Category Archives: Associations

Rakesh Verma, Additional Secretary, Tourism, has said that IATO has organized some great sessions and there will be brainstorming on various issues on how industry can accelerate growth and how both government and industry can work together. “I think this will be a very meaningful convention with lot of ideas to benefit the sector,” he added.

Arvind Singh, Secretary, Tourism, in his address at the convention, said, “Domestic tourism has revived and is significantly above pre-COVID levels. “As the theme is ‘Inbound tourism – What Lies Ahead’, I hope this convention contributes to raising the bar for inbound tourism and everyone would workout strategies for faster recovery,” he added.

IATO’s 37th convention has started with a lot of enthusiasm. Speaking about the convention , Rajiv Mehra, President, IATO said, “The registrations have surpassed 1000 delegates and the association is all set to welcome guests from across the country.”

During COP15 in Montreal today, the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC), United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) and the Sustainable Hospitality Alliance (the Alliance) announced a new collaboration which will bring together the public and private sectors in a shared vision to halt and reverse biodiversity loss by 2030. The vision sees the global Travel & Tourism sector supporting and inspiring governments, businesses, and society to implement the post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework and help to transform our relationship with the natural world. Signatories to the vision have committed to adopt a nature positive approach to tourism through integrating biodiversity safeguards by reducing carbon emissions, the impact of pollution, the unsustainable use of resources, and by protecting and restoring nature and its wildlife. New governance and business models, enhanced capacity to monitor positive change and scaling up green jobs are all part of the solution as we move ahead together This collaboration follows the release of WTTC’s ‘Nature Positive Travel & Tourism’ report, which was created jointly with ANIMONDIAL, and focuses on halting and reversing damage to nature so the living world can recover from its current depleted state. This involves minimising ongoing harm and taking positive action to restore nature to produce an overall benefit to biodiversity and help achieve Net Zero. Almost 150 organisations have signed up to the vision so far including international hotel groups, tour operators, travel agents, destinations, and international wildlife charities. Complementing the power of the private sector, UNWTO, as the voice of tourism at the global governance level, will work to bring governments and international organisations on board and announce the shared vision of tourism as a pillar of wildlife conservation and habitat …

Jaison Chacko, Secretary General, Federation of Hotel and Restaurant Associations of India (FHRAI), has revealed that the Delhi High Court has dismissed the writ petition filed by MakeMyTrip (MMT) challenging the order passed by the Ld. NCLAT to deposit 10 per cent penalty amount for entertaining the appeal against the Competition Commission of India (CCI’s) order.

The 37th IATO Annual Convention is set to start in Lucknow today and will be inaugurated by Yogi Adityanath, Chief Minister, Uttar Pradesh at the Centrum Hotel, Lucknow at 6 pm. The inauguration of the IATO Travel Mart will be done at 7pm, revealed Rajiv Mehra, President, IATO.

International Air Transport Association (IATA) has revealed that in 2023, airlines are expected to post a small net profit of $4.7 billion—a 0.6% net profit margin. It is the first profit since 2019 when industry net profits were $26.4 billion (3.1% net profit margin). In 2022, airline net losses are expected to be $6.9 billion.

Rajiv Mehra, President, IATO, has informed that the venue of the inauguration of IATO convention has been shifted from Indira Gandhi Pratishthan to Centrum Hotel in Lucknow. The date and time will remain the same, 1.e. 16 December at 5pm, and it will be inaugurated by the CM. The inauguration of the IATO Travel Mart will also happen on 16 December at 7pm, instead of 17 December 10 pm.   

Delegates of FHRAI attended a pre-budget meeting chaired by the FM where it put forth requests with special emphasis on granting infrastructure status to the hospitality industry. FHRAI has also requested for continuation of the Export Promotion Capital Goods Scheme (EPCGS) for another 10 years and extension on the repayment period under the Emergency Credit Line Guarantee Scheme (ECLGS) of 10 years or based on the loan repayment period of the principal loan. FHRAI will submit a detailed representation to the FM shortly.

 WTTC’s Cities Economic Impact Report (EIR), has revealed that by 2032, the travel & tourism sector will directly generate up to 8% of all jobs in the 82 cities analysed in the Cities Report, up from 6.6% in 2019 and a low of 5.1% in 2020.