Los Angeles Tourism appoints first-ever regional director for Indian market
Los Angeles Tourism & Convention Board is deepening its foothold in the Indian market with the appointment of Seema Kadam as it’s first-ever Regional Director, India. In 2018, Los Angeles welcomed 130,000 visitors from India, an increase of 5.1% making India the third-highest year-over-year international growth market for Los Angeles.
In her role, Kadam will develop and support air service for Los Angeles International Airport, spearhead strategic travel trade engagement including the implementation of a robust training program, using the L.A. Insider Program; and attend key industry trade shows in the region.
“We established a travel trade presence in India several years ago through Sartha Marketing, which introduced Los Angeles to the industry. The time is now right to deepen our engagement. India holds such vast potential for Los Angeles and appointing a full-time, regional director to oversee all of our tourism activity is a natural evolution of our commitment to the market,” stated Kathryn Smits, Vice President, Tourism for Los Angeles Tourism. “Seema’s most recent experience with DMOs have her well-positioned to be successful in this new role.”
On her newly appointed role, Kadam stated, “I am thrilled to have the opportunity to work with the travel fraternity in India, to showcase the diversity and depth of experiences that destination Los Angeles has to offer. With over 25 years in the Indian travel industry, I anticipate that this new role is most likely going to be the most exciting and challenging chapter yet. I am eagerly looking forward to utilizing my knowledge and experience to contribute to the destination’s business goals. It is an honour to be representing a destination like Los Angeles that promotes values like cultural diversity and inclusivity which connect strongly with me personally.”
Kadam, who graduated from Mumbai University, also holds a diploma in Standard and Advanced Travel Management. Over the course of her career, she has worked with leading Indian travel players like Thomas Cook India, Kuoni Travels India, Finnair Plc, Switzerland Tourism and Tourism Fiji. In addition to her exceptional pan-India travel network created over the years, Seema is also skilled at establishing and implementing strategies that are business-driven and result-oriented. With her strong product knowledge and business development strengths, she is aptly empowered to navigate any micro or macro challenges during her tenure.