New York 1933: a bicycle tour arranged by John C. Dengler set the pace for a small company called Students International Travel Association. The company soon became popularly known by its acronym - SITA - and launched itself into the orbit of world travel. After resounding success in the U.S.A., SITA looked beyond the Atlantic to Europe and Asia, to India. In 1956 the Chairman Emeritus, Mr. Inder Sharma, set up the first office at New Delhi. SITA has since worked consistently to be known worldwide as a reliable and efficient Travel and Tourism Company with integrity and best-quality service.
What began with a staff of three people soon made remarkable progress. Foreseeing a policy of Indianisation, in 1963, SITA was converted into a private limited company under the guidelines of the Companies Act 1956 and came to be known as SITA World Travel (India) Pvt. Ltd. With the rapid growth of the incoming tours business, SITA took the initiative and started its first overseas office in Paris in 1972, followed by Milan, Frankfurt, London, New York, Stockholm, Barcelona and Lisbon. At the same time SITA extended its operations and services to include neighboring countries - Sri Lanka in 1982 and Nepal in 1984, where its offices make SITA the only agency with presence in three SAARC countries. In 1993, it became a fully owned Indian public limited company and came to be known as SITA World Travel (India) Ltd.
Between 1970 and 1994, the company achieved a spectacular growth rate. The foreign exchange earnings showed an impressive and unprecedented increase as well. This remarkable progress was the result of adhering to well-defined business principles and goals over the years as well as providing services backed by experience, network and reputation. A team of nearly 800 trained travel professionals offered round the clock service, throughout a vast network of 30 branch offices located at important tourist destinations in the region, with utmost dedication and commitment. Added to this was an overseas network of eight marketing offices and an excellent rapport with the Government as well as International & Domestic Airlines and Hotels. Being the biggest player in this industry helped SITA to enjoy very special rates with hotels all over India.
In 2000 Kuoni Travel Holding, a multi-national Travel Conglomerate based in Zurich, Switzerland, acquired a 100 percent stake in SITA World Travel (India) Ltd., and this merger resulted in the creation of India's largest travel company known as Kuoni Travel India Ltd.
SITA World Travel - Inbound Division is a part of Kuoni Travel India Ltd. The leading Destination Management Company in India, SITA has been handling incoming tourists to India from all over the world through a network of 30 offices in the region including associate offices in Nepal and Sri Lanka.
