Etihad & Jet sign tourism agreement with Maharashtra
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Etihad Airways and Jet Airways have signed a ground breaking agreement with the Government of Maharashtra to promote tourism to the western Indian state. The partnership will enable both airlines to capitalise on their strong links with Maharashtra and further propel domestic and international arrivals into Mumbai and beyond. It is the first time an Indian state has signed a tourism collaboration agreement with the airline sector.
Devendra Fadnavis, Chief Minister of Maharashtra, presided over the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding in Mumbai yesterday. The agreement was signed by Valsa Nair Singh, Principal Secretary, Tourism and Culture, Government of Maharashtra; Neerja Bhatia, Etihad Airways Vice President Indian Subcontinent; and Jayaraj Shanmugam, Jet Airways Chief Commercial Officer.
Under the agreement, the three entities will pool marketing resources to participate in travel-trade events in key international markets such as the UK and the UAE; jointly promote ‘Destination Maharashtra’ through advertising campaigns; and organise inbound familiarisation trips for media and travel agents.
Etihad Airways and Jet Airways together operate five flights a day between Abu Dhabi – the UAE carrier’s operational hub – and Maharashtra’s main international gateway of Mumbai with domestic connections across the country. In addition, Jet Airways flies daily between Maharashtra’s second largest city of Pune and Abu Dhabi.
Commenting on the association, Jaykumar Rawal, Minister of Tourism, Government of Maharashtra, said: “We are honoured to welcome this opportunity to strengthen our cooperation with Etihad Airways and Jet Airways. This MoU is the beginning of a strategic partnership with two leading and most important international airlines to attract as many international tourists as possible. Together, we can create benefits for travellers and shareholders. Our aim is to jointly put in place the best strategies and practices to increase Maharashtra’s marketing footprint and position it as the most preferred destination.”
Valsa Nair Singh, added: “This is a landmark agreement that will provide valuable support for Maharashtra Tourism’s global campaigns and marketing activities, as well as some of the industry’s most important trade and business events. This unique and important partnership between Maharashtra Tourism, Etihad Airways and Jet Airways will boost the state’s image exponentially.”
James Hogan, Etihad Aviation Group President and Chief Executive Officer, said: “Being part of one of the world’s largest economies, Maharashtra has plenty to offer business and leisure travellers. We are therefore delighted to expand our links to promote tourism to this vibrant state, which we have been serving with dedicated flights for 13 years.