The Indian Association of Tour Operators (IATO) held an interactive luncheon meeting on April 29, 2024, at The Park Hotel, New Delhi. The discussions revolved around key issues, several crucial aspects, and developments within the association.
The meeting started with Sanjay Razdan, Hon. Secretary, IATO, leading a moment of silence to honour the late Shri Avinash Anand, former President of IATO and former MD of Sita Travel and a revered figure in the travel industry. Sanjay further expressed gratitude to members for their dedication to promoting tourism in India, affirming IATO’s commitment to delivering results for its members.
Strengthening Membership Across India
On his part, Rajiv Mehra, President of IATO, welcomed attendees, highlighting IATO’s achievements and ongoing efforts to serve its members. Mehra invited valuable suggestions to enhance IATO’s services for members, announcing a continued membership drive to bolster the association nationwide, with an emphasis on increasing members in states and union territories with fewer members. These include Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Chandigarh, Dadra and Nagar Haveli, Daman and Diu, Jammu and Kashmir, Jharkhand, Ladakh, Lakshadweep, the North East States, Odisha, Puducherry, Sikkim, and Uttarakhand. To facilitate this, IATO has reduced the admission fee for these states from Rs. 10,000 to Rs. 5,000 until the target is met. Moreover, a special 25 per cent discount on the admission fee is available for all new applicants who apply for membership before September 30, 2024. Currently, IATO boasts 1800+ members and aims to surpass 2000 members by March 31, 2025.
39th IATO Annual Convention, 2024
Mehra informed the members that on April 15, 2024, the managing committee had met with the Honourable Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh, Dr. Mohan Yadav. The 39th IATO Annual Convention, slated for August 30 to September 02, 2024, in Bhopal, has been confirmed, with a circular already issued. The Chief Minister graciously agreed to inaugurate the convention, pledging full support from his office and the Madhya Pradesh Tourism Board. The team also met Sheo Shekhar Shukla, Principal Secretary of Tourism, and other MPTB members to finalise convention dates, venues, hotels, post-tours, and other logistical details.
Safeguarding Members
It should be recalled that the Rajasthan Tourism Development Corporation (RTDC) has given the contract to M/s. Cube Construction Limited for the operation of Palace on Wheels in 2023. RTDC has issued attached guidelines for promoting and marketing Palace on Wheels on January 22, 2024. However, few instances have come to light of IATO’s knowledge of the illegal and unauthorised use of the name of the Palace on Wheels as a domain name and its logo, thereby misguiding potential guests to assume that the Palace on Wheels is owned or operated by them. In this regard, court cases have been filed against a few IATO members, and IATO is taking legal advice on the same. Mehra attempted to settle the cases out of court, but RTDC expressed an inability to withdraw them. IATO explored challenging the guidelines and informed members to review the circulated guidelines. Mehra held meetings with affected members and IATO’s legal advisor, aiming to challenge the guidelines and safeguard members’ interests. The Rajasthan government’s intervention is sought to resolve the matter.
Inbound Tourism: Call for Action
IATO has addressed concerns to V. Vidyavathi (IAS), Secretary Tourism, Govt. of India, regarding a 97 per cent reduction in the overseas promotion budget, stressing the need for increased allocation. The Ministry of Tourism is considering IATO’s suggestions for international road shows, pending approval from the Hon’ble Tourism Minister. However, the association thanked the Ministry of Tourism for setting up an excellent India Pavilion at ITB Berlin 2024 but noted limited foreign tourist interest due to insufficient promotion of Incredible India. IATO has also requested the restart of electronic and print advertisements and events abroad in coordination with Indian embassies, high commissions, and consulates, emphasising the need to boost inbound tourism. Inbound tourism was yet to be fully revived, and it was needed to market India’s tourism products like Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Singapore, Vietnam, etc were doing it.
IATO’s Advocacy and Other Initiatives
IATO also addressed challenges with helicopter bookings for Kedarnath and Chardham Yatra to Sachin Kurve, Secretary, Tourism and Civil Aviation, Uttarakhand, proposing booking systems similar to rail tickets, with reservations for seniors and foreign tourists. They advocated for well-planned roadshows by the Ministry of Tourism for 2024–25. Additionally, IATO tackled ticketing issues for Gondola rides in Gulmarg, securing temporary arrangements while pushing for permanent solutions within 8 to 10 days.
In a meeting with Ravi Gosain, Vice President, IATO, the DG Tourism at MoT highlighted the initiation of a social media global campaign from ATM Dubai. Mehra also emphasised the crucial role of IATO members in promoting India’s tourism by spending from their own pockets.
On International Women’s Day, IATO organised a workshop for female members and staff to foster awareness about pertinent issues affecting their personal and professional spheres. The workshop topics were “Discreet Use of Social Media for Women and POSH: Safety and Security for Women in the Workplace.” Many IATO members attended the workshop. Additionally, special rates have been secured for members at various hotels, including ITC Hotels, Sterling Hotels and Resorts, The Leela Palaces Hotels and Resorts, Hyatt Place Bodh Gaya, Hotel Temple Tree, Shirdi, Fortune Park Hotels, and Woods at Sasan Gir, valid until March 31, 2025. The Taj Hotel rates are valid until September 30, 2024, and IATO is looking forward to an extension.
Viney Tyagi, Joint Secretary of IATO, expressed gratitude for members’ support in advocating for tourism industry issues. He highlighted IATO’s efforts across various fronts, including advocacy, events like the Heritage Food Walk and Yoga Day, and participation in international travel marts. Tyagi emphasised perseverance in overcoming challenges and wished all success in their endeavours. Mehra urged committees that have not convened their meetings yet to schedule them promptly.
New Insights from Industry Leaders
The agenda for the interactive luncheon meeting included updates by Rahul Chanana from Payglocal Technologies on foreign exchange solutions and an update from Manish Puri, Head of Global Sales at Air India. Rahul Chanana delivered a presentation on seamless cross-border payment acceptance, followed by a Q&A session. Subsequently, Manish Puri provided updates on the airline’s future plans, including new destinations and refurbished aircraft operations.
