Category Archives: Associations

In light of India’s firm response to terrorism and the recent terror attack targeting Indian tourists in Kashmir, the Indian Chamber of Commerce, through its Tourism Committee, stands in firm solidarity with the Government of India and the Indian Armed Forces in their calibrated and resolute response. Dr. Subhash Goyal, Chairman, Tourism Committee, Indian Chamber of Commerce, says, “We salute our Armed Forces, and various other agencies within the Government, working under the strong leadership of our PM  Narendra Modi, on the success of Operation Sindoor.  We also salute the citizens of the border areas for showing bravery and cooperation. With  great pride we proved to the world that we are a strong, undivided country and will not tolerate any kind of terrorism on our soil. We all are together in our fight against terrorism of all kinds.” He adds that the Indian Chamber of Commerce joins the tourism associations and industry bodies in demanding a boycott of countries like Turkiye and Azerbaijan, following their stand against India’s response to terrorism. “Tourism is a force for good and a driver of peace, global harmony and international understanding. The safety and integrity of our citizens has to be prioritised above all else. There is so much beauty in the world, we appeal to Indians traveling overseas to choose destinations that are safe, promote peace and are aligned with India’s commitment against terrorism and separatist activities,” Dr Goyal says.  

Talking about the upcoming Air Transport Summit that will be held in Delhi in June, Willie Walsh, IATA’s Director General, said, “Those gathering for the event will be impressed. India’s place in global aviation has changed dramatically over the last decade. With record aircraft orders, impressive growth, and world-class infrastructure developments, India is firmly established as the fourth largest market (domestic & international) for aviation in the world. And within this decade IATA’s own projections point to India rising to be the third largest.”

Sunil Kumar, President, TAAI, said, “We are planning to do our convention in the Q3 or Q4 of this year.” Speaking about the travel and tourism situation of Jammu and Kashmir, he noted that they invested so much in promoting the UT in Kashmir during 2018, which gave it a premier tourism status. He regretted that the current developments have diluted the returns that came in as a result of years of effort.

IATO team led by Ravi Gosain, President met Pravati Parida, Deputy Chief Minister and Tourism Minister of Odisha, to invite her for the 40th IATO Annual Convention scheduled to be held from 22nd to 25th August 2025 at Swosti Premium Spa & Resorts, Puri. Odisha. IATO delegation included Sanjay Razdan – Vice President, Rajiv Mehra – Immediate Past President, J.K. Mohanty – Chairman, IATO Eastern Region and Gagan Sarangi – Chairman, IATO Odisha Chapter and met the Hon’ble Deputy Chief Minister. Gosain informed that the Deputy Chief Minister gave her consent to join for the convention and assured her full support and also from the Directorate of Tourism, Govt. of Odisha and OTDC. She also mentioned that special arrangements with seamless entry will be made for the IATO delegates to visit Lord Jagannath Temple and beautification of Puri Beach during the convention. She also agreed to our request to host IATO Delegates at Odisha Tourism Development Corporation properties for the post- convention tours. After the meeting, IATO delegation met Mansi Nimbhal, Director (Tourism), Govt. of Odisha to invite for the convention and to seek her support, who assured her full support for the convention. With the support from Odisha Tourism, the 40th IATO Annual Convention is going to be held from 22nd to 25th August 2025 in Puri, Odisha. Odisha is the host state of the convention and besides the host state, we expect Ministry of Tourism and Government of India and 15-18 states presence in the convention. Swosti Premium Beach Resort, Puri will be the venue hotel and all the activities on all the three days i.e. registration for the convention, inaugural function, business sessions and evening programme will …

FHRAI has signed an MoU with the CUTS Institute for Regulation & Competition (CIRC) to launch a legal and compliance course tailored for the hospitality industry. K Shyama Raju, President, FHRAI, said, “Understanding the law is no longer optional; it’s a necessity.” The 8-week course aims to equip hoteliers, restaurateurs, and hospitality professionals with practical knowledge to tackle regulatory challenges.

Outlining his vision to expand the association’s global footprint by forging partnerships with international tourism boards and organisations, Ravi Gosain, President, Indian Association of Tour Operators (IATO), said, “We want IATO to grow into a truly international organisation. Whenever anyone is looking to do business with India, they should consider our members as their first choice.”

Amid the India-Pakistan tensions, to restore confidence and trust in tourism once again, MP Bezbaurah, Secretary General, HAI, suggested that for tourism to flourish in future as an instrument creating employment for the people and wealth for the country, trust and confidence needed to be restored in the law enforcing agencies to provide safety and security.

The Federation of Hotel & Restaurant Associations of India (FHRAI) and The Hotel And Restaurant Association (Western India) – HRAWI in association with the Morarji Desai National Institute of Yoga (MDNIY) under the Ministry of Ayush, Government of India, have announced Yogotsav, a special Yoga programme as part of the 100-day countdown to International Day of Yoga (IDY) 2025. The event will take place on 10th May 2025 at the Radisson Blu Resort in Goa Cavelossim Beach, from 6:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. The initiative is a part of a nationwide effort to promote the principles of holistic wellness, mental well-being and mindfulness in the hospitality sector and beyond. The session will be guided by experienced yoga practitioners appointed by MDNIY and is open to all hospitality professionals and wellness enthusiasts. “We cordially invite hospitality establishments to nominate participants for this enriching experience and look forward to enthusiastic participation from the fraternity to make the event a grand success,” says Mr Jimmy Shaw, President, HRAWI.

Reacting to the recent Indian air strike on Pakistan following the Palghar attack, IATO President Rajiv Mehra said, “This was expected and tourism is always the first to be hit. However, I don’t think the impact will last long. Today is May 7 and by this weekend, things should normalise.” He added that sightseeing tours continue as usual, barring disruptions near closed airports in a few border states.

Federation of Associations in Tourism and Hospitality (FAITH) is set to hold the National Tourism Conclave on 4 – 5 June in New Delhi. Puneet Chhatwal, Chairman, FAITH, said, “The two-day conclave will discuss the tourism roadmap for 2030, which will serve as the building block for a $3 trillion tourism economy by 2047, aligned to the vision of Viksit Bharat, as envisaged by the Prime Minister of India.”