Category Archives: Associations

Ahead of the Union Budget-2025-26, CII has urged the govt to launch a national and international multi-channel marketing campaign, Incredible India 3.0, to showcase India’s diverse tourist attractions. Brand ambassadors in select countries and setting up special desks in Indian embassies abroad would further promote India Tourism, it said. Tourist safety is crucial for tourism promotion, thus, “Mission Suraksha”, with dedicated tourist police and round-the-clock security at major destinations, should be launched to ensure tourists’ safety and trust.

It is heartening to see that Association of State Road Transport Undertakings (ASRTU), the Bus & Car Operators Confederation of India (BOCI) and All India Motor Transport Congress (AIMTC) have decided to observe 24th January as ‘Drivers’ Day.’ Satish Sehrawat, President,  and  K.S. Sawhney, Hon. Secretary, ITTA shared their excitement to be a part of this initiative. Indian Tourist Transporters Association (ITTA) is the premier national body of tourist transporters recognised by the Ministry of Tourism, Government of India, under the provisions of CMVR 1989. Numerous members have received the coveted National Tourism Award a testament to their exceptional service and dedication. They specialise in catering to esteemed clients, including international tourists, through strategic collaboration with tour operators, travel agents, and hotels, offering a range of latest hi-end luxury cars and coaches to meet their transportation needs. Unlike other services, they do not pick up passengers from the roadside, ensuring a safe and personalised experience. Their expertise extends to high-profile events organised by various Ministries, including state head visits, overseas delegations, and mega events like the G20. As a leading association, they take immense pride in delivering unparalleled passenger transportation experiences, prioritising safety, reliability, and excellence for valued clients. Established on March 2, 1989, the Indian Tourist Transporters Association (ITTA) proudly celebrates 37 years of dedicated service to the tourist transport industry. They firmly believe that drivers are the ambassadors of tourism industry. ITTA has consistently demonstrated its commitment to driver development, initiating pioneering programmes such as: Comprehensive one-week training for over 1,700 drivers during the Commonwealth Games and again in 2013. They are planning to conduct regular training programmes for drivers in collaboration with Ministry of Tourism. Recognition of …

Anil Kalsi, Vice President, TAFI has shared that the TAFI Convention had vibrant business sessions focusing on burning issues of NDC, travel scenario in the Artificial Intelligence and discussions on new avenues for revenue generation. The members also learnt about innovative and historical venues in Ninh Binh for meetings and conferences.

Sharing his expectations from the Union Budget 2025 for the hospitality sector, Vishal Kamat, Chairman, CII Maharashtra Chapter, said, “Our hopes for the Union Budget 2025 revolve around meaningful policy reforms and strategic incentives to stimulate growth. While we applaud the government’s hefty investments in infrastructure, the hospitality sector needs more than just highways and airports.”

Outlining its expectations from the Budget 2025-26, FHRAI urges the government to introduce reforms that will address the critical challenges faced by the hospitality and tourism sector. It believes these reforms will increase investment, create employment, and support overall economic growth in the industry. FHRAI’s primary recommendation is to grant infrastructure status to hotel and convention center projects with costs starting from ₹10 crore.

The TAFI Convention 2025 has concluded in Ninh Binh province of Vietnam. Ajay Prakash, President, TAFI, said, “We hope that after this convention, while the number of Indian tourists continues to grow, Ninh Binh will see a greater number of tourists because it is a perfect destination for Indians.”

Keeping the theme of its convention as ‘Tourism for Tomorrow, Protecting the Planet’, TAFI aims to empower eco-friendly travel by focussing on environmental stewardship and guiding the way for its members. Ajay Prakash, its President, says, “It is important that we as travel agents keep in mind the fact that the resources of this planet are finite and tourism thrives, essentially, on the natural beauty and diversity of the planet. We therefore have a moral responsibility to contribute towards the protection, preservation and nurturing of the planet.”

K. Syama Raju, President of FHRAI, says it is keen to collaborate with the Andhra Pradesh govt to achieve its goals mentioned in its latest Tourism Policy which recognises tourism as an industry, combined with substantial incentives for private investors and a focus on thematic circuits. He says, “With its emphasis on sustainability and community empowerment, this policy has the potential to create significant economic and employment opportunities.”

To attract tourists from non-ASEAN countries, the ASEAN Tourism Association has re-introduced its ASEAN Pass, which offers affordable inter-ASEAN travel options, shared its president, Eddy Soemawilaga. The pass, currently implemented via AirAsia’s platform, encourages multi-destination travel and invites participation from other airlines and travel agents.

Rajiv Mehra, President, IATO, has announced that they are working on a new website for the association, which will be launched by the end of January or February. “To promote India overseas, we have revamped our website, which will have more packages.” he said while speaking at the IATO Luncheon meet in Delhi.