Category Archives: Associations

FHRAI’s 54th Annual Convention will be inaugurated by Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, Minister for Tourism, GoI from 16-18 October. The theme of this year’s three-day convention is “Tourism @2047: Incredible to Inevitable India”. The event focuses on driving sustainable growth and innovation in India’s tourism sector.

KB Kachru, President, HAI, said, “The forthcoming Union Budget offers an opportunity to unleash the potential of India hospitality in its contribution to India Vision 2047. We request the government to make key policy shifts in the sector by giving infrastructure status to hotels rather than categorising them as luxury, elite or even ‘sin’ goods”.

Expressing their dismay against the proposal of 2 per cent sustainability fee, TTAG wrote to Goa’s Tourism Department stating, “Imposition of 2 per cent levy on every invoice will adversely affect our competitiveness and the compliance burden will increase. No other tourism destination in India’s inbound market levies such a fee.”

Rajiv Mehra, President, IATO said, “We requested the Prime Minister for financial support to be provided to tour operators based on their foreign exchange earnings. Additionally, we urged the Ministry of Commerce, Government of India, to allocate a budget of rupees ₹1,000 crore or more for the revival of incoming tourism.”

Rajiv Mehra, President, IATO said, “We requested the Prime Minister for financial support to be provided to tour operators based on their foreign exchange earnings. Additionally, we urged the Ministry of Commerce, Government of India, to allocate a Unof rupees ₹1000 crore or more for the revival of incoming tourism.”

According to a new WTTC report, India’s travel and tourism sector has recovered significantly with domestic tourism playing a pivotal role but international travel spend continues to remain below pre-Covid levels. Consulting firm McKinsey and Company had earlier projected that India will become the fourth-largest domestic travel market in terms of spending by 2030.

OTOAI had a follow-up meeting with Suman Billa, Addl. Secretary, Tourism after heads of travel trade associations met new Union Minister of Tourism. “We have been assured that the ministry will take our issues. We will meet again to discuss how outbound tourism is benefiting inbound tourism,” said Riaz Munshi, President, OTOAI.

Speaking about the suggestions HAI proposed to the MOT, KB Kachru, Chairman Emeritus & Principal Advisor, South Asia, Radisson Hotel Group (RHG), and President, HAI, said, “Government has to tweak some of the policies, particularly to give infrastructure status to the tourism sector, and for talent development.”

Following the 39th IATO Convention, Madhya Pradesh aims to claim the top spot in India’s tourism, under the guidance of Sheo Shekhar Shukla, MD of State Tourism Board. Highlighting the preparedness for 1,000 inbound operators, Mahendra Pratap Singh, Chairman, IATO MP Chhattisgarh Chapter, expressed belief that they will achieve the target.

UN Tourism Secretary-General, Zurab Pololikashvili, stressed the need to embrace innovation and grow and direct investment into the sector in order to drive its positive transformation. “With tourism having bounced back from the biggest crisis in its history, now is the time to channel our energy into building greater resilience against any future shocks,” he said. “At the same time, we must ensure tourism’s growth benefits people everywhere, above all by expanding access to education and job opportunities and harnessing the power of new technology.”