TravTalk India Online Magazine
The annual convention of ADTOI in Visakhapatnam brought together domestic agents and tour operators from across the country. The attendees share their experience of the city and challenges faced by the industry.
TT BUREAU
Sazid Subhan, Owner, Fastrack Travels
The convention provided good exposure to Vizag as not many people are aware of the beauty and the variety of tourism products available here. I am sure that the domestic tour operators will now sell this destination well. The Sunray Resort is coming up with a 9-hole golf course property which will also help in attracting golf enthusiasts and other niche segments of domestic travellers. For domestic tourism in general, air connectivity remains a big challenge. Weddings, Fams and MICE will help the underrated destinations to attract more tourists.
Lalit Singh, COO STHI Group & India Travel Award winner
I believe Vizag was chosen as the convention venue because the association hopes to introduce a new destination to its members so that they can add Andhra Pradesh to their product portfolio. Those who have not witnessed this part of the country will find much on offer and the domestic tour operators can promote it well. I feel that for domestic tourism, enough government support is available but the travel agents and tour operators have to put right things into the right perspective in order to benefit from this segment of tourism.
Joy Peter, Director, Intersight Tours and Travels
I have to acknowledge the fact that Vizag is one of the cleanest cities, setting an example for all the visitors and we have to take this clean drive forward to our own states. I feel we have to focus on domestic destinations before we plan holidays abroad and this sentiment resonated with the theme of the convention as well. It is important for the domestic tour operators to understand the taste of their clients, research the type of clientele they cater to and accordingly offer the products.
Siddharth Jain, Partner, Sapphire Ventures
Vizag is a relatively new destination and many travellers have not experienced it yet. Through the convention, I was made aware of the tourism initiatives undertaken by the tourism department of Andhra Pradesh and as agents, we can be instrumental in spreading this awareness across India. Vizag is definitely going to benefit from this convention as the publicity gathered from word-of-mouth is unmatched by any other marketing initiative.
Prabir Sen Owner, Tibet Tours and Travels, India Travel Award winner
Conventions are a great opportunity to meet colleagues and put forth our issues. We cannot talk about developing tourism infrastructure if some destinations lack basic amenities. It is important for domestic tour operators to be thorough with their products which they offer as travellers are now equipped with more information. The government also has to look into the issue of GST which has increased the cost of accommodation at various tourist destinations.
Sanjay Mehta, Chief Executive, Trans Globe Travels
The sessions were very informative and allowed for an interactive format where we could raise our issues. We are still lagging in terms of domestic air connectivity. The cost of travelling to international destinations is on a par with the cost of domestic travel which is why domestic tourism is lagging behind. The government needs to improvise on taxation policies to help hotels reduce accommodation costs and domestic airfares to boost domestic tourism at large.
