Category Archives: Associations

In a significant development for the Indian and Iranian tourism sectors, the Iranian Tour Operators Association (ITOA) and the Outbound Tour Operators Association of India (OTOAI) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on 11 September, 2024, at the ITB India 2024 in Mumbai. The MoU, signed by Mostafa Shafie Shakib, Chairman, ITOA, and Riaz Munshi, President, OTOAI, aims to strengthen tourism ties between the two nations. The signing ceremony was witnessed by distinguished members of both associations, including Shravan Bhalla, Vice President, OTOAI, and Monia Kapoor, Joint Secretary, OTOAI. The presence of Mostafa Shafie Shakib as the primary signatory from the Iranian delegation highlighted the significance of this initiative. Other esteemed members of the Iranian delegation were also in attendance, further reinforcing the importance of the agreement. This collaboration marks a significant milestone in fostering tourism growth, exploring new opportunities, and creating sustainable partnerships between India and Iran. The MoU underscores the shared commitment of both countries to promoting cultural exchange and unlocking new tourism potential.    

The three-day B2B trade show, held from 11 – 13 September in Mumbai, successfully concluded with over 600 top-tier Indian & international buyers. Alongside MICE Show India, Travel Tech India, and the ITB India Conference, ITB India 2024 served as a unique platform, fostering fruitful business collaborations in the travel industry. ITB India 2024, the annual 3-day business-to-business trade show and convention, held at the Jio World Convention Centre in Mumbai, came to a successful close today. The second in-person edition attracted key travel industry professionals and created unparalleled pathways to the Indian and South Asian travel markets for quality buyers and global exhibitors representing MICE, Corporate, Leisure, and Travel Technology sectors. The event launched the inaugural ITB India Gala Dinner with over 400 international exhibitors and top buyers in a high level B2B networking function. This year’s event drew over 600 Indian & international top-tier buyers, facilitating more than 25,000 business engagements. Key exhibitors include AsiaPay, Club Med, Collinson Group, EVA Airways, Encalm Hospitality, Kenya Tourism Board, Melia Hotels International, Mize, Mondee, Novotel Jaipur, Prince Hotels & Resorts, Sarawak Tourism Board, Tourism Office of Spain, Taiwan Tourism Administration, Uzbekistan Airways, visitBerlin, and Visit Oulu. “India’s travel industry is experiencing remarkable growth and the increasing demand in this market is sparking renewed interest from around the world. This year’s edition proved instrumental in forging strategic partnerships and driving growth in one of the world’s most dynamic travel markets. With a focus on staying ahead of the curve, our conference tracks provided key insights to ensure attendees are future-ready”, says Joyce Wang, Executive Director of Messe Berlin Asia Pacific, Organiser of ITB India, MICE Show India, and Travel Tech India. The …

SriLankan Airlines bagged a Gold Award in the category of “Marketing-Carrier” at the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) Gold Awards 2024, held in Bangkok on 28 August 2024, reaffirming the global appeal of its marketing communication endeavours. The campaign, “Colours of Jaffna,” is the first marketing campaign by any Sri Lankan entity to exclusively spotlight the island’s vibrant north. The timeliness of the campaign is further reinstated with CNN naming Jaffna as one of Asia’s most underrated places recently. This year, PATA honoured 24 travel and tourism entities out of 100 entries from around the world, as judged by a panel of 23 industry experts. One of the most successful campaigns ever to have been executed in the airline’s history, ‘Colours of Jaffna’ garnered a reach of over 14,000,000 across social media platforms with over 500,000 engagements. SriLankan Airlines, Head of Marketing, Saminda Perera, said, “I take this opportunity to thank the encouragement and support extended to us by the management, our valued partners and my team, without whom this will never be a possibility. Time after time, we have endeavoured to present Sri Lanka in novel perspectives, and it gives us great pleasure to be affirmed that our efforts are recognized by the industry fraternity and the travellers alike.” Staying true to the campaign title ‘Colours of Jaffna,’ the visuals — both the imagery and videography — highlight the plethora of colours that define Jaffna. From its waterfronts, and historic fort to the colourful temple interiors, festivities and cuisine, the visual tonality emphasizes the contrasting yet striking colours, capturing the city’s novelty, excitement and vivacity. The video is enhanced by a rhythmic soundtrack, with tempos reflecting the natural ebb and flow of …

Rajiv Mehra, President, IATO, expressed his appreciation for the outstanding culinary experience at the IATO Convention at Taj Lakefront, Bhopal. “The feedback we’ve received from attendees is that they have had the best food they’ve ever tasted,” Mehra said. Mehra also said that the variety and quality of the meals, from breakfast and lunch to dinner and snacks, received praise from attendees. “My hats off to the chef and his team for making this happen,” he added, highlighting the overwhelming positive response from all corners of the event.

The Indian Heritage Hotels Association (IHHA) will hold its 11th Annual Convention and 23rd Annual General Meeting on 19 & 20 September, 2024, at INDeco Hotels Swamimalai. IHHA is the first post-independence aggregation of India’s erstwhile Royals and Thakurs, to formulate a master plan for their future role and promote heritage tourism in India. Crucially, the initial objective was to maintain and preserve the legacy surrounding their palaces. The first Annual Convention, held on 21 & 22 September, 2012, at Nahargarh, Ranthambore, aimed to revive India’s rich cultural, historical, and architectural heritage. K. Ramachandran, Minister for Tourism, Government of Tamil Nadu, and K. Lakshminarayanan, Minister for Tourism, Government of Pondicherry, consented to launch this event. Similarly, Suman Billa, IAS, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Tourism, Government of India, and Mugdha Sinha, IAS, Director General, Ministry of Tourism, Government of India, are expected to deliver speeches at the special convention. Aside from the above, several bureaucrats, policymakers, and tourism specialists are slated to attend. This convention fittingly themed, “Revitalising Indian Heritage,” will lay out IHHA’s strategy for the next 25 years. The convention will also focus on identifying young leaders to take the message forward. “IHHA aims to infuse young and sustained energies to chart a course to revive heritage tourism in the country,” said HH Maharaja Gaj Singh II, Jodhpur, President Emeritus, IHHA. Thakur Gajsingh, Alsisar, General Secretary, IHHA added, “IHHA will also look into ways that the Ministry of Tourism and IHHA can work together to protect and preserve Indian monuments.” Steve Borgia, Vice President, IHHA, will lead and host this historical convention. It is anticipated that over 150 former Royals from all over India will attend this momentous gathering. …

The 16th Annual Convention of the Adventure Tour Operators Association of India (ATOAI) is scheduled to take place from 3-8 December, 2024 in the panoramic town of Tawang. This year’s event promises to be a memorable journey of networking, learning and adventure with a focus on sustainable tourism, safety protocols and extraordinary travel experiences. Industry leaders will have the opportunity to network while exploring the breathtaking beauty of Arunachal Pradesh.

The 40th IATO Annual Convention scheduled to take place in 2025, will be hosted in Puri. Rajiv Mehra, President, IATO said, “The convention will take place at the new Swosti Hotel.” He revealed the availability of high-quality stays for the event, including Taj Puri and Mayfair hotels.

The Tourism and Hospitality Skill Council (THSC), in collaboration with the National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC), proudly announces the Indian team for the upcoming WorldSkills Competition 2024, scheduled to take place in Lyon, France, from 10 to 15 September. THSC conducted extensive competitions across the country, leading to the selection of 102 top competitors in the hospitality skill categories of Bakery, Cookery, Restaurant Services, Patisserie and Confectionery, and Hotel Reception. Competitors from various regions demonstrated exceptional skills through multiple selection rounds to earn their place in the IndiaSkills National Competition. To represent India at the WorldSkills Competition, these candidates underwent a rigorous selection process, including 16 hours of hands-on competitions. The finalists were chosen during the IndiaSkills 2024 – National Competition for Hospitality Skills in Delhi. The primary goal of these competitions was to identify and nurture the right talent. Each finalist is being trained and mentored by a dedicated expert from the skill management team, providing specialized training to ensure the competitors are well-prepared to represent India on the global stage. “Our aim is to offer a platform for young professionals to showcase their talents and skills, contributing to the growth of the hospitality industry. By competing on a global stage like WorldSkills, these individuals not only bring pride to our nation but also set a benchmark for excellence in hospitality. We are committed to providing them with the best training and mentorship to ensure they are fully prepared to meet the high standards of this prestigious competition. Their success will inspire future generations and reinforce India’s position as a leader in skill development,” said Rajan Bahadur, CEO, THSC. The Indian contingent for WorldSkills 2024 includes: Bakery: Sasmita Bardhan …

New Zealand’s tourism industry is facing a storm with the government’s recent decisions on increasing visa fees and the International Visitor Levy (IVL). Higher prices for tourist visas kick in from October 1, going from $131 to $211. Meanwhile its International Visitor Conservation & Tourism Levy (IVL) will also go up from $22 to 62 from October 1.

The Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) and the Tourism Seasonality Summit (TSS) have joined forces to tackle the seasonality challenges in tourism destinations across the Asia Pacific region. The strategic partnership, formalised through a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), aims to develop innovative solutions to distribute tourism more evenly throughout the year and mitigate the negative impacts of over-tourism. The MOU was officially signed by World Tourism Seasonality Summit CEO Ged Brown and PATA CEO Noor Ahmad Hamid during the PATA Knowledge Forum on 27 August, 2024 which was part of the PATA Travel Mart 2024 programme. “This collaboration aligns with the Association’s mission to bring together private and public sector members to enhance the value, quality, and sustainable growth of travel and tourism. By working together, we aim to develop strategies that will effectively manage and alleviate the impact of tourism seasonality,” remarked Noor Ahmad Hamid, CEO, PATA. Ged Brown, CEO, World Tourism Seasonality Summit, remarked, “The Tourism Seasonality Summit is the only travel and tourism event which is focused completely on resolving the seasonality issues facing tourism destinations, airports and airlines.” This agreement signifies a joint commitment to addressing the challenges of peak season tourism, which often contributes to over-tourism. Both organisations are dedicated to safeguarding, preserving, and enriching tourism experiences for both future generations of travellers and host communities. The collaboration will also provide mutual advantages, such as heightened brand recognition and speaking opportunities at the organisations’ respective events, to name a few.