The main purpose behind trade associations is to appoint one voice for the industry; to form a body, which can address the grievances and concerns of the fraternity and give members a platform to come together and discuss ways and means to take business in their sector higher. While their functioning is often questioned by few, there are many who would vouch for their necessity. Outbound Tour Operators Association of India (OTOAI) is perhaps the youngest of all travel trade associations but is definitely the one that is most talked about and one that has a young and dynamic team heading it. The man of the realm, Mahendra Vakharia, President – OTOAI (Outbound Tour Operators Association of India) and Managing Director, Pathfinders Holidays, in an exclusive chat with BOTT, shares all that the association is doing for its members.
Priyanka Saxena Ray
As the President of OTOAI, could you highlight some of the activities that the association has carried out in the recent past for its members?
As an association it is our constant endeavour to ensure that we bring meaningful workshops in destination training, soft skills etc. for the members on regular basis. We have had soft skills training workshops for members in Delhi arranged by a professional skill trainer. We have had training workshops in Ahmedabad for members arranged by a very professional training institute licensed School of the reputed Travel Institute of USA. And we have also had destination training workshops in cooperation with the respective Tourism Boards, such as, Germany, South Korea, Accor Hotels, and many more.
How much has the member strength of OTOAI increased over the last 2 years?
We are seeing a constant increase in the membership of the association and on an average, we induct 3-4 new members every month. Adding members is a continuous process and a validation of the fact that we are doing something right. We are constantly working towards increasing numbers of our membership base and inducting new members who have submitted all the relevant documents as per the norms of membership.
What is the vision of OTOAI with regards to the near future?
The vision of OTOAI is a long term one and it is a continuous process to ensure that we create more and more opportunities for the members (especially in tier3/4 cities) to get exposure with executives from international tourism boards, reputed DMC partners and other industry stake holders. We also aim to create opportunities of tie-up with worldwide associations resulting in cross culture understanding of the challenges and trends in worldwide industry and helping the members be aware and educated about the same. We at the association are constantly communicating with the Consulates and VFS on regular basis to ease the visa procurement and application challenges, etc. in our endeavour to increase outbound from India,
What role is the Association playing in increasing the outbound from India? Which are the newer destinations that have come up in the recent past?
The outbound business an extremely knowledge based industry, which is driven by technology nowadays. Thus, it will be our constant effort to ensure we create meaningful programmes / training for our members and update them with the latest trends in the field of outbound destinations and the industry that they are a part of.
What, in your opinion, are the ‘favourite’ or ‘popular’ destinations for the outbound traffic?
Well, there are some traditional destinations that remain an all-time favourite, such as, UK / USA / Canada / Cruise Holidays / Swiss + Paris are the common ones. However, East Europe / Croatia / Iceland / Scandinavia / Greece / Turkey have emerged as some of the most popular destinations this summer. As for the upcoming holiday spots, well, Turkey / Kenya / South Africa / Egypt are the emerging favourites in the India market.
