Category Archives: Associations

According to the ‘Asia Pacific Visitor Forecast 2021-2023’ report released by PATA, growth prospect for international visitors arrivals reveal that the Asia Pacific region is expected to return to 96% of the volume of foreign arrivals received in 2019. Of immediate concern, for all of the Asia Pacific destination sub-regions, 2021 is likely to be another difficult year for international travel movements.

Sharing the aim and vision of the team Moving Forward for the upcoming IATO Elections scheduled on 6th March in Delhi, Rajiv Mehra, the current Vice President and the candidate for President for the next term said that his aim is to think big and not lure our members with small petty benefits.” We are going to work for revival of business for our esteemed membership. The need of the hour is to think lateral & logical with paramount aim focus on the revival of our businesses and ignore the petty issues. We are confident that our members are intelligent enough to choose the best team,” he said in a meet and greet event organised for travel trade media in Delhi. The short term and long-term Agenda of the team is as under:- To continue to follow up with Ministry of Finance/Commerce/DGFT regarding the release of SEIS Scrips for 2019-20. To get SEIS for the tour operators for the next 5 years by getting it included in Foreign Trade Policy 2021-25 with the easy terms and conditions suitable to our members. To remove the requirement of minimum Rs. 2 crores turnover of foreign exchange earnings in MDA Guidelines for overseas promotion so that all our members can be benefited. To get relaxation in qualification for MoT Recognition by adding diploma/certificate of Tourism & Hospitality Skill Council To request Ministry of Tourism to start marketing and promotions by organising roadshows, participation in international travel marts, organise fam trips for FTOs etc., as soon as the restriction on e-Visa is removed and international flights start operating, To get the IATO website linked with the MOT website so that members can receive queries/leads. …

The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) is calling for governments to abandon the concept of ‘high-risk countries’ and instead focus on how individual ‘high-risk travellers’ are treated at borders. It urges governments around the world to redefine their whole approach to risk assessment, to revive international business and leisure travel.

The Travel Agents Association of India (TAAI) is doing its bit to encourage the youth to join the industry. TAAI’s UP Chapter recently signed an MoU with the Department of Business Management, Dr. Rammanohar Lohia Avadh University in Ayodhya to offer training, placements and even internship to students of MBA in Tourism Management. The MoU has been signed for three years.

 A delegation of Indian Association of Tour Operators (IATO), led by association President Pronab Sarkar, recently met Arvind Singh, the new Secretary – Tourism, Government of India. IATO welcomed him and took the opportunity to discuss some of the issues that have been plaguing the tourism sector, such as SEIS, MDA, etc. Secretary Singh assured the delegation of his intervention and positive action.

Andaman Association of Tour Operators (AATO) along with YCCI Supported by India Tourism,Portblair has launched the AATO Hotels and Resorts Standardisation Programme. 68 Hotels from Port Blair,37 from Swaraj Dweep Islands,21 from Shaheed Dweep Islands,and one hotel each from Baratang and Diglipur islands were Standardised . The occasion was graced by Shri S.K.Singh,IAS,Secretary Tourism as Chief Guest and Ms/ Moutoshi Naskar,Assistant Director,India Tourism,Portblair was Guest of honour.

In an event held in Mumbai yesterday, the Federation of Hotel & Restaurant Association of India (FHRAI) along with its western India regional association HRAWI felicitated State Tourism Minister Aaditya Thackeray for making Maharashtra the first and the only state to award its hospitality sector the industry status. Also present at the occasion were Valsa Nair, Principal Secretary, Tourism & Excise, Government of Maharashtra. Thackeray also spoke about the reduction of licences and enabling ease of doing business in the state. At the function, he said quite a few reforms are being rolled out. “Post COVID Maha Govt intends to allow restaurants 24/7 operations in Mumbai,” announced the Minister. Referring to the Union Budget, he had earlier tweeted that there is nothing for tourism “Neither in the budget, nor in the ₹20 lakh crore package announced earlier”.

While reacting on the Union Budget 2021-22,  which was announced today, Pronab Sarkar, President Indian Association of Tour Operators (IATO) expressed his disappointment that “We had looked forward to this year’s Budget 2021-22  with lot of expectations for the tourism sector getting due recognition with some positive announcements by the Government by way of extending some relief and benefits to the tour operators based on the foreign exchange earnings and releasing of SEIS for 2019-20, which has been kept on hold for the tourism sector. “We were hopeful that our Government will understand the problems, the tourism industry is facing due to Covid-19 since March 2020 and struggling for survival and we hoped that some relief measures would be taken by the Government to help the highly stressed tourism sector. But to our dismay, there was even  no mention of tourism in the Union Budget announcements, inspite of the fact government re-assuring Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas aur Sabka Vishwas, but this is not in the case of tourism industry,” he said. In its recommendations made to the government, IATO has requested a) release of SEIS Scrips for 2019-20,  Extension of service exports from India scheme (SEIS) for the tourism industry for the next 5 years in the new foreign trade policy 2021-25  and increase SEIS percentage from 7% -10%, b) to exempt GST on foreign exchange earnings, c) Tourism industry to be treated as a deemed exporter at par with  IT  Industry  under  export of  services, d) Removal of cascading effect of GST on Tourism Industry, e) Withdrawal of tax collection at source (TCS) for the foreign tourists, f) Removal of GST on services provided outside India to foreign tourists, …

Vishwas Makhija, President, ATOAI said that the Budget was simply disappointing and further heartbreaking for the entire tourism industry. “The industry was looking forward to immediate support to survive and short term measures for critical revival but unfortunately, none of these was taken into consideration in the Budget announcements,” he said.  

Riaz Munshi, President, OTOAI said the budget was very disappointing for the tourism industry since there was no mention of anything for the industry. “We have suffered the most and we should have got at least some relief. Otherwise, it’s a good budget for the country, I don’t know why we were left out?” he said.