A roadmap for sustainable tourism .07 An endeavour to build Brand India .09 UP devising new avatar ...
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Vol. XXXIII Issue 24; December 2nd fortnight issue 2021 A DDP PUBLICATION Pages : 36 ` 20/-
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A roadmap for sustainable tourism........................07
An endeavour to build Brand India.........................09
UP devising new avatar for Ayodhya?....................16
Vol. XXXIII Issue 24; December 2nd fortnight issue 2021 A DDP PUBLICATION Pages : 36 ` 20/-
TravTalkIndia.com
ddppl.com
Blueprint to sell Brand India Sigh of relief in 2021
Travel fraternity is positive for the next year,
The Indian Association of Tour Operators (IATO) is geared up for its
2022, especially when you compare the given
annual convention, which is packed with ideas and activities to not only upcoming period, with the year before.
motivate the members, but also guide them for future recovery.
Nisha Verma istry of Tourism, GOI as and CEO of Taj Hotels, and nto
well as the Gujarat govern- Anuraag Bhatnagar, COO, The
he state govern- ment. Arvind Singh, Secretary Leela Palaces Hotels & Resorts In the post-pandemic era, we feel the
ments and stalwarts of Tourism; Rupinder Brar, will also address the delegates. Indian traveller will seek mono-destination
of the travel industry Additional Director General, This apart, Mehra said that journeys or focus on one or two countries,
will participate in the 36th Tourism; Dr. V. Venu, Chief they are expecting the par- as against the earlier trends of planning a
IATO Annual Convention from Secretary, Tourism, Kerala; ticipation of as many as 15 multi-country trip. The tourism sector has
December 16 to 19, 2021 at Hareet Shukla, Secretary of state governments. changed in last couple of years.
The Leela Gandhinagar. Tourism, Gujarat; Jenu Dewan, Although flight bookings to Spain seem to Elisa Robles Fraga
Director, Tourism Office of Spain,
MD, TCGL; Rajiv Jalota, Chair- Knowledge and recovery have decreased in 2021 compared to last Mumbai, India
Dignitaries galore man, Mumbai Port Trust; and EM Najeeb, Senior VP, IATO year, as per our sources the outlook for the
Rajiv Mehra, President, IATO Dr. Abhay Sinha, Director Gen- and Chairman of the Conven- upcoming months is extremely positive, especially when you compare
Rajiv Mehra the given upcoming period with a year before.
has said that Bhupendrabhai President, IATO eral, SEPC will participate in the tion, has said that they are
Patel, Chief Minister of Gujarat, business sessions. expecting more than 1,000 A few factors that earlier played a role in selection of a tourism
has agreed to be the chief guest vention, which will be held on people at the convention, destination, are no longer relevant. Various factors such as entry
of the convention. He also said December 18. In addition, senior industry which is taking place after protocols, ease of internal movement, health system of the destina-
Shripad Naik, Minister of State representatives like Nakul two years. Since everyone in tion, implementation of modern solutions to facilitate travel play a role
for Tourism, will chair the vale- Mehra shared, "We will have Anand, Executive Director, ITC the industry has borne the when a traveller prefers one destination over another.
dictory session of the con- participation from the Min- Hotels, Puneet Chhatwal, MD Contd on page 9 Contd on page 12
GRNconnect expands horizons Tapping untapped markets
GRNconnect, apart from excelling in providing tech and hotel booking Kohima's three-day ITM highlighted the region's tourism potential
services to travel trade has now opened its DMC business in USA and in the domestic and international markets. Majority of this region is
will soon be expanding it in Egypt and India. unknown to tourists with huge scope in border and wildlife tourism.
Nisha Verma base, especially from India and Nisha Verma (ITM), for the North East Re- the occasion were Arvind
the Middle East," he claims. gion, at Kohima, Nagaland Singh, Secretary, Tourism;
eepak Narula, Manag- jay Bhatt, MoS, alongside Neiphiu Rio, Chief Rupinder Brar, ADG, Tourism;
ing Director, GRNcon- He added that during COVID-19, Tourism & Defence, Minister of Nagaland, and H. and other dignitaries from the
nect, has revealed that they focused a lot on technol- inaugurated the Khehovi Yeputhomi, MLA & central government and North
with innovation and adaptability ogy and product upgradation three-day long ninth edition of Advisor Tourism, Government Eastern states. The objective
being the key qualities of GRN- by adding some key suppli- the International Tourism Mart of Nagaland. Also present on Contd on page 27
connect, in 2021, they will go live ers to their portfolio. "We have
with Amadeus, i.e., Amadeus Val- ambitious plans on the distribu-
ues Hotels and their Switch mod- tion front. We have made some
ule. "Very soon we will be avail- major tie-ups and we will go
able on their web service too. Deepak Narula
live on these platforms as early
This apart, we are also connected Managing Director, GRNconnect as January 2022. We are also
with some major tech players, planning to launch a DMC for
which has helped us with our in- shares." In 2021, Narula said that Egypt and a DMC for India,"
ventory, price competitiveness, their flagship product for hotel he revealed.
and ease of integrating APIs into bookings, both the Login module
our product. We launched a US and the API Out module, did well. Sharing more details on his inter-
DMC for which we were able to "Also, our US DMC got a good national business, Narula says,
secure a good response," he response from our global agent Contd on page 25
Inaugration of the ninth edition of International Travel Mart, in Kohima, Nagaland.
BULLETIN
Govt extends financial support
The GoI introduced the LGSCATSS scheme, to provide financial aid to travel experts to
help them recoup after COVID-19. G Kishan Reddy, Minister for Tourism, Culture, and
DoNER, gave sanction letters to stakeholders granted loans under the scheme.
Janice Alyosius The minister encouraged families international airports such as the
to visit at least two tourist destina- Kushinagar Airport.
o fulfil the commitment tions each year, as this will help
of the Government of future generations learn about The minister also spoke about
India towards the tour- India's rich culture and heritage. various initiatives and interven-
ism sector that is going through The government is also work- tions taken during COVID-19
a lot of stress, Prime Minister ing towards developing various to develop tourism industry.
Narendra Modi extended sup- circuits to make them accessible Around five lakh visas will be is-
port to those effected under the to the tourists. The Ministry of sued to foreign tourists without
"Loan Guarantee Scheme for Co- G Kishan Reddy Railways is running special trains any charges, and 170 nations
Union Minister for Tourism
vid Affected Tourism Service Culture, and DoNER to connect Buddhist sites and the
Sector" (LGSCATSS). He granted Ramayan circuit. The govern-
financial aid to the travel and trade ment intends to make India the
partners. At an event in New Del- credit under the Credit Guarantee focal point of Buddhist tourists Govt aims to spend
hi, Union Minister for Tourism, Scheme at concessional rates. domestically and internationally. `5,500 crore to
Culture &DoNER, G. Kishan The aim of this financial support develop tourism
Reddy, handed over the cheques/ to the tourism stakeholders was He mentioned that the govern-
sanction letters to the first lot of to mitigate their hardships due to ment aims to spend `5,500 crore infra at destinations
stakeholders who have been COVID-19 and help them revive to develop tourism infrastructure chosen by states
granted the loan under the LGS- their business and livelihood. at destinations chosen by states through the SWADESH
CATSS. DG Tourism G Kamala through the SWADESH Darshan
Vardhana Rao, ADG Tourism, Reddy said that the ministry is scheme. "We plan to develop Darshan scheme
Rupinder Brar, and senior offi- collaborating with other minis- these destinations to international
cers from the Ministry of Tourism tries to introduce tourist themes standards," Reddy said.
and the participating banks were such as wildlife tourism, cruise are now a part of the e-Visa
also present. tourism, aqua tourism, and eco Under the Azadi ka Amrit Mahot- approval facility. The Govern-
and rural tourism. "In a short sav, 75 destinations have been ment of India has also appointed
Financial support under the span, with coordination of vari- chosen by the government, and exclusive officers to promote
scheme is disbursed to approved ous departments and ministries, will be developed in coordina- the country’s tourism in 20
tour operators, travel agents, we have worked towards the de- tion with the other ministries to missions abroad in countries
tourist transport operators, and velopment of the sector." He also facilitate tourists. The said des- such as Canada, the United
regional level and local guides said that there are many regions tinations will be made acces- States, the United Kingdom,
by the state governments and in India that are unexplored and sible to international tourists with France, Germany, Singapore,
union territories in the form of have potential for tourism. infrastructure, which includes Korea, and Japan.
statistics
Travel industry reviving steadily
VIEWPOINT Most of the respondents contacted by the mobile platform preferred short stays instead
of long, luxurious vacations much to the happiness of the travel companies that have
Goa Tourism Board struggled under the influence of the pandemic, as per Glance Travel Report 2021.
An interesting latest development has been the for- TT Bureau 62 per cent of the mobile users
mation of Goa Tourism Board (GTB) to oversee the wish to spend more than ` one
he travel industry is lakh on a trip.
work done by the state and the private sector. All regaining some of its
vital decisions pertaining to Goa as a tourist spot will momentum, which Around 69 per cent of respon-
be taken by the 19-member board, paving way for came to a grinding halt during dents are looking to stay in four-
the COVID-19-induced lock- star and five-star hotels, while
implementation of the tourism masterplan. downs, is reviving steadily. 34 per cent of them are looking
The GTB will be a statutory autonomous body and to book a combination deal —
The Glance Travel Report 2021 flight and hotel stay. Of these
shall be responsible for formulating policies related which was conducted with an respondents, 48 per cent wish
to planning, development and marketing tourism in
Goa. The board will appoint a CEO for a period of
five years. The CEO will be responsible for the daily When are you planning a trip?
running of the board. Along with government repre- whether or not to go on a vaca- ering. As much as 46 per cent
100%
sentatives, Goa tourism board will include eight pri- tion. Thirty-two per cent of the of the respondents, according
respondents are preferring to to Glance, are most likely to
vate sector members nominated from the industry 80%
and will meet every quarter to review the situation.
Tourism has always been an important sector for
60% December will see a travel boom
Goa and this change shows the evolved thinking of 37%
the state authorities to promote the destination. The
40%
23% 26% 46% of the respondents are
planning a trip in December
tourism board is slated to have its first meeting in 20% 14%
December this year but it’s a wait and watch to see
the success of the tourism authority. 0
Solo Friends Spouse Family 49% of the respondents who are not
travelling this year have pushed
their travel plans to H-2022
objective to see the face of the to travel by flights, 27 per cent
Rebellious Travel travel industry and consumer
sentiment. As many as 1,400
respondents (mobile users)
by train and 22 per cent by bus.
While this was so, as much as
stay home over conventional
hotels. As much as 70 per cent
of the respondents contacted by
shop both online and offline, 28
per cent of the respondents will
stick to online channels, while
Just a month ago, there was hope among tour- were contacted between the pe- 19 per cent of the respondents Glance are planning to go on a 26 per cent will shop offline. As
ism professionals, that the road to recovery seems riod — October 15 and October are looking to travel by flights shopping spree during their va- per experts in the business, it is
20 2021. only, while 34 per cent wish cations, while 29 per cent want as if the purchasing power of
more optimistic than ever before. And then came to fly to and from their vaca-
the new COVID-19 variant, Omicron. According to the report, In- tion. According to the Glance
dian travellers are preferring Percentage of travellers
Overnight, bookings were cancelled. India banned domestic vacations instead of
international flights from 'at risk' countries. The
chaotic photographs from the airports deterred the
international ones. Forty-six
per cent of the respondents are
planning a trip this month, while
While 27% of the
respondents are may
47% India
travellers and made them rethink. But what has this shop for good worth
29% Abroad
49 per cent who are not travel-
taught us? Has the time to plan a holiday shortened? ling this year have postponed
10,000 to 25,000,
Have our itineraries evolved to facilitate this change? their travel plans. They may go
30% of them will shop
With foreign tourists finally allowed to visit India, can
they plan months ahead or do they wait and watch?
on a vacation in the next year,
they stated. above 30,000 24% Not decided
India will be incredible but needs a push from the The respondents contacted by
the Glance preferred short stays research, 27 per cent of the to shop for clothes, 24 per cent the Indians has increased after
private sector to evolve the destination presentation. instead of long, luxurious vaca- respondents are still undecided. for bags, 23 per cent for shoes, the twin lockdowns!
tions. This has come as a shot and 25 per cent for accessories.
While preparing this issue of TravTalk, there was
in the arm for the travel compa- The report which has been About 30 per cent have nothing Shopping budget of each
a lot of thought put into Brand India and the pre- nies who have struggled under diligently conducted by Glance, on the agenda, the report stated. family is unlikely to go beyond
paredness for inbound tourism. While the IATO the wrath of the pandemic. stated that 47 per cent of the `10,000. While 27 per cent of
has hit the nail on the head with the theme of their respondents are planning vaca- The Glance report stated that the respondents are likely to
According to the statistics given tions within the country, while the online shopping, which was shop for good worth `10,000
next convention, one waits to find if they drive home by the report, 54 per cent of the 29 per cent prefer to go abroad. most favoured during the pan- to `25,000, 30 per cent of
the message. respondents are planning a do- Twenty-four per cent of the re- demic, is slowly on the decline, the respondents will shop
mestic tour in seven days, while spondents have still not decided with the industry steadily recov- above ` 30,000.
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mot december 2 nd Fortnight issue 2021 TravTalk 7
A roadmap for sustainable tourism
Arvind Singh, Secretary, MoT, addressed tourism sector's move towards sustainable practices. The perception is that
the destinations must adopt a holistic approach to demonstrate sustainable development management, maximise social
and economic benefits, minimize environmental impact and safeguard cultural heritage.
Janice Alyosius tourism, responsible tourism are tourism counsels' criteria. The ing the cultural heritage of the ity needs. “Various countries are promote tourism and implement
aimed at strengthening sustain- perception is that destinations local destinations. imposing curbs on unsustainable conscious travel options, contrib-
rvind Singh, Secretary, able tourism at the macro level, must adopt a holistic approach — travel, and we hope the global tour- uting to the emergence of accept-
MoT, delivering the key- while providing tourism opportu- demonstrating sustainable devel- The way the sector operates, will ist industry will rise up to the chal- able sustainability standards. Many
note address on the nities at the micro level. opment management, maximising change economically in the next lenge and adapt more sustainable nations are adopting travel curbs
tourism sector’s move towards social and economic benefits, few years, and the option will be methods, backed by policy,” he for sustainable travel and work-
sustainable practices, said, "Tour- The GSTC launched in 2010, is minimizing environmental impact to select cautious vacation options adds. As tourism is a state subject, ing to adapt to new sustainable
ism can be a driver of inclusive based on the global sustainable of the destination, and safeguard- that meet acceptable sustainabil- they should formulate policies to practices," Singh says.
community development, contrib-
uting to resilience, inclusivity, and
empowerment while safeguarding
natural and cultural resources."
Arvind Singh
Secretary, Ministry of Tourism
The Global Sustainable Tour-
ism Council, the world's author-
ity on establishing and admin-
istering sustainable travel and
tourism standards, held a public
webinar on 'Unpacking Sustainable
The GSTC
standards serve as
a global benchmark
for travel and tourism
sustainability
tourism in India through the lens
of the GSTC Criteria' to honor the
launch of the GSTC India Working
Group. Addressing the webinar,
Singh said, “The GSTC standards
are utilised in India and serve as
a global benchmark for travel and
tourism sustainability.”
The principles of sustainable tour-
ism apply to all forms of tourism,
instead to only specific forms of
tourism, he said. However, eco-
tourism and adventure tourism,
which have the potential for pro-
moting sustainable tourism, are
the focal point of the national strat-
egy. “We have drafted a roadmap
for sustainable tourism, empha-
sising on adventure, sustainable,
and eco-tourism. This will aid in
realizing the potential of adventure
and eco-tourism," Singh said.
Rural tourism, eco-tourism,
adventure tourism, conserva-
tion tourism, community-based
8 TravTalk december 2 nd Fortnight issue 2021 iato
TourismNews
Civil Aviation Minister puts
action plan in place for airport
preparedness
Regional outlook towards recovery
IATO’s regional chapter heads share why it’s important to bring forth issues to the attention of state
Average fares of AI, United, governments and central government, so that they can look at gradual recovery while making sure
Lufthansa on air bubble
flights comparable to pre-
that everybody moves forward together towards a new era of travel.
pandemic level
IATO convention is a great platform to meet industry IATO convention is happening after two years. This
MoCA mandates 'Air Suvidha' colleagues and exchange views. It helps to learn from will help the industry to understand the new trends post
portal for ease of travel for experiences of others and the new trends and changes COVID-19. As for Marvel Tours, it’s a great opportunity
int'l passengers happening in the industry to move forward. The issues to meet with all our partners as we have not met for the
are at all levels from local city centric to state gov- past two years. The sessions at the convention would
ernment level. The need for better infrastructure and help members understand what to expect and how to
MOT plans to participate in Fitur balanced growth, priority to tourism and formation of handle situations. Each of the members of IATO has
and ITB, IATO members have state level advisory committees who meet every two been going through a tough phase in terms of finances
shown interest: Rajiv Mehra month and monitor progress. We are in regular touch and manpower management. With experts talking on
with various dept like ASI/DOT/Airport Authority/State best steps at the convention, one can really help in
Coronavirus pandemic could Tourism and draw their attention to the problems being Sunil C. Gupta coming out of the situation in the best possible manner Sejoe Jose
faced by tour operators and tourists. Chairman, IATO Northern Region and be ready for the season. Chairman - IATO Southern Region
cost global tourism $2 trillion
this year: UNWTO
WTTC calls for borders to We are closely interacting with the government for I have always requested all my allied members to
remain open and safe travel the growth of tourism in the Eastern Region. Virtual get themselves MOT approved and become IATO’s ac-
to continue meetings were conducted at regular intervals with the tive members. We recently did a presentation with India
members of IATO Eastern Region and the suggestions Tourismon advantages for members. They have simplified
Quarantines and travel bans were submitted to the government for promotion of the process and given more leverage to the travel agents
aren't a long-term solution for tourism and growth of state’s economy. Odisha has and tour operators. I also encourage my members to work
COVID variant control: IATA taken up far-reaching initiatives to create ‘Inclusive Tour- with the association’s own member network for rates so
ism’. Odisha has taken up initiatives in creating authentic that the business remains within the family. Since inter-
and traditional experiences for tourists and this is sup- national travellers start planning six months in advance,
Kochi to host 11th edition ported by their push to create homestays. Odisha is it is important to plan so that inbound tourism can open
of Kerala Travel Mart, in J.K. Mohanty also supporting its traditional industry like handicrafts N.S. Rathor smoothly and safely. We also brought up the issue of
March 2022 Chairman, IATO Eastern Region
and handlooms through tourism.
Chairman, IATO Western Region
promoting India through social media.
Seeking resolutions for issues on hand
IATO state chapter heads on their part have been dealing with many issues in their respective states and have
successfully been able to communicate to the state governments their plight and have even been successful in getting
some benefits for the industry, which is heading towards recovery.
IATO members don’t have As the tour operators in the When the pandemic hit us,
any issue in the state, except for last couple of years found it dif- IATO tried its best to support its
the challenge posed by the pan- ficult to sell packages due to 5 members. The association is very
demic to the tourism industry. per cent GST levied on the total focussed on all policies related to
Government hasn’t addressed package cost that made it difficult infrastructure development for the
the tourism stakeholders so far for the tour operators to compete, promotion of tourism. We also
in terms of pandemic, in spite of as clients also approach hotels achieved remarkable milestones
having NIL business. There are a directly and the tour operators are for members, one is the recogni-
lot of issues related to pandemic. left out, we have been appealing tion of the tourism industry and
IATO has approached the govt. Manmeet Singh
to the Finance Ministry to remove S. Mahalingaiah its service providers the West Mohammad H Jadwet
Chairman - IATO Punjab Chapter Chairman – IATO Karnataka Chapter Co-Chairman
on various aspects and taken ad- this 5 per cent. We hope that GoI Bengal state government. This is IATO Andaman & Nicobar UT
equate measures to bring relief to will resolve this issue soon. The an online procedure and extends
All India tourism and hos- Retaining staff and managing
its members. I am confident that Tour Operators at their local and many benefits including market- One issue facing the mem-
pitality industry requirements offices with whatever domestic
as always, IATO will succeed in national association level have ing support to those recognised. bers of IATO and the tourism
are majorly the financial relief business we are doing is another
bringing out an amicable solution been insisting for the State Govt We were also instrumental in trade in the islands include insuf-
expectations from government issue. Following COVID protocols
for its members soon. to recommend Finance Ministry imprementing the tourist guide ficient connectivity and exprnotant
and secondly conducive earning for few states is a cumbersome
to remove this 5 per cent GST. process. This has led to illegal policy for the state. airfares. This has made many
environment in totality for tourism
practice at state borders. We tourism businesses, shut down.
industry. It is the need of the hour
are working with major chain of Representations have been made
that tour operators start getting
hotels to offer better deals than to the govt. to extend relief to the
business. Same is the require-
OTAs and are trying for uniform trade to help them get back on its
ment of hotels though many have feet. To tap revenge tourism, ef-
started getting good occupancy. transport rates. We worked with
the state and got `3,000 each to forts are made to increase market-
Earlier it was about pitching our ing and promote the islands as a
concerns with government and all tourist taxi drivers and `5,000
to government approved tourist safe destination with 100 per cent
giving courtesy calls to clients of vaccination. We are also trying to
their general well-being, but now guides. We were successful in
getting our sector listed in pri- establish international connectivity
we have started sales calls and with the SEA countries.
Pandian K Nasir Shah ority list for vaccination offront
Chairman - IATO Tamil Nadu, Andaman visits which has led businesses Chairman - IATO Debjit Dutta
line workers.
& Nicobar and Puducherry Chapter towards a recovery path. Jammu & Kashmir Chapter Chairman IATO West Bengal Chapter Inputs by TT Bureau
iato december 2 nd Fortnight issue 2021 TravTalk 9
An endeavour to build Brand India
IATO office bearers are upbeat about the convention and are hopeful that the convention, which is being conducted with
all safety precautions in place, might be the platform where not only members but industry at large would look at ways
to move forward and build Brand India globally, whether the pandemic is here to stay or not.
Theme Theme Theme
This year’s IATO convention’s theme came The Theme of the convention being The theme of the 36th IATO Convention is
out of all hardships, which tourism industry ‘Brand India - The Road to Recovery for apt in the present circumstances. We are all
is facing since 20 months. We need to have Revival of Business’ is apt and will add to waiting to revive tourism and what we are
a deep thought process and efficient plan- the efforts of taking Incredible India to the looking at is recovery now. It’s high time we
ning to relaunch ‘Brand India’ for a strong promotional endeavours of the stakeholders should meet physically with all COVID pro-
presence globally post-COVID. Hence, we that is ably supported by the MoT, GoI. India tocols and SOPs well laid out. We, at IATO
will discuss, how Brand India will make a is gearing up; it is ready to welcome tourists are well-prepared and looking forward to
comeback and the roadmap to recovery. with all SOPs in place. The government is meeting friends in the trade after almost 20
Ravi Gosain It is quite challenging to organise physi- Sunil Mishra supporting the industry with its policies and Sanjay Razdan months. Secondly, the past 20 months have
Vice President, IATO Hony. Treasurer, IATO Hony. Joint Secretary - IATO
cal convention under the present situation, the states are looking at seamless travel, been quite difficult for all of us and we would
but as we all know that COVID-19 will be while the stakeholders are keen on network- love to hear from experts in the industry,
around and we need to learn to live with it. We have made it mandatory ing. The recent COVID variant challenge has churned our thoughts. Con- how to proceed and what would be the new norm of doing business.
for all delegates to upload their fully vaccinated certificates at the time sequently, it is imperative that we put our minds together and chalk out a
of registration and will keep a close check on masking and sanitisation plausible road map that shall steer India to the path of recovery. The case
Preparedness
All stakeholders of the tourism industry, including MOT, are the foremost
during the event. Hotel staff and security personals have been briefed to is thus ripe and a perfect fit for the theme of the convention.
brand ambassadors of India internationally. There has been a lot of infor-
follow strict protocols on COVID safety guidelines.
Preparedness mation gap because of the messaging that goes out from the media. We
Preparedness Also, the industry must apprise the MoT of the views of its members need to raise awareness about India's preparedness to tackle COVID, for
We need to have a physical convention to boost industry and tourists regularly, so that apt policy are initiated. MoT often calls the industry for example, the number of vaccines that have been administered and are
confidence. However we must be vigil and follow safety measures. We discussions on key subjects. Here, the industry must participate, offer being administered daily.
have meticulously designed our sessions to have healthy discussions inputs, so that suitable strategies can evolve and be adopted.
with various stakeholders and the government.
Build brand India
Build brand India It is going to be a very competitive environment, and hence we need to
Build brand India We are well prepared for the physical convention with full support from ensure that Brand India is visible throughout the world. The government
MOT, GoI play an important role in rebranding India as a safe destina- the Government of Gujarat, Ministry of Tourism, State Governments and needs to increase its spending on advertisement and focus on not only
tion and are happy with the proceedings so far. There were new digital above all our valued members. Time is opportune to show the world that our biggest markets but also new emerging markets that can be tar-
promotions planned for international markets but due to the new variant, our industry is well equipped with the new normal and have embraced geted. We are also hoping for increase in the MDA to support awareness
they are put on hold. However, we look forward to come back strongly. all SOPs to welcome tourists. at our own levels. This will hopefully ensure the recovery of our Industry.
Hope for Incredible India 2.0
Contd from page 3
Brand India next few days in Gandhinagar,"
impact of COVID, the conven- Rajnish Kaistha, Hony. Secre- he informs.
tion will give a lot of hope to tary, IATO and Co-Chairman of
the industry, as they will get to the Convention, has said that to Speaking about Brand India,
meet their peers and it will be have this convention successful- he says, "While Incredible
a great networking opportunity ly, they have taken all the neces- India still holds its brand well
for the industry. There would sary precautions and protocols. at the international level, the
also be knowledge-sharing
sessions with excellent speak-
ers. Also, we need to give
thrust to domestic tourism as
well, because that is going to
happen without any hassle in
India. Also, post-COVID, ev-
eryone will be looking at de-
veloping future tourism, how
the government is going to
behave, how they will support EM Najeeb Rajnish Kaistha
the industry and how the in- Senior Vice President, IATO and Hony. Secretary, IATO and
dustry will try to move forward, Chairman of the Convention Co-Chairman of the Convention
"he says.
Rich sessions One cannot register without sub- government may be looking
All the sessions are very well mitting a double vaccination cer- at Incredible India 2.0 soon,
designed and good moderators tificate. Even at the venue, all the which would be in line with
are appointed, says Najeeb. necessary protocols have been the changes in the industry in
It’s going to be a motivation for put in place. Among the speak- the last few years."
the members on how to take ers, we have sessions with senior
it forward because everybody decision makers from the hospi- IATO Run
is in a different kind of situa- tality industry, as well as aviation A major initiative at IATO conven-
tion now. We have incorpo- and other travel businesses. tion every year is the IATO Run
rated everything required for The delegates will learn how for sustainable tourism. Kaistha
a good convention and people to keep abreast of the changes says that it is scheduled for this
are looking forward to good seen post-COVID in the indus- year as well. It will start outside
interactions and deliberations, try. We have also planned for the Leela Hotel and will be a good
"he adds. good entertainment over the four km stretch," he informs.
10 TravTalk december 2 nd Fortnight issue 2021 iato
Blackpink
with Korea Right time to focus on recovery
orea Tourism Or- IATO Executive Committee is all prepped for the convention and believe that the theme of the
K ganisation (KTO)
recently organ-
ised a movie screening
convention ‘Brand India - Road to Recovery’ is apt at this time, especially when the borders are
opening and inbound operators are preparing to be back in business.
in New Delhi for the most
awaited movie, BLACK- IATO members contribute to
The road to recovery is a IATO organised several pro-
PINK: THE MOVIE. The around 80 to 90 per cent of the to-
global challenge, be it travel, tour, grammes trying to motivate its
film commemmorates the tal FOREX generated from tourism.
airlines or the hospitality industry. members during the lockdown.
fifth anniversary of the As the govt. has not done anything
Brand India must be revived and We ensured to hold the conven-
debut of the world's be- a message shall be sent that In- for the stakeholders despite our tion, once the situation improved,
loved group, BLACKPINK dia is ready for tourism. This is repeated requests, we had to take with the theme to highlight India
comprising four members, an apt time to have this conven- the initiative of rebranding India as on its tourism recovery. The mes-
— Jisoo, Jennie, Rosé and tion, as we must learn to live with a tourist destination. I am sure the sage to the world being that, most
Lisa. This K-pop band COVID. The Annual IATO Con- government will also follow the of our members and citizens are
brought back the love for vention is a widely recognised Deepak Bhatnagar path, despite knowing the fact that Zia Siddiqui vaccinated and India is safe to
EC Member, IATO there will be hardly any business EC Member, IATO
Korean music to Indian and a much-awaited event. Do- travel and we are ready to wel-
music lovers. The movie mestic tourism is rocking and we in future. I believe that positivity come our guests. The highlight
Post-pandemic, this theme is missing among members after
felt like attending one of the are requesting the government COVID has greatly affected the of the convention is ‘Destination
could be the best. During the series of new variants. Through
concerts of the band with to begin regular international travel industry. Hence, we shall fo- Gujarat’, an interesting place for
pandemic, we showed resilience this convention, they will be able
interviews interspersed flight operations to give fillip to cus to set all sessions to ensur- the travellers to explore.
both in dealing with COVID-19 to sneak into the way to survive
in between. The movie inbound tourism. The time is not ing safe recovery of tourism. This
and to ensure that industry re- and revive.
features various scenes, only right but overdue. way, India, as a tourism brand,
mains togethe. As things seem
including “The Room of is established greatly in the new
to be coming in order, we need to
Memory” in which there is world with new norms. The way
go through various business ses-
a showcase of five years domestic tourism is booming, it
sions and discussions on strate-
of BLACKPINK’s memory indicates that INDIA is a safe des-
gies that may help the business
brought together after tination recovering fast. Over 100
to recover. Members are looking
their debut, “Beauty”. The million people have been vacci-
forward to attend the convention
Blackpink band looked nated and international flights are
as they did not meet each other in
incredible and the set-up set to start soon. Hence, associa-
last 20 months. As lots of chang-
was quite elegant. The tions are organising their conven-
es took place within the industry, P. Vijayasarathy
movie was released in tions, that will give a message to
Tony Marwah the convention will be a good Dr Manoj Matta EC Member, IATO
India on November 12. the world that India is safe .
EC Member, IATO platform to update members. EC Member, IATO Inputs by TT Bureau
Adventure sports is our USP Fortune Hotels open two more
For Natventure, the pandemic turned out to be a time to reinvent Fortune Hotels announced the signing of two individual operating
themselves, while making sure that sustainable travel is at the core agreements for hotels in Katra and Amritsar, to strengthen the
of their adventure offerings in the Northeast region. focus on pilgrimage destinations.
Nisha Verma re-design our product, in which Janice Alyosius
we have decreased the group
itu Pegu, co-Founder, size, promoted homestays and ortune Hotels, a
Natventure, claims camps during our tours, and wholly-owned sub-
that they are a dedi- have concentrated on cus- sidiary of ITC Ltd an-
cated and professional group tomised tours, along with less nounced the signing of two indi-
of adventure seekers, and is a explored destinations. The boat vidual operating agreements for
JTI Group of companies based and bike tours in Assam are a hotels in Katra (Jammu & Kash-
in Guwahati, Assam. We are mir) and Amritsar (Punjab),
Jitu Pegu
the first and only adventure tour co-Founder, Natventure
thereby strengthening its growth
operator from NE India recog- strategy in key pilgrim locations
nised by the MoT, and the only Our team and adding over 100 new
active member of the ATOAI in When it comes to USP, explored new rooms to its existing inventory. Dharamshala, Deoghar, Shirdi tage Street and a 5-mins walk
the region," he says. Pegu says that being eco- and Ajmer.” from the sacred Golden Temple.
sensitive, having an experi-
destinations so that Speaking about the group’s
Natventure offers cycling in the enced guide, serving local, new experiences current business development Fortune Park The Atrium, Katra Strategically located in their
challenging terrain of the snow- healthy, and hygienic meals could be offered strategy and new alliances, set in the heart of Katra city respective destinations both
capped eastern Himalayas,
green valleys, and the majestic
on our trips; not compromising
on safety, using international
to travellers Samir MC, Managing Director,
Fortune Park Hotels Limited,
home to the Holy shrine of Maa
Vaishno Devi. This 58-room
hotels enjoy a distinct position-
ing and address the growing
rivers of northeastern India. standard equipment, and of- said: “We are pleased to an- spacious hotel with a glass accommodation demand for
"Apart from that, one can explore fering unique experiences, sets nounce our entry into two of pyramid-shaped atrium roof, is branded hotels in these high
the region through trekking, river them apart. result of this effort. Our team the most revered pilgrimage poised to open in the summer potential markets by offering
cruising, hiking, village walks, explored new destinations so centres of India- Katra & Am- of 2022 with refreshed contem- quality stay options at an attrac-
camping, customised to specific During the pandemic, they that new experiences could ritsar. These additions further porary interiors, modern facili- tive value. With these signings,
preferences. Setting foot in the did not lay off their staff. "We be offered to travellers. Be- strengthen our focus on pil- ties and impeccable services. the premier domestic chain
less explored, idyllic terrain in- have undergone various exer- sides, they have been trained grimage destinations and add Whereas, Fortune Inn Heritage now adds over 100 new rooms
habited by tribes such as the Idu cises to keep them motivated. in post-COVID travel practises more depth to our existing port- Walk, Amritsar, is a 50-room across two key cities of India,
Mishmi, Adi, Galo, and Mishing Today, people are eager to and protocols so that a safe folio of operational and hotels boutique hotel conveniently lo- bringing their existing inven-
tribes are the star moments in travel to less-explored destina- travel experience is ensured, in pipeline in various locations cated in close proximity to Jal- tory to over 4000 rooms across
our itineraries, "he adds. tions. This has motivated us to “he informs. like Tirupati, Madurai, Haridwar, lianwala Bagh, just off the Heri- 46 cities.12 TravTalk december 2 nd Fortnight issue 2021 quickbytes
2021 was full of optimism for us
Contd from page 3
Year 2021 has indeed The year 2021, was the year Last year, the tourism indus-
been a very busy and fruitful year of rebuilding momentum for us.
tour operator try passed through the worst ever
in trade and consumer engage- The restarting of international crisis. In 2021, we managed to
ments for us, despite the many flights and the high rate of vac- grow business with some ups &
constraints that we faced. Digital cinations across the globe were downs. We were further expand-
transformation has given a con- definitely big wins for outbound ing and specialising by making all
siderable boost to the sector and tourism from India. It was also our GSA products into a separate
at the same time, changed tourist impressive to see how quickly independent entity as STIC GSA
expectations. For example, con- the industry adapted to the new Services, and all our non-GSA ac-
Sheetal Munshaw Daniel D’souza
tactless payments have become Director, Atout France, India
technology. 2021 was a good tivities like outbound and inbound President and Country
the norm and it is likely that this year for us, especially consider- tours came under STIC Travels. Head, SOTC Travel
Rajeev Kale
will continue to gain momentum ing the various global restrictions President & Country Head – Holidays, We saw an opportunity to trans-
Some of the major de-
over the years. Singapore has in place during the first half of the MICE, Visa, Thomas Cook (India)
port stranded passengers, so we Year 2021 witnessed an
velopments we saw this year
gone digital and contactless. year. We are even more optimis- organised a few repatriation char- encouraging revival of the travel
were easing of the travel rules With easing restrictions, re-
Changi Airport's kiosks, for ex- tic about the future, as vaccina- ters and restart some flights under business along with a boom of
and regulations for vaccinated opening of international borders
ample, employ proximity sen- tion rates are surging in all the the air bubble arrangement of the domestic tourism. The demand
travellers to overseas destina- and vaccine acceptance, we
states. We have been witnessing to explore offbeat domestic des-
sors rather than touchscreens, tions. Also sustainable tourism witnessed significant pent up GoI. We also realised that we were
growing interest, demand and tinations within the country out-
immigration lanes use biometric and ways to travel responsibly, demand for travel from various focusing too much on outbound
queries for South Africa as a stripped 2019. Our customers
face and iris ID, and terminal with a focus on protecting the segments for both domestic and tourism, so we are now planning
tourism destination, since ther is across segments (including but
robots spray sanitizing mist. environment have become a international destinations. As we to get involved in domestic tour-
no requirement for quarantine in not limited to) multigenerational
Some attractions have also conscious effort adopted by most moved from survival to revival, ism, weddings and events.
of the tourism organisations in South Africa. families, millennials/young pro-
gone contactless. we implemented strategies to
the promotion of their respective fessionals, business and b-lei-
build scale and create a safe and
countries. Digitalisation has also sure travellers, spiritual travellers,
contactless journey through digi-
made it's presence felt in a big and honeymooners displayed a
talisation. Due to restrictions on
way during the pandemic with strong demand to explore India.
international travel, destination In-
contactless payment, travel and Following the announcement
dia came into the spotlight and we
health applications and other by civil aviation on easing of
saw domestic demand overtake
travel modalities that have now restrictions on domestic airline
that of our pre-pandemic 2019
adopted digitalisation into their operations, we witnessed sig-
levels. We also witnessed note-
processes. Digital parameters nificant demand for air-inclusive
worthy green shoots in our MICE
will be a mainstay for travel in travel packages which further
segment with corporate MICE Subhash Goyal
times to come. Another important influenced customers to extend
Neliswa Nkani keen on making the most of their Chairman – STIC Travel & Air Charter
GB Srithar aspect is flexibility while booking Hub Head – Middle East, India and South Group and President - Confederation of their holidays from four days to
IMESA, Singapore Tourism Board unspent budgets of 2021.
the holidays. East Asia, South African Tourism Tourism Professionals seven and even ten days.
aviation HOTELS The beginning of the year associations While 2021 displayed some
2021 has been quite a difficult hope for revival, inbound tour-
I see two very interesting one for most of us. The second ism has been impacted the most.
developments in 2021. First, the wave of the pandemic has caused However, we did welcome our
launch of a new low-cost car- completely devastatation to the first client from Spain in Novem-
rier for India, Akasa Air, as the hospitality industry. Now it seems ber. Despite the good movement
fifth player in this space. Will it the whole nightmare is over and in domestic business, travellers
be able to create its own space we have become optimistic. The preferred to make bookings di-
in the domestic market that al- industry is rebounding to a de- rectly. One of the major develop-
EM Najeeb
lows a successful low-cost car- sired future state that has vastly ments of 2021 was the finalisa- Senior Vice President, IATO
riers (LCC) strategy? Second is improved as compared to the first tion of COVID protocols by the
the announcement of the future quarter. This has also increased Rajiv Mehra MHA. Also, India has started We are all going through an
Puneet Dhawan
of the airline, Air India. Like most Senior VP Operations the room occupancy. Sales in President, IATO granting tourist e-visas to most unprecedented crisis situation
of the aviation markets across
Accor India & South Asia restaurants continue to increase countries. The long-pending SEIS because the most affected busi-
the globe, closure of the borders too. The upcoming year, 2022, The year 2021 has given us demand of the travel trade was nesses due to the pandemic are
has made an international strat- Keeping the second wave and has a lot of hope and optimism one understanding that, apart from finally met, and that was a big re- travel and tourism. However, our
egy difficult, and, emphasis was, its repercussions on the hospital- riding on it. It will give us an op- the tourism trade, we must have lief to the industry. The boost we company has retained all of our
therefore, placed on how to build ity industry in general aside, in portunity to start afresh and work some other source of income. As were prepared for, has been de- employees. We have supported
a stronger domestic push. But, 2021 we witnessed a significant towards rebuilding what we have soon as we have money, we must railed again by the new Omicron our employees, and they have
unlike other major domestic mar- improvement in occupancies and lost. Although we are entering the diversify into something not related variant. With new restrictions in stoodd by us. Now, we are on a re-
kets, the country has the added bookings. With continuous efforts next year, it is best to let the past to tourism. We have also learnt place, international business that covery path with air bubble flights,
challenge of capacity and flight towards vaccination drives and two years become memories and that we must keep surplus money was just finding its footing after and we expect to recover faster
|caps on domestic services ease in travel restrictions, we are celebrate the upcoming year with with us. There has not been much two years of devastation brought once normal flight operations
which did not allow them to exploit looking at a consistent recovery. a lot of joy and happiness. We development in inbound tour- by COVID-19 has started to and tourist arrivals are achieved.
this opportunity. Domestic travel this year was have to work hard to go up to the ism, with no business at all. Yet, suffer again. The pending SEIS demand of the
soaring, with leisure destinations pre-pandemic level. domestic tourism has grown, but trade has finally been met, giving
such as Udaipur, Jaipur, and Goa most of it is direct business for the industry a big relief. However, if
dominating the market for lei- the hotels. While 25% of the total we are to go back to the pandemic
sure stays. Also, business travel business is happening through days now that Omicron variant of
is gradually rebounding in the travel agents and tour operators, caronavirus is here, the reopening
country, and there is a moderate internationally there has not been and revival of the industry will be
increase in corporate and M!CE much. Since November 15, when postponed, as the international ar-
bookings. We are constantly visas started, some FITs started rivals from 'at risk' countries have
monitoring the industry for any coming, but now with the new been temporarily banned. The
shifts. The hospitality industry is Omicron variant and new quaran- crisis has made us all learn some-
moving towards a new era - one tine rules, people, especially from thing, one way or the other, to live
Gavin Eccles Jatinder Taneja
with innovation in technology and the UK and Europe, are cancelling Vice-Chairman, PATA India Chapter with difficulties.
Managing Partner Pushpendra Bansal
GE Consulting & Advisory unconventionality. COO-Lords Hotels and Resorts their tours. Contd on page 1414 TravTalk december 2 nd Fortnight issue 2021 quickbytes
2021 a year of hope, frustration: Experts
Contd from page 12
There is a positive sentiment Having faced a tough time The amusement industry
from the market as many people with no business or at least one was allowed to reopen by MHA
have been vaccinated and are now business in 2020, this year was only after October 15, 2020, post
comfortable travelling. Leisure lo- a sunny year for the tourism in- the first lockdown. Few parks
cations are attracting attention. dustry, with the major steps taken reopened since major states con-
However, branded hotels, resorts, by the government, especially its tinued with their lockdown and
and quick get-away places around vaccination drive. Initially starting reopened only after the situation
metropolitan cities showed good with nearby popular tourist desti- was under control. The industry,
recovery. However, smaller hotels nations or weekend destinations, which is high on Opex and Capex,
in semi-urban areas did not reap Shravan Bhalla
it now covers pan-India destina- Gurbaxish Singh Kohli was settling down and was look- K. Ranga Reddy
General Secretary, OTOAI Vice President, Federation of Hotel & Chairman IATO- Andhra Pradesh
the benefits as they had hoped. tions. The year has brought some Restaurant Associations of India (FHRAI) ing forward to the summer sea- and Telangana Chapter
Most of the business was trans- cheers to the industry. Major de- son in 2021. Unfortunately, the
The year 2021 was a see- second wave of April 2021 again Domestic tourism helped us
acted online, so perhaps a little velopments include the change Hotel and restaurant business
saw for the travel fraternity. In forced lockdown. This completely to regain at least 40 per cent of
decline in the role of tour opera- from virtual meetings, marts, in general has been and con-
the initial months, the business thrashed the hope and aspiration our hope to remain in the tourism
tors and travel agents. The hotels and exhibitions to physical events
was slow. With the horror of the tinues to be severely impacted to re-bounce. Footfall to the parks industry. They range from budget
have also shifted to digitalisation of all kinds of tourism activities,
second wave, people were scared over the last two years due to the was at an all-time low due to to deluxe clientele, and a couple of
and automation in operations. It and now with international flights
to travel even domestically. How- pandemic. When compared with COVID fears and a cash crunch. conferences with COVID-19 pro-
has become necessary. Hotels operating from the country by the
ever, with the vaccination in full the previous year (2020), this The amusement industry has al- tocols took place in Hyderabad.
had to look at their bottom lines of end of the year, other segments
swing and a decrease in the year (2021) has by far been the ready lost its biggest peak sum- Also, wedding destinations such
profitability. Therefore, productiv- will also start, which has been
number of daily cases, we saw worst. Although the businesses mer season and it will take quite as Ramoji Film City and other
ity and efficiency in operations are awaited by travellers. The MoT
normalcy from August onwards. were operating partly throughout some time for the parks to oper- resorts on Hyderabad's outskirts
receiving renewed attention. and state tourism boards are very
Since then, business has picked the year, they were under a lot of ate at their optimal capacity. boosted tourism survival. People
proactive in reviving tourism.
up and we have gone back into stress. The entire year was non- slowly realised they needed to be
business. The demand was such productive and we cannot qualify careful with the government rules
that the airfares have skyrocket- 2021 as a year of business. The in terms of cleanliness, social dis-
ed. The current situation is again businesses will continue to bleed tance, and wearing masks. This
worrisome with the new variant, and underperform for at least the really helped people to plan and
but we hope things get back to coming four quarters before we visit various tourist destinations.
normal soon. Due to COVID, see any proper demand. Cooking The beaches, as well as the hills
we saw local tourism booming, and food went online, dispos- of Northern India, benefited from
and we saw improved infra- able crockery, cutlery and digital the home stay concept, which is
structure, new projects, and menus have become a trend, and a game changer in terms of em-
MP Bezbaruah unheard-of boutique properties a new vertical of cloud kitchens Rajeev Jalnapurkar ployment creation and experienc-
Secretary General PP Khanna
Hotel Association of India come into existence. President, ADTOI became immensely popular. Chairman, Indian Association of ing the culture of the locals.
Amusement Parks & Industries (IAAPI)
The year 2021 is not a busi- Due to the closure of inter- We should be back to pre-
pandemic level with less than
CRUISE
ness year, but a better way to call national destinations, domestic
it would be to call it a year of "re- tourism came as a blessing in 20 per cent, by the end of the fi-
building business". We have been disguise for us. There was a nancial year. It will take lots more
through rebuilding, realigning, and heavy rush of domestic tour- time to recover from the losses of
re-engineering in a bid to create a ists to to destinations such as 2020–21. Major developments
strong foundation that was on a Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh, were the need to plan and be
sabbatical during the pandemic. Himachal Pradesh, and the North ready for such kind of situations
The objective is to lower our accu- Eastern states. However, as far in the future like more lockdowns,
Manmeet Singh Sunil C. Gupta
mulated losses as soon as possi- Chairman - IATO Punjab Chapter as destinations such as Gulmarg, Chairman, IATO (Northern Region) and be prepared with a back-up
ble, re-breakeven, and grow again. Pahalgam, and Srinagar are con- plan for survival in such scenar-
Practically speaking, not only our cerned, we are in a dearth of four Inbound business in the ios. Over 2020–22, encouraging Jurgen Bailom
For the tourism industry, it is
business but other businesses to five-star hotels. The govern- year 2021 was almost nil for development of new products, CEO and President
like being reborn. The only benefit Waterways Leisure Tourism
in the sector, I hope, will take as ment must invite more hoteliers the complete inbound vertical. having strong Standard Operating
from this endangerment is that
many as three years in order to to build star properties in these Although M!CE, domestic tour- Procedures, and having a team
we are reborn as adults, and not Cordelia Cruises was
come to the pre-pandemic level. destinations. Due to shortage of ism, and weddings are gaining that could deliver them became
as children, so we have started launched in September 2021.
To reduce our pain and suffering, momentum and are now bringing absolutely critical. A year of huge
with the knowledge base already hotels and heavy demand, rates The response we have received
we have started to think and be- in quite some revenue. This being struggle, challenge, and innova-
acquired and the support of a have skyrocketed. Despite the so far is not only encouraging,
have like a start-up, analysing the the wedding and festival season, tion, but keeping open through
huge loyalist client base, which COVID-19 variants, J&K Tourism but also overwhelming. It is twice
changed business environment. it has become a great source of the second wave was critical.
has been carefully nurtured over Department continued its promo- as much as we could have ever
The re-gestation period will be Making sure the team was well
so many years. The tourism in- tional activities. Besides, as many business for most of us in the anticipated. Indians are explor-
based on new benchmarks rather motivated and working together
dustry, after opening up after the as 40 flights have been operating hospitality and travel industry. We ing vacation opportunities that
than the pre-pandemic (2019-20) to understand the developments,
COVID-19-induced lockowns, to Jammu and Kashmir in India experienced growth in arrivals at are different than what they have
benchmarks. It has been a year of Standard operating Procedures,
has got heavily dependant de- ever since flying to overseas des- Gwalior due to the introduction doen earlier and haven’t been
hope, optimism, rediscovery and and keeping everyone safe was
pendent on domestic tourism. tinations have been stopped. of thirteen flights into Gwalior experienced by them, at all. We
learning for us! Fortunately, since we have a important to the business.
and also at Varanasi, where trips can safely make the statement,
domestic division and my of- could be extended to places like that we are in the right place at the
fices were handling a swarm of Ayodhya, Pryagraj, and Bodh right time. Enquiries and bookings
domestic clients also, we have Gaya". It was mostly domestic for group holidays and weddings
started getting business from the tourism that saw the growth and are pouring in. The sailings were
domestic tourism segment. This was largely "proximity tourism," to Goa, Kochi, Diu, and Lakshad-
has kindled a spark of hope and with self-drive holidays, since that weep. We have completed 20
optimism in us. But there is a lot was the safest means of travelling sailings with 20,000 guests to
more to be accomplished in order during the COVID-19 pandemic
to reach to the pre-pandemic lev- date, and they are still growing.
and people wanted to move out Cordelia Cruises has put India on
els, and we are working strenu- of their homes due to the Work
ously towards it.
Nasir Shah the global cruising map.
Prateek Hira Chairman - Vaibhav Kala
from Home scenario. Vice President, ATOAI Contd on page 25
Chairman IATO Uttar Pradesh Chapter IATO Jammu & Kashmir ChapterYou can also read
