Priyanka Saxena Ray
Harish Mathur
IATO Executive Committee Member
“According to a report, India will witness 13.34 million inbound tourists by 2024, marking an increase of around 22% as compared to the pre-pandemic year 2019. As perreport, tourists travelling to India will increase year-on-year between 2022 and 2024.”
Day by day, people are opening up to new opportunities throughout the world and here in India we are prepared to welcome tourists, satisfying all the hygienic and sanitary needs, demand for which has gradually increased amongst the travellers’ post pandemic. Amidst covid vaccination and treatment, tourists prefer to stay and visit clean and safe places irrespective of the money spent there. The priorities are now changed to spending more money during travel to ensure 100% safety and security from viruses and infections. Henceforth, we should grab this opportunity on a positive note as understandably more money spent during travel will increase the demand, and ultimately benefit our family of tour operators.
In a recent report it was estimated that India will witness 13.34 million inbound tourists by 2024, marking an increase of around 22% as compared to the pre-pandemic year 2019. The report also forecast that tourists travelling to India will increase year-on-year between 2022 and 2024, starting with 4.1 million in 2022, doubling in 2023 to 8.5 million and reaching 13.34 million in 2024. In support of this report, I will say that India is a spectacular destination, for both business and tourism.I would request the Ministry of Tourism to organise and promote India through a variety of information spread during conclaves and events in order to educate people about the prestigious history and culture of India. Also, many foreigners donot know much about India in depth, so these events will not only spread information and educate people, but also ignite a spark in them to visit India. Brand INDIA should be advertised more and more as a safe and sound destination, which is only possible if we work together as a whole.
Deepak Bhatnagar
IATO Executive Committee Member
“We at IATO have been in constant touch with not only the Ministry of Tourism but also with the Ministry of Home, External Affairs, Civil Aviation etc. and pressing upon on them to make travel to India easy.”
Tourism post pandemic to India is very slow mainly due to very high international air fare. Our current Visa policy is also not helping us to push business. Also, there is no marketing at all for destination India where else other destinations have taken lead in marketing their destinations.Today, the preference of a traveller has changed. They are looking for good value of money. Mosttourists are looking for more hygienic and cleaner destinations/ hotels etc and the tour operators need to keep this in mind.
We at IATO havebeen in constant touch with not only the Ministry of Tourism but also with the Ministry of Home, External Affairs, Civil Aviation etc. and pressing upon on them to make travel to India easy. Though our government had opened the Visas (including E-Visa except few countries) in November 2021 and also opened the skies for international airlines sometime in March 2022, what should have also followed was extensive marketing of destination India in various source markets. Moving forward, it is critical to have the e-visas open for UK and Canada immediately as both of these markets are key source markets for India.
Recently, lot of our partners across Europe, especially from Spain and Germany, faced E-Visa issues, which was taken up with the respective Ministries.
We have been pushing the Ministry of Tourism to participate in all major international tourism fairs and we are thankful to them that finally they have participated in WTM. London and would be participating in FITUR, Spain & ITB Germany.
We have also taken up the matter to increase international flights so that once they are running at full capacity, a more balanced airfare may come into play. Key issue for us is to get back to same numbers for India what we are doing pre-pandemic at the earliest and then start growing the numbers.
Manoj Kumar Matta
IATO Executive Committee Member
“Tourism is here to stay forever and likewise inbound shall also revive sooner or later. However, going back to pre-pandemic figures seem difficult before 2025 because of higher airfares, depreciation of Indian rupee against US$, Visa delays / E-Visa issues for certain source markets and exorbitant hotel rates etc.”
The entire tourism scenario has changed post pandemic. It has become difficult to find skilled man power in our industry, especially those with 2-5 years of experience because most of them have chosen an alternate career, same is the case with quality vehicles etc. Now tourists are looking at short haul destination and are more interested in experiential travel. They are willing to traverse the off-beaten destinations. Also, post Covid as refunds of tourists got stuck with hotels, airlines and OTAs, realising the strength and “personal touch” by off-line tour operators, tourists are now coming back to us. Now a days, young travellers are using ‘Social Media’, particularly Instagram to decide their next holiday and hence entire marketing and advertising game has changed.
It gives me pride to say that IATO has not left any stone unturned in its perusal of boosting tourism. It was due to our persistent efforts that meeting was made possible.
Now going forward, we need to push MoT more aggressively to give free space to government recognised tour operators for 1-2 years in various international travel marts/exhibitions and this needs to be done in a planned manner, well in advance
The PMO has to be convinced that our Diplomats / Ambassadors cannot replace our international MoT offices as their hands are already full. For the industry to revive and bounce back with a bang, MoT’s presence in various source markets is essential because private tour operators have limited resources. Also, GST needs to be rationalised because currently all components of a package tour be it a hotel, flight ticket, transport, restaurant, entrances etc. everything has GST in it and by charging 5% GST as tour operator services, it is tax on tax and against basis principle of GST.
IATO needs to push MoF to resume SEIS at a higher rate or an alternate likewise policy to incentivise tour operators and also revive the MDA.
Tourism is here to stay forever and likewise inbound shall also revive sooner or later. However, going back to pre-pandemic figures seem difficult before 2025 because of higher airfares, depreciation of Indian rupee against US$, Visa delays / E-Visa issues for certain source markets and exorbitant hotel rates etc. Industry stakeholders, especially the hoteliers need to do hand holding of tour operators and honour the contract, while offering rates with validity for a longer period.
State tourism authorities should do hand holding of the tour operators as they are their brand ambassadors. Tour operators should be offered free space in national and international travel marts and states should also be advertised to work exclusively with MoT approved operators. Moreover, we should all promote “India” as a complete state and not as separate states.
Our Hon’ble PM has always spoken highly about tourism at all fronts, unfortunately, the same is not directly visible in the actions. Creating infrastructure alone would not bring international tourists. India is already late in doing destination promotion in international markets and our neighbours have taken full advantage of the same. Hotels and Airlines too need to bring their rates down so as to make India an attractive and affordable Inbound destination.
Zia Siddiqui
IATO Executive Committee Member
“MoT should focus on capping the airfare limit; offer 50% discount on all monument entrance and indulge in aggressive online as well as offline promotion of brand India while organising road shows in potential markets and highlighting festivals of India as well.”
The trade is now opening after a gap of two and half years. This is the time that we must meet, discuss and sort-out the issues that would be facing by operators. This is the main objective of convention.
To my fellow IATO members I would like to suggest that this is the time the operator must go for digitalisation and automation. They must focus on website optimisation, online marketing in overseas targeted market and write blogs about the guest experience. They must do analytics of all promotions done by them through online or email. In short, they should open a virtual Tour Super Market through their website and then promote it aggressively. I am confident that doing this will being home some good results. Success in today’s time is dependent on innovation and technology.
My suggestion to the Ministry of Tourism would be to work on the following points – capping the airfare limit; offering 50% discount on all monument entrance and indulge in aggressive online as well as offline promotion of brand India while organising road shows in potential marketsand highlighting festivals of India as well.
Going by the current wave and keeping the ongoing bookings and figures in mind, I am confident that up to some extent, we shall recover in 2023-24.
Ashok Dhoot
IATO Executive Committee Member
“I would like IATO Office Bearers to focus on simplifying Visa process as much as possible, ensure participation in international trade shows with stakeholders and give a chance to small trade partners free of cost to promote small destinations.”
Tourism has been one of the worst affected sectors in this Pandemic. We were the first to be hit and even now, Inbound market is still struggling. In the post pandemic travel scenario, travellers today are more focused on offbeat and unique destinations. I have to be a part of an association that has worked diligently in the last couple of years to bring back tourism in focus. Going forward, I would like IATO Office Bearers to focus on simplifying Visa process as much as possible, ensure participation in international trade shows with stakeholders and give a chance to small trade partners free of cost to promote small destinations.
I am fully confident that Inbound Tourism will revive well by December 2023. In the post pandemic era, we have seen there is a change in inbound booking pattern. Earlier people would go for their bookings well in advance but now they are getting booking doneat the last minute as well.
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