In a recent initiative, the Association has drafted a 10-point letter and circulated to all the NTO heads in India, asking them to clearly state the Rules / SOPs / Guidelines etc. that an international traveller has to be aware of.
Ever since the air-bubble arrangement started in India in July 2020, there has been a plethora of changes in the guidelines and SOPs to be followed. Also, since the number of COVID cases keeps changes, many countries often end up altering their travel guidelines, which are not made very clear to an outbound traveller. This letter by OTOAI, will require the NTOs to clearly state down the protocols and will give the much-needed clarity to the Indian outbound traveller.
Sharing his views, Mr. Riaz Munshi, President, OTOAI says, “Over the months, we were seeing much ambiguity on the SOPs and Guidelines for international travel – different protocols for different countries. This was not just leaving the traveller confused but also adding to the struggle of an outbound tour operator, who is trying to get some business done in this pandemic. Thus we decided to step up and gain clarity on the international travel protocols to be followed so as to ease the international travel for consumers as well as tour operators. Once we have all the information in place, we would be circulating to all our members so that they can do their business with precision.”
Meanwhile, the President feels that it is safe to open commercial international travel from India as in the last 8 months, people have understood how to travel taking the necessary precautions and checks in place. “Opening up of commercial international operations will boost the confidence of not just the travellers but also the various verticals of travel industry, who have been suffering immensely because of the COVID pandemic. It will be an integral step towards boosting the economy,” adds Mr. Munshi.
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