Category Archives: Associations

Introducing the ATOAI Women’s Collective, the association has announced the team of Women’s Task Force. Arshdeep Anand CEO, HMA Spectrum Handcrafted Holidays will be the Chairwoman of the committee while other members include, Guneet Puri, Tejaswini Gopalswamy, Dilshad Master and Akansha Garg. Instituted on International Women’s Day 2021, the Women’s Task Force has been formed with the purpose to inspire, nurture and celebrate women in adventure travel.

The Yaas relief and health check-up camp organised by ETAA Eastern India Chapter in association with CAS, NatureMates and The Rotary Club of Calcutta (South Central) was completed smoothly in June 2021 in Mousuni Islands, Sunderbans despite the challenges of the bad weather, flooded roads, partial lockdown, and unavailability of public transport. Koushik Banerjee, Chapter Chairman (East India), says, “This couldn’t have happened without the co-operation of the forest department. The local people of Mousuni islands amazed us with their hospitality, humility and discipline.”

IATA Agents Association of India (IAAI) National Committee & Kerala State Committee, in their online meetings held on 15th June 2021, expressed gratitude to Chief Minister and Tourism Minister of Kerala for taking a step to form Welfare Board for the employees working in tourism industry. The formation of a Welfare Board for Travel and Tourism Industry employees was one of the essential demands submitted by IAAI to CM & Tourism Minister on 31st May 2021.

In the ongoing row over unethical business practices involving MakeMyTrip and Goibibo (Go-MMT) giving the preferential listing to Oyo and putting other budget hotel franchises at disadvantage, a division bench of the Gujarat High Court has directed the Competition Commission of India (CCI) to afford Oyo Rooms an opportunity of hearing. On the said matter, FHRAI is pitching for open and fair competition in the market and intends to put an end to the disruption caused by Oyo.

FAITH has urged the chief ministers of all states for proportionate relief on statutory obligations to the pandemic hit tourism industry and other measures. With almost no business expected for tourism, travel and hospitality companies they have requested a complete waiver of all statutory expenses for FY 2021-22 without any penalties. These expenses include all fixed electricity and other utility charges, excise duties, property taxes, interstate tourist transport taxes, waiver of SGST, or any other local taxes. They have also asked for an automatic renewal of all licenses, permits, permissions, which were expiring in FY 2021-22 without any financial charges or penalties; Industry status for tourism travel & hospitality; refund of unutilised GST credit lying with state governments to the tourism, travel & hospitality players to get immediate liquidity; reduction of VAT on state aviation turbine fuel and special reduction of state level airport taxes to incentivize travel; reduction of license fees for performance & events to boost state MICE. For unorganised workers working with the tourism sector, who don’t have the safety net of PF/ ESI, coverage of sustenance wages and medical condition as a grant with ‘direct transfer’. Special recognition of tourism travel and hospitality micro small & medium enterprises choosing work from home services as an additional option under the relevant provisions. FAITH further asked for permission to leverage open spaces such as terraces and adjacent areas for F&B to enable compliance with social distancing norms while also enhancing the eating out experience to stimulate the industry demand. Other demands include state level tourism task force along with representatives all FAITH member associations; liquor VAT under GST and reduction of state liquor VAT / excise to stimulate …

The Travel Agents Federation of India (TAFI) has announced that it will hold its national elections in July 2021 via electronic-voting for the safety of its members. The term for the team coming in this election would have been 2020-2022, but due to the delay this team will only have an effective term of 2021-2022. As per regular procedure, TAFI was supposed to have its national elections in 2020. However, due to COVID its chapter elections were delayed, which affected the national elections. The final dates will be announced soon.

Karnataka Tourism Society (KTS) has written to CP Yogeeshwara, Minister for Tourism, Ecology and Environment, Government of Karnataka, to lift the lockdown imposed on the state from June 21 in a graded manner, in order to ease the pressure on the travel, tourism and hospitality sectors. It is estimated by KTS that the job loss in in excess of 5,00,000 and revenue loss close to Rs75,000 crore.

Sharing details of his meeting with Goa CM as well as its Tourism Minister, Nilesh Shah, President, TTAG, says, “Our team met the CM along with the Tourism Minister, Chairman GTDC, Chief Secretary, Tourism Secretary, and Director Tourism of GTDC. We have requested them to conduct an image-rebuilding exercise for Goa to undo the negative publicity received by the state during the last two to three months which has affected the image of Goa as a safe and secure destination.”

In the latest hearing of the Oyo Insolvency case before the National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT), the Tribunal has allowed the intervention of Federation of Hotel & Restaurant Associations of India (FHRAI) on behalf of hotels. The FHRAI has intervened on behalf of its member hotels that are operational creditors who are suffering hugely on account of non-payments of debt by Oyo. FHRAI members have filed claims before the IRP of around Rs93 crore and the Association expects more hotels to submit their claims before the next hearing on June 21, 2021.

Prahlad Singh Patel, Minister of State, Tourism & Culture, launched Confederation of Hospitality, Technology & Tourism Industry (CHATT), and called it a revolutionary movement in tourism sector. The event was also graced by Arvind Singh, Secretary, MOT; Rupinder Brar, Additional Director General, MOT; and Rakesh Verma, Joint Secretary, MOT. Speaking at the event, Patel also shared that they have sent 9 memorandums to UNESCO.