Visit London hails Indian convention as "perfect showcase"

Visit London has flagged the Convention of the Travel Agents Association of India (TAAI) - taking place in the capital next week - as the "perfect opportunity to showcase London and Britain to the travellers of tomorrow".

This will be the TAAI's 57th convention and represents the first time the influential association has taken the event outside Asia. The TAAI represents over 2,500 Indian travel agents and India as a country is expected to generate 60 million outbound travellers by 2020. Visit London forecasts spend from Indian visitors is set to increase by more than 50% to £229m between now and the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Visit London chief executive James Bidwell said: "Hosting this congress is a tremendous win. As new destinations continue to grow and emerging economies rise, London and Britain need to adapt to the changing mix of visitors. India is an important market for London and it is critical that we are able to influence the opinion-formers of their travel industry."