Update on IATO Activities (Monday, 1st March to Sunday, 7th March 2021)

Dear Members

Greetings,

Please find appended relevant activities of our association for the period (Monday, 1st March to Sunday, 7th March 2021)

Segments covered are 1. Communication / Letters that addressed key issues 2. Webinars/ Panel Discussions/Circulars/Meetings/Chapter news Request your feedback to further the content of our weekly report. 1. Communication / Letters that addressed key issues Segment 1 update sequence by date:1,2 March Monday, 1st March  Requested Secretary Tourism to revise Guidelines for financial assistance for the Tourism, Travel and Hospitality Trade Associations for their various events in

Drawing his kind attention to the Guidelines for Assistance by the Ministry of Tourism to the Travel & Hospitality Trade Association for various events in India dated 24th January 2012 (. A copy of the same was attached) IATO wrote to Shri Arvind Singh Secretary (Tourism) that the last revision in the guidelines was made about 9 years ago and requested that these guidelines be revised due to cost escalation and various other reasons in the present scenario. Due to Covid pandemic, there was no business and the tourism stakeholders needed to start from scratch. IATO annual convention was one such platform where over 1000 delegates participate, which included senior Government officials from the centre and the state governments, tourism and hospitality industry stakeholders e.g. tour operators, travel agents, tourist transport operators, hoteliers, airlines (both domestic and international), tourism educational institutes, national travel media and press. They came together, interacted, formulated and came out with valuable suggestions and recommendations to the centre and the state governments for promotion and development of tourism not only for the host state but for all over India.

IATO every year got a financial support from the Ministry of Tourism and in the last annual convention held in Kolkata in September 2019, IATO was blessed with the presence of the Hon’ble Tourism Minister Shri Prahlad Singh Patel ji and Smt. Rupinder Brar, Additional Director General Tourism along with Regional Director East and other officials from the Ministry also attended the convention. Ministry had supported IATO with a financial amount of Rs. 20 lakh and in turn wide publicity was given by IATO to Incredible India by providing booth in India Tourism Mart during the convention, advertisements in IATO manual, backdrops, panels and hosted Ministry of Tourism officials during the convention.

IATO requested Secretary Tourism to kindly increase the amount of financial assistance from Rs. 20 lakh to Rs. 70 lakhs keeping in view the current situation. It was informed that the next annual convention of IATO is planned in September 2021 and host state would be Gujarat. However, this would be subject to conditions becoming normal and the SOPs in place at that time.

 Requested Shri Nitin Jairam Gadkari, Honourable Minister of Road Transport & Highways, Minister of Shipping, Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises to increase speed limit of tourist vehicles to 100 KMPH on highways and help on issues related to MSME Loan to Tourism Sector

IATO interacted with Shri Nitin Jairam Gadkari during the FICCI organised virtual meeting on the 1st of March to discuss issues of tourism and hospitality industry.

The issues raised by IATO were 1. The need to Increase speed limits for Tourist Vehicles from 80 to 100 KMPH

2. One India One Tax 3. Request to introduce ECLGS 3.0 for the long term impacted tourism and hospitality sector under MSME loan policy 4. Extend the validity of certificates of fitness and permits (all types) of transport vehicles for a period of one year from 30 September 2020. 5. Exemption of Penalties and Fines as IATO members were being harassed by the State Government RTO departments 6. Creation of Land Bank for parking facilities at monuments, railway stations, markets and other places of tourist interest 7. Cruise terminal and developing river cruise A copy of the letter was marked to A. Secretary, Ministry of MSME and B. Secretary, Ministry of Road Transport & Highways,

Tuesday, 2nd March  Requested Secretary Tourism to kindly take up issues raised by IATO at the virtual meeting on the 1st of March with Shri , Hon’ble Minister of Road Transport & Highways, and Minister of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises, with the Hon’ble Minister supporting the industry and resolving these issues. IATO in its letter to Shri Arvind Singh, Secretary Tourism made the aforesaid request. A copy of the letter was marked to A. JS Tourism and B. ADG Tourism. A copy of a letter which was sent to Shri Nitin Gadkari, Hon’ble Minister of Road Transport & Highways, and Minister of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises on the 1st of March was appended.

2. Webinars/ Panel Discussions/Circulars/Meetings Segment 2 update sequence by date:1,6 March Monday, 1st March  Members were invited to the FICCI Webinar with Travel & Hospitality Industry Representatives from the MSME segment held on Monday 1st March, 11.30 AM Saturday, 6th March  Dekho Apna desh Webinar Episode 79: Weaving growth of rural India with SEWA & Airbnb India was organized on 6th March 2021(1100 -1200hrs)

 Results of IATO Elections held on Saturday, the 6th March 2021. IATO’s Elections for the post of Office Bearers and Executive Committee Members were held today, the 6th March, 2021 at The Ashok Hotel, New Delhi. Total number of votes cast were 322 out of 352 eligible members to cast their vote.

Returning Officer Mr Homa Mistry announced the List of Office Bearers/EC Members who were declared elected

PRESIDENT - Mr. Rajiv Mehra, Uday Tours & Travels Pvt. Ltd.

SR. VICE PRESIDENT- Mr. E.M. Najeeb, Air Travel Enterprises (I) Ltd.

VICE PRESIDENT - Mr. Ravi Gosain, Erco Travels Pvt. Ltd.

HONY. SECRETARY - Mr. Rajnish Kaistha, Paradise Holidays India Pvt. Ltd.

HONY. TREASURER - Mr. Sunil Mishra, Cosmos Tours & Travels

HONY. JOINT SECRETARY - Mr. Sanjay Razdan, Razdan Holidays

IMMEDIATE PAST PRESIDENT – Mr. Pronab Sarkar, Swagatam Tours Pvt. Ltd.

FOR EC MEMBERS – ACTIVE (5 POSTS) Mr. Deepak Bhatnagar, Aamantaran Travel Company Pvt. Ltd. Mr. Harish Mathur, Concord Travels & Tours Mr. Manoj Kumar Matta, Oriental Vacations & Journeys Pvt. Ltd. Mr. Tony Marwah, Indian Travel Promotion Company Pvt. Ltd. Mr. Vishal Yadav, Incredible Destination Management Service Pvt. Ltd.

FOR EC MEMBERS –ALLIED (3 POSTS) Mr. Ashok Dhoot, Harsh Travels Mr. P. Vijayasarathy, Benchmark Hotels Pvt. Ltd. Mr. Zia Siddiqui, Alliance Hotels & Resorts

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