Category Archives: Associations

PATA India has launched the First ever PATA India Tourism Impact Contest. The contest aims to bring into focus, what industry stakeholders feel, impacts their business growth, development and future outlook. Participants have to prioritise issues impacting their business and share one new and innovative BIG Difference IDEA. Three winners will get cash prizes, up to Rs. 25, 000/-. The contest closes on 15th August 2022.

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) expressed concern that a premature return to pre-pandemic slot use rules in the EU this winter risks continuing disruption to passengers. The European Commission has announced it intends to return to the longstanding 80-20 slot use rule, which requires airlines to operate at least 80% of every planned slot sequence. Global slot rules are an effective system for managing access to and the use of scarce capacity at airports. The system has stood the test of time and while airlines are keen to restart services, the failure of several key airports to accommodate demand, coupled with increasing air traffic control delays, means a premature return to the 80-20 rule could lead to further passenger disruption. The evidence so far this summer has not been encouraging. Airports had the 2022 summer season schedules and final slot holdings in January and didn’t evaluate how to manage this in time. Airports declaring that full capacity is available and then requiring airlines to make cuts this summer shows the system is not ready for reviving “normal” slot use this winter season (which begins at end of October). “The chaos we have seen at certain airports this summer has occurred with a slot use threshold of 64%. We are worried that airports will not be ready in time to service an 80% threshold by the end of October. It is essential the Member States and Parliament adjust the Commission’s proposal to a realistic level and permit flexibility to the slot use rules. Airports are equal partners in the slot process, let them demonstrate their ability to declare and manage their capacity accurately and competently and then restore the slot …

Rajiv Mehra, President, IATO, has said that the 37th IATO Annual Convention, which was scheduled to be held in Bangalore from 15th to 18th September 2022 has been called off due to unavoidable circumstances arising out of the withdrawal of support by the Karnataka Tourism in spite of giving written confirmation for hosting the convention in Bangalore. Mehra informed that all arrangements made for the convention in Bangalore have been cancelled due to this development which are beyond our control. IATO had booked 400 rooms at Hotel Hilton and Hilton Garden Inn and the convention hall but had to release all bookings due to withdrawal of support from Karnataka Tourism in spite of announcing the same at the inaugural function of IATO 36th Annual Convention in Gandhinagar, Gujarat in the presence of Hon’ble Chief Minister of Gujarat and over 750 delegates. This development is very unfortunate which IATO never expected from Depart of Tourism, Govt. of Karnataka. The convention may now happen in December.

Explaining why TAFI did not choose India as its convention venue, Ajay Prakash, President, TAFI, says, “It is very important to do something within the country. But we could not do it as planned because the domestic air fares and hotel rates were very high. And honestly, the support that one receives from an international destination is far more than any state government is normally willing to offer.”

International tourism continued to recover from the COVID-19 crisis at a strong pace in January-March 2022. Destinations welcomed almost three times as many international tourist arrivals (overnight visitors) as in the same period of 2021, with Europe leading the rebound. International arrivals increased 182% year-on-year in Q1 2022 to an estimated 117 million international arrivals compared to 41 million in Q1 2021. Of the extra 76 million international arrivals, about 47 million were recorded in March.

After a gap of four years, The Travel Agents Federation of India (TAFI) announces its Convention at Kuching in Sarawak, Malaysia this September from 20th to 23rd 2022. The theme of the convention is BUILD  BACK  BETTER. Elaborating on the theme, President Ajay Prakash said, “As we seek recovery post-COVID, it is vital that the tourism industry does not forget the lessons of the Pandemic. As one of the biggest global industries, the power of tourism to shape the world is phenomenal. It can be a powerful force for doing good, not only for the stake holders but for the entire world. Build  Back  Better encapsulates the resolve to rebuild tourism in a more responsible and sustainable manner.” 

The UN reported that during the first quarter of 2022, international arrivals almost tripled over the same three months last year. March this year produced the healthiest results since the start of the pandemic, with arrivals climbing to nearly 50% of 2019 levels. That could rise to as much as 70% of 2019 arrivals by the end of this year, the UNWTO said in projections it revised in May.

Gurbaxish Singh Kohli, VP, FHRAI said, “Most of these guidelines issued by CCPA are already followed by hotels & restaurants. It’s extremely disheartening that the hospitality industry is constantly singled out. We have explained over and over again that there is nothing illegal in collecting a service charge.” 

Willie Walsh, Director General, IATA, has said that the first lesson from pandemic was that closing borders is not the right response to a pandemic. “Data has revealed that borders should not have been closed and relaxations should have come much sooner,” he added.

PATA, as part of its latest quarterly updated international visitor arrivals (IVAs) forecast has projected that Asia Pacific will reach an IVA count in 2024 of 510-832 million. Liz Ortiguera, CEO, PATA, said, “While a positive turning point is predicted to occur in 2022 for all the 39 Asia Pacific destinations covered in these updated forecasts, many market variables are currently influencing travel and significant challenges still lay ahead.”