‘Business will be knowledge-driven’

In a candid conversation with TRAVTALK, Riaz Munshi, President, Outbound Tour Operators Association of India (OTOAI), says that the important tip for outbound tour operators is to keep a positive outlook and not let pessimism dominate. He says business should now be knowledge-driven and not based on price.

Manas Dwivedi

Being extremely optimistic that this rough patch will pass soon and a bright new day will come for the travel trade, Riaz Munshi feels that all OTOAI members, outbound travel agents and other stakeholders should keep a positive outlook and not lose hope. “The crisis is not going to get over soon for outbound tour operators. The little hope for some is a slow start to operations, expected between August and September. Only 10-20 per cent of business will be there then; travellers are not going to opt for long-haul destinations anytime soon. Out of this, essential travel, business trips and VFR is going to see a rise, leisure travel will have a slow start,” he says.

Explore different verticals

Munshi feels that business-wise, tour operators should utilise this time and enhance their knowledge and think how they can grow their business. There are a lot of verticals in travel itself, which agents can explore. “An outbound operator can explore domestic business, M!CE or other kinds of tourism. There are different avenues which people can explore, they just need to expand their horizon and think. They can also work on specialising on selling a particular destination and become an expert. All short-haul destinations will be the first ones to pick up and show demand, such as Dubai, Thailand, Sri Lanka, Maldives, and all Southeast Asian countries,” he shares.

Knowledge-driven business

Munshi feels that in times to come, the dynamics of doing business are going to change. He says, “The market will see a paradigm shift in business, from being price-driven to being knowledge-driven. Dependency on tour operators will increase now. Run-of-the-mill itineraries will not work now. Tour operators will have to tailor itineraries according to travellers’ requirements and the new way people will visit sites. In my opinion, momentum in business and outbound travel will be back by April 2021.”

Regulating tourism businesses

Munshi believes that the government should have a regulation in place for businesses in the travel & tourism sector. “They may have to be certified by the government. This is very important, since a majority of the tourism industry is an unorganised sector. This is the reason we are not able to take any decision collectively for the industry. We have been requesting the government to consider licensing and regulations in tourism, or at least put some basic rules and regulations in place,” Munshi says about the pressing issue.

The OTOAI President also feels that tour operators should focus on their mental and physical health during the pandemic. “Right now, everyone should protect themselves from COVID-19. Survival should be the agenda in 2020. Everyone should remain positive because the moment you resort to negativity, you activate your un-resourceful mind. It will only create doubts about the future. It can also lead to stress, depression and ill health. Right now, everyone should protect themselves from COVID-19. Survival should be the agenda in 2020,” he concludes.