How did you enter the travel and tourism industry? Was it a conscious decision?
I joined our family business conglomerate of Logistics, Air & Sea Cargo, Warehousing, 3PL, custom clearance, cotton controlling etc., which has been serving clients since 1895. This year we complete 125 years of continuous business services. Being the 4th Generation into the business, I was trained into all aspects of our enterprises. During my early days I used to visit my friend’s office in Mumbai, who used to run an established travel agency and got excited in the working of passenger logistics. Passenger and Cargo was associated and I decided to pursue activities of Airline Ticketing to being with. This was in 1998. I suggested my entrepreneurial plan to the elders in the family who instantly gave me a free hand to go ahead, explore and expand into the Airline Ticketing Vertical.
How long has your association with TAAI been?
I joined TAAI around 2007 and that’s the time commissions were being reduced to Zero. The Association was in full action then with members regularly meeting and debating and working with the committees across the country. I decided to contribute my efforts and service to the trade and volunteered into many activities. In 2009 I was elected as the Hon. Treasurer for TAAI – Western Region. Since then, I have been fairly active into the matters of the trade, be it airline matters, tourism, taxation and overall transformation of our trade.
In your current profile with TAAI, what more do you bring on the table and what is it that you seek to achieve for the travel community?
Currently, as the Vice President, I am fully aware of every challenge that our trade is facing in terms of government support, challenges with airline policies, tourism promotion, competition from OTA’s, taxation concerns, opposition in ease of doing business etc.
The endeavour going forward is to ensure Industry status, enhance government support on ease of doing business, ensuring a win-win situation along with airline and other stakeholder partner and our members to grow the trade maturely and exponentially. On an on-going basis, challenges with principals are coming-up on daily basis and these need to stop. Securing the risks of all members is our top priority. Ensuring appropriate training, continuous education through skill development for members so that we are updated of the products we sell and promote is also something I look into very seriously.
Airlines, who were earlier extremely dependent on the travel agents, seem to have drifted away in the last few years. What are the reasons for the same?
I don’t really think so, but yes, the passengers were and are drifting away to making direct bookings on various airline booking platforms. Technology is changing and so are the airline distribution channels. We too are trying to empower our members to work on digital and web platforms to enhance their business through innovative and progressive modes.
Do you think Agents should stop being dependent on the airlines and strive to become independent on the same?
We’ve already surpassed that phase. Airlines and agents have both become smart enough to approach each other on the basis of business support been given on mutual basis. Member agents are not only doing ticketing, which was their core business over 20 years ago. Today, travel agents are providing multiple services under one roof to the traveller – be it itinerary planning, visas, foreign exchange, identifying hotels of choice as per requirement of travel be it a holiday or business. Planning is done on the basis of age group, number of travellers, budgets and activities desired during their trips. Agents today are also providing connect and reservations to elite restaurants, shows, events and are curating memories than just trips. The world has become a large playground for the travel professionals of today.
When, in your opinion, will international travel resume from India?
The pandemic crisis is unprecedented and neither of us have any clue on what the next few months have in store for any of us. Domestic tourism has gained momentum as the country has opened tourism activities. With regard to International travel, the challenges of safety, availability of medical facilities in other countries is still being examined as the Government, slowly and steadily, is opening its corridors through air bubbles. However, there is a positive hope in the air that with the vaccine likely to be out by January 2021, the summer of 2021 looks bright.
As an integral TAAI Office Bearer, what are the three main goals that you have set to achieve during your tenure?
We setoff of with many goals and targets but the pandemic has put a halt to all our plans but not on our hopes. This period has given us all an opportunity to introspect and re-organise our working modules and setups. Since March we at TAAI have been working round the clock so as to ensure and seek support, respite, easy co-ordination, financial security, trade recognition, changes to redundant regulations, positivity with the Government, IATA, airlines, tourism boards and other stakeholder partners.
I would prioritise on getting a change in the Financial Security system with the airlines, which shall protect the agents from airlines misfortunes and going into defaults. A zero debt policy be it the airlines, agents or the traveller is the need of the hour.
Secondly, generating more training and knowledge sessions on tourism and allied products for the members, which will help them develop their skills further and gear them to face the competition from the online space.
Thirdly, working along with all Indian State Governments as well as India Tourism to promote domestic, inbound and outbound tourism be it for Leisure, Business, MICE, Adventure, sports, medical etc. so as to empower our members and the trade at large to grow and prosper exponentially.
