Category Archives: Associations

Looking to establish Delhi as a prime tourist destination, PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry, in association with Delhi Tourism, held an interactive conference at the PHD House, New Delhi. The deliberations focused on the various OUVs (Outstanding Universal Values) that the city possesses and the various measures, including policy matters, that are needed to bring forth Delhi as a destination rich in history, culture and various forms of art, as well as a political and business destination. Speaking at the occasion, Guest of Honour, Manish Sisodia, Deputy Chief Minister and Minister for Tourism, Art, Culture and Language, Government of Delhi, said, “Tourism is not just about successful branding; we need massive collaborations to create, manage and sell efficiently. The impetus should be on creating circuits, infrastructure and activities to extend the average length of stay of a tourist.” From adding dimensions in order to better practice heritage conservation to introducing a heritage-centric strategy to reinvent the ecosystem of the city, the conference discussed about a makeover of the city that would augment tourism in the city and strengthen the overall economic framework of the city in the process. The forum also laid stress on the need for more result-oriented heritage projects and for synergies to be created between private and public players to establish the image of Delhi as a modernised city rooted in the history and culture of its people.

Travel Agents Federation of India (TAFI) has announced Turkey as the venue for its next convention, which will be held from October 27-31, 2017. The 4-night, 5-day convention is planned to be held at two different locations in Turkey and entail pre- and post-convention tours for the delegates, according to an official document released by the association. However, their names have still not been announced.

Skål International Delhi has surpassed Skål International Istanbul to become the largest club in the world; this was announced by Sunil Ghadiok, President, Skål International Delhi. With a current membership sitting of 229 members, the Club is targeting a total membership count of close to 300 by the end of the calendar year. Commenting on the this accomplishment, Ghadiok exclaimed, “It’s not so much about being the largest club in terms of membership rather it’s about bringing value to the members of the club both in terms of professional and personal aspects of their life”. He also added that the club will be starting various initiatives along with making efforts into bringing in the younger generation to further substantiate the Delhi club.

In the framework of the International Year on Sustainable Tourism for Development, 2017, the World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) is launching a consumer-oriented campaign aimed at raising awareness of the value and contribution that sustainable tourism can make towards development. The ‘Travel.Enjoy.Respect’ campaign wants to engage tourists in making the sector a catalyst for positive change. The main message of the campaign is summarised by the UNWTO Secretary-General, Taleb Rifai: “Whenever you travel, wherever you travel, remember to: respect nature, respect culture, and respect your host. You can be the change you want to see in the world. You can be an ambassador for a better future. Travel, Enjoy and Respect.” The campaign, which will run in various languages and outlets around the world, includes a manual of ‘Tips for a Responsible Traveller’, developed by the World Committee on Tourism Ethics in line with the UNWTO Global Code of Ethics for Tourism. The manual provides travellers with a set of recommendations to help them make responsible choices when travelling and have a positive impact on the destinations they visit. “Today more than ever, ensuring that tourism is an enriching experience for visitors and hosts alike demands strong, sustainable tourism policies and practices and the engagement of national, as well as local, governments and administrations, private sector companies, local communities and tourists themselves,” added Rifai. The message will reach consumers through campaign supporters including among others CNN International, the Government of Andorra, the Madrid City Council, Iberia, the Spanish National Railways System (Renfe), Minube, PR MEDIACO, Cleverdis and Air Mauritius. Destinations and companies from around the world are invited to join the campaign and celebrate the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development …

FICCI along with the Department of Tourism, Government of Odisha, organised a roadshow in Delhi to inform the various stakeholders of the tourism and hospitality industry about the upcoming Odisha Travel Bazaar (OTB) to be held at Bhubaneswar from October 15-17. Dr. Jyotsna Suri, Chairperson, FICCI Tourism Committee and CMD, The Lalit Suri Hospitality Group, informed that OTB, FICCI’s maiden show in Odisha will be modeled on the lines of the Great Indian Travel Bazaar (GITB) conducted annually in Rajasthan. “At Odisha Travel Bazaar, as many as 40 foreign tour operators from 19 countries; 10 top of the line inbound operators and wedding planners and 20 leading domestic tour operators from across India will be participating as hosted buyers. The tourism fraternity of Odisha comprising of hotels and tour operators will be promoting the tourism products of Odisha as sellers,” she said. Ashok Chandra Panda, Minister of Tourism and Culture, Government of Odisha, addressed the stakeholders and informed them about the various achievements of the state in terms of tourism and also discussed the various projects open for investment in the state. He said, “I invite all travel trade associations to host their conventions and other events in Odisha. It is important that the travel trade looks beyond the usual regions and focuses on the Eastern part of India to market and promote it as a favourable destination for inbound and domestic tourism.” Other dignitaries present at the roadshow included Dr. Nitin Bhanudas Jawale, Director and Additional Secretary, Department of Tourism, Govt. of Odisha; J. K. Mohanty, Chairman-Tourism Panel, FICCI Odisha State Council and CMD, Swosti Group; Dr. A Didar Singh, Secretary General, FICCI and Rahul Chakravarty, Consultant, FICCI. Representatives …

Indian Association of Tour Operators (IATO) will be having its 2018 convention in Andhra Pradesh. Pronab Sarkar, President, IATO, said, “The 2018 convention of IATO will be held in Andhra Pradesh. However, the city and the venue for the same has not been decided as yet.” Currently, IATO is geared for its 33rd Convention, which is to be held from September 7-10, 2017 in Bhubaneswar, Odisha, and expected to see members and delegates in big numbers.

PATA India Chapter has launched an upgraded website www.pataindia.org packed with dynamic features and graphics. The website was launched at the office of Ministry of Tourism by Joint Secretary Suman Billa in the presence of all Executive Committee members following the 235th EC meeting of PATA India. A presentation was given by Jatinder Taneja, Hon. Secretary, PATA India Chapter, where he informed that the website is CMS-based compatible with desktops, smartphones and tablets such as iPad, etc. He said, the website data is well aligned and informative with member information, and event catalogue. The upgraded website has a well-structured homepage with recent and upcoming ‘Events’ section. Ministry of Tourism website is hyperlinked on the homepage for relevant updates. The updated homepage, loaded with attractive graphics, will soon hyperlink member website to add value to membership and hasa new ‘Members’ section with brief profile

This year’s World Tourism Day, to held on September 27, will focus on Sustainable Tourism – a Tool for Development. Celebrated in line with the 2017 International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development, the Day will be dedicated to exploring the contribution of tourism to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The official celebrations of World Tourism Day 2017 will be held in Qatar, as decided by the UNWTO General Assembly. “Last year alone, 1.235 million travellers crossed international borders in one single year. By 2030, this 1.2 billion will become 1.8 billion. The question, as we celebrate World Tourism Day 2017, is how we can enable this powerful global transformative force, these 1.8 billion opportunities, to contribute to make this world a better place and to advance sustainable development in all its three pillars. This World Tourism Day, whenever you travel, wherever you travel, remember to respect nature, respect culture and respect your host,” said UNWTO Secretary-General Taleb Rifai. The event will be structured around two sessions, focused on ‘Tourism as a driver of economic growth’, and ‘Tourism and the Planet: committed to a greener future’. In addition, a high-level think tank will be conducted with the aim of opening the debate on the potential of the sector to enhance cultural preservation and mutual understanding. On the Agenda will also be the presentation of the Qatar National Tourism Sector Strategy, which advances sustainable approaches. The initiative is aligned with the Qatar National Vision 2030, which focuses on Economic, Social and Human Development and prioritizes tourism as a catalyst to progress towards a more diversified economy.

The Kerala Travel Mart (KTM) Society has expressed serious concern over high rates of taxation under the new GST regime, saying it would stifle the tourism business in the country by making it unsustainable and drive away the foreign tourists to destinations other than India. A KTM delegation, led by President Abraham George along with Prof KV Thomas, MP, held meetings with Union Tourism Minister Dr. Mahesh Sharma, Tourism Secretary Rashmi Sharma, the GST Council Chairperson and officials of the Union Finance Ministry and GST Council, drawing their attention to the serious anomalies in the GST, which would throw the tourism industry into a major crisis. The delegation included Riaz Ahmed, past president of KTM and Jobin Jose, who represented the houseboat industry. “The high incidences of taxes will make India uncompetitive when it comes to tourism as international tourists will skip the country as a destination. There is almost a 19 per cent tax hike for an Indian product after the implementation of GST. The Centre should address the issue urgently,” said KTM president Abraham George. The industry has already been reeling under the impact of demonetisation and liquor ban on highways, he said, adding that implementation of GST has also started adversely impacting the business. KTM has also shot off a memorandum to Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, pointing out that that ‘the new GST structure is the highest in the world’ and is ‘seriously affecting the sustainability of tourism business.’ In the memorandum, the KTM president appealed to the Centre to reduce the tax for hotels from 28 per cent to 18 per cent, substantially bring down the tax on houseboats and declare tax holiday for inbound …

Skål India has a new focus area. It will look to Young Skål club for its next wave of growth. Informing this is Partha Chatterjee, President, Skål Mumbai who said, “Skål India has now crossed 1,000 member mark with Nikita Dossa – who is a Young Skål member – as its 1001st member from Bombay Skål Club. Most of the Skål clubs in India are now promoting Young Skål, with events structured specifically for them. This is because we expect the next area of membership growth will be from Young Skål.”