways Tour LLP
4. Jagsons Travels Pvt. Ltd.
5. Luxury Holidays Asia Pvt. Ltd.
6. Phoenix Holidays & Resort
7. Predestination
8. Yatra Vacation

Yorker Holidays joins the marketplace as the Gifting Partner.

CENTRAL INDIA CONNECT MARKETPLACE 2026

27 September 2026 | World Tourism Day
3:00 PM onwards
Mayfair Lake Resort, Raipur

Presented by: Chhattisgarh Tourism Board
In Association with: Chhattisgarh Travel Trade Association (CGTTA)
Main Sponsor: Tripjack
Gifting Partner: Yorker Holidays

With its third edition, Central India Connect Marketplace 2026 seeks to bring together the many layers of the tourism ecosystem — from local ground operators and emerging businesses in Chhattisgarh to national and international travel stakeholders — while opening new conversations around AI, technology, knowledge-sharing and long-term collaboration. The larger vision is to connect the people, products, experiences and possibilities of Central India with a wider tourism ecosystem, creating greater visibility for local tourism businesses while strengthening opportunities for meaningful industry collaboration.