TravTalk India Online Magazine
The TAAI office bearers, Sanjay Narula, Vice President; Jyoti Mayal, Secretary General; and Imtiaz Qureshi, Treasurer, tell TRAVTALK what it took to put together the convention in Jammu and Kashmir and how the association is set to alter tourists’ perception of Kashmir as a destination.
Convention and Theme
“For years, we have been going overseas for our convention to bring foreign tourists to India and promote outbound destinations to tour operators. There has been a constant demand for a convention in India by the membership. After much deliberation over what would make the right impact, Kashmir seemed most appropriate. We attempt to strictly focus on Kashmir and its tourism.” Sanjay Narula Vice President TAAI
“All our members are excited about the Srinagar convention. The J&K Government and Tourism Ministry are working closely with us and are truly laying out the red carpet for our members. Our apt logo emphasising on ‘Integration Inspiration Innovation’ for 2018 convention is self-explanatory. It will be a path to achieve, not only for our members but also for the people of Kashmir and the tourism industry.” Jyoti Mayal Secretary General TAAI
“Since its inception, TAAI has always had a balanced approach on both inbound and outbound tourism. Our regions and chapters across the country have been constantly engaging themselves with their respective state tourism boards for promotion of tourism both on the state and national level. This convention is no different from our objective which is to to bring more tourists to different parts of the country.” Imtiaz Qureshi Treasurer TAAI
Kashmir in focus
We have received an overwhelming number of registrations this year. SKICC, our venue for this convention, opened many years ago with a TAAI convention only. Hence, this is homecoming for us. The event would allow our members to engage with local partners in the state and build strong partnerships with tour operators and house boat owners, an offering unique to Kashmir.
Our domestic inter-state tourism is growing year-on-year more than 20 per cent and our youth with disposable income are travelling frequently. Hence, there is a huge opportunity of promoting domestic tourism. We are hopeful that this convention will build the bridges to promote tourism for both domestic and inbound, thereby nurturing growth, sustainability, peace and prosperity.
There is a lot of enthusiasm in our membership for visiting this paradise, and I believe this would help re-establish J&K as a must-visit tourist destination. Networking events are scheduled for our members with various airlines, hoteliers and trade partners. We expect this convention to be one of the finest in giving our membership value additions to enhance their knowledge, skills and contacts.
Achievements
We have been working closely with the government and airlines to resolve issues that frequently plague agents. The TAAI team has put in their heart and soul in working effectively as a collaboration.
As former chairperson of my region, I tried to promote knowledge by showcasing new avenues, ease of transacting business with airlines, embassies, government and other suppliers.
Increase in remuneration from airlines, giving our membership value-added services for training frontline staff, etc, were major concerns, the processes of which have been initiated already.
