Priyanka Saxena Ray
Much is being said about the downfall of tourism and how it is the worst hit sector – one which will take a long time to recover. Heralding the domestic travel times yet again in India, the dynamic team of ADTOI decided to hold its annual convention – physically in Kevadia, Gujarat and received an extremely warm response and appreciation. The convention saw Tour Operators, both from Gujarat as well as from the rest of India participate in huge numbers. Tourism Secretary along with ADG Tourism, Ministry of Tourism were also present throughout the convention and spoke much in favour of the convention.
“Absolutely a pleasure to be at Kevadia Gujarat. First largest physical event after the pandemic. Creating confidence in industry and travellers. Saw the Statue of Unity which is the world’s tallest statue. And there is so much else for all to come and stay and see. Matter of great pride for modern India to have the statue, which is truly an architectural engineering marvel,” shared Mr. Rupinder Brar, ADG, Ministry of Tourism, Government of India.
Mr. Jenu Devan (IAS), MD and Commissioner of Tourism, Gujarat Tourism, Government of India, shared in a media chat, “Today there are 400 Tour Operators in Kevadia, which is extremely heartening. This is the first such convention happening and is testimony that industry is bouncing back little by little. The time has come for State Governments and Central Government to tie up with each other and tap the travel enthusiasts who wish to travel. What is also important to highlight is that Kevadia, besides the Statue of Unity, has 30 more tourist attractions worth visiting.
Mr. P.P. Khanna, President, ADTOI, who is extremely delighted at being the frontrunner in holding a physical event shared, “We were expecting around 300 delegates but ended up having around 440 delegates and over 30 PIB Media. Almost 20 people from the Ministry of Tourism attended the convention and were showcased the best that Kevadia has to offer. Besides Gujarat, states such as Tamil Nadu, J&K and MoT also actively participated. We are glad to say that ADTOI has opened the gates for the fraternity to hold physical events now and also encourage people to travel.”
Amidst the highlights, Mr. Khanna shared that the Ministry of Tourism has identified 19 iconic destinations, which it will promote through Knowledge sessions, Roadshows and Travel Marts in association with ADTOI soon. The aim for this year is to convert the potential outbound travellers into domestic travellers. The ministry has also assured that the MDA qualifying norms will be relaxed to benefit tourism and tour operators.
