Priyanka Saxena Ray
Under his leadership, TAAI continues to uphold its credo of trust and integrity while championing initiatives such as the ‘Rally for Valley’ campaign. In this interview, he reflects on milestones achieved, challenges overcome, and the road ahead for India’s outbound and inbound travel sector.
This is your first convention after being re-elected as President of TAAI. How does it feel to lead the association once again, and what are your immediate priorities?
It is exciting to work with the current team, with many newer members of the MC, including Chairpersons, and to put a high-quality convention together. We are certain that the Delegates will find this convention most delightful. Since we have been to Abu Dhabi before, 9 years ago, the focus has been to offer more than the previous.
The previous conventions under your leadership were highly successful. Post-pandemic, however, the industry has undergone major changes. What challenges have you faced while planning this year’s convention, and how are you addressing them?
The usual challenges that come up post-pandemic. It is quite tough to continue offering the kind of subsidy TAAI offers to our delegates, despite a high spend. This convention is an example of the registration vs. spend, which is three times more. But that is what TAAI is known for.
While this puts pressure on us to invest more time in partnerships and sponsorships, we are grateful for the trust our partners and sponsors have in our team. We have been well honoured, though the challenge continues. We thank our sponsors and partners for obliging us. For sure, the quality of delivery is expected to be beyond the 2016 excitement.
The theme of the 68th TAAI Convention is “Business with Goodness.” What inspired you to choose this theme, and how does it resonate with the current industry scenario?
Deal with someone you can trust. This is the TAAI Credo. At its heart are values of peace, empathy, kindness, and service—principles that guide us toward better living. When these qualities of goodness are embraced by business leaders and reflected in their acts of giving, they create more than success—they help build a world of value, free from conflicts, prejudices, and divisions. Our speakers will highlight these very aspects, sharing insights that will truly benefit our delegates. And that is why this year’s theme is – “Business with Goodness.”
TAAI’s ‘Rally for Valley’ campaign was a resounding success and won appreciation from across the industry. How do you see this initiative contributing to the revival of tourism in the region, and are there plans for similar campaigns in the future?
The revival of tourism in J&K is a reflection of our initiative. We are happy that we could rise to the occasion and take the bold step to promote J&K. We continue to get feedback that there are more and more people now visiting J&K, which is good. But we have to continue the promotion since the levels have to be achieved once. Again.
It has been almost a year since you resumed leadership as President. What would you highlight as the key achievements and milestones of TAAI during this period?
We have been able to achieve several milestones in last one year, all of which focus on Member Engagement via our program – Member First. Take a serious view at our issues of NAMASTAAI and one would notice how active TAAI is at the National, Regional, and Chapter levels. There has been plenty of revamping, with stronger communication channels, more inclusive participation, and initiatives designed to address members’ needs proactively. The effort continues to keep TAAI ahead with more members joining us consistently, reaffirming our position as a dynamic and responsive association committed to the growth of our fraternity.
Membership strength is crucial for any association. Has TAAI witnessed an increase in membership during your tenure? What new initiatives are you taking to add further value for members?
We have a list of over 600 applications pending review. Need we say more! Surely, we will achieve much more than what we have already achieved. This overwhelming response reflects the growing confidence of the trade in TAAI’s vision and leadership. Our continuous efforts to enhance member engagement, offer knowledge-driven programs, and create stronger industry linkages are ensuring that TAAI remains the preferred association for travel professionals across India.”
BLURB
“We have been able to achieve several milestones in last one year, all of which focus on Member Engagement via our program – Member First. Take a serious view at our issues of NAMASTAAI and one would notice how active TAAI is at the National, Regional, and Chapter levels. There has been plenty of revamping, with stronger communication channels, more inclusive participation, and initiatives designed to address members’ needs proactively.”
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