Bonding with travel fraternity

OTOAI recently organised an EOGM in New Delhi, where the participants shared the issues facing the association, its target areas and recent actions. Riaz Munshi, President, OTOAI, also shared the association’s vision for 2022 in the meeting.

Janice Alyosius

Speaking at the OTOAI’s Extra Ordinary General Meeting, Riaz Munshi, President, OTOAI, said that the organisation is working on creating relationships with all stakeholders, including airlines, visa facilitation services and the tourist board, and extending its assistance in giving all relevant information to them. “This is a moment for collaboration and building relationships so that everyone’s business may grow,” Munshi said.

Shravan Bhalla, General Secretary, OTOAI said, “We’ve been in touch with stakeholders via virtual meetings over the last few months. We intend to convene regular physical meetings with stakeholders, so that they can present themselves and inform the members about the latest happenings in their respective destinations.”

Vineet Gopal, Joint Secretary, OTOAI, said, “The association is advocating with the concerned authorities to have a global standard aviation policy because, in the long run, when things will open up, it is important to have uniform practices at the airport. So, to fulfil the need, OTOAI, as an association, is working on it and we are also writing to all the authorities to initiate and develop the policies.” Himanshu Patil, Vice President, OTOAI, said the travel industry has begun to see a decline after the news of new COVID-19 variant, Omicron.

“There are not many activities we could do, as a lot of tourism boards and airlines are active at present,” he said. “The OTOAI is in talks with the government to have a licensing scheme for the travel trade to have an idea of the number of travel partners working in an authorised manner,” he added.