TravTalk India Online Magazine
With its efforts to resolve industry issues and address concerns of members, IATO is actively working on subjects such as group booking facility with railways and withdrawal of airport entry passes to tour operators.
Manas Dwivedi
Withdrawal of airport entry passes for tour operators
The facility of airport entry passes for tour operators is being withdrawn from January 1, 2020, and passes will be issued for the interim period till December 31, 2019. IATO took up the matter with concerned authorities mentioning that airport entry passes are must for tour operators to receive foreign guests at the airport and to ensure their safety and security.
Denial of Kolkata immigration office to acknowledge Darranga checkpoint
The North East India Tour Operators Association informed that Bhutan government will ‘freeze visas for tourists exiting via Samdrup Jongkhar’, as an interim measure for the exit route from Bhutan connecting Assam. The reason given by Bhutan government is the problem faced by foreign tourists during immigration in Kolkata, as the immigration office there has denied to acknowledge Darranga, Assam entry stamp in the passports. IATO mentioned that it is an important point of entry as it boosts tourism in Northeast India. The association requested that Darranga checkpoint should be recognised as a valid check post for entry/exit so that Bhutan government can lift its order.
For foreign tourists, terms and conditions as well as advance booking period should be on a par with the booking pattern of international booking centres
Group booking facility with railways for IATO members
Indian tour operators involved in inbound tour business are unable to do bookings through IRCTC’s online platform for groups of more than six pax since the existing IRCTC software doesn’t allow it. The average size, however, of a foreign tourist group is of 30-40 persons. So, in one go for groups, tour operators cannot book train tickets for the whole group and they need to do bookings multiple times.
IATO suggested that their members should be allowed to book rail tickets for their foreign groups in a similar way as they do for domestic air booking with group name, ID numbers, passport details and nationality of the passengers mandatorily mentioned. Facility of 360 days advance booking for foreign clients, should be available for IATO members who are recognised by Ministry of Tourism. It also said that for group bookings for foreign tourists, terms and conditions, advance booking period, should be on a par with booking pattern for international booking centres.
Grievance for booking of luxury train billing with IRCTC
IATO members are currently facing issues with IRCTC in respect to invoicing of booking of tour package for Maharajas’ Express luxury train for the current season 2018-19. Members of the association are recognised by the Ministry of Tourism as tour operators. Under the GST regime, they are paying five per cent GST (without availing ITC facility) as tour operators. From the current season 2018-19, IRCTC has abruptly changed its invoicing pattern and has started treating tour operators and sales affiliates as “pure agent” of the end customer or tourist by referring to GST provisions with taking concurrence from tour operators or sales affiliates before changing the billing process. IATO requested that IRCTC should not treat its members as pure agent of foreign tourist(s) and tax invoice should be raised by IRCTC to sales affiliates/ tour operators in INR with five per cent GST.
Halt of Vande Bharat Express at Tundla junction
IATO has requested the Railways Minister that ‘Vande Bharat Express’ betwee Delhi– Varanasi–Delhi, which halts at Kanpur and Prayagraj, should be given two minutes’ halt at Tundla Railway Station, as this will be useful to domestic as well as foreign tourists who would like to travel from Mathura to Varanasi and Prayagraj. They also pitched for introducing this on other tourist sectors.
Bookings on Deccan Odyssey
With the scenario of Cox & Kings, IATO members enquired from them on the status of bookings of their clients, but there was no reply from Cox & Kings about the departure of the train and bookings made by them. The matter was taken up with Maharashtra Tourism requesting them to honour the bookings for which advance payments have been made and tickets issued. The association requested that Deccan Odyssey luxury train departures should not be cancelled and operate as scheduled.
Landing time with TUI Airways
TUI Airways is a UK charter flight that operates to Goa from November to April. This year, the preventative maintenance of Goa Airport is scheduled on Saturdays from 07:30 to 12:30 IST. However, these timings disrupt the TUI Airways operations on Saturdays. TUI airways operated on Saturday at 11:30-13:00 IST last season. The airline has very clearly mentioned that due to operational reasons and crew rest, they cannot operate at the timings offered by AAI, Goa and Delhi. The airline has stated that they would be forced to cancel the flight if not permitted to operate as requested. IATO has requested the authorities to kindly look into the matter and revise the naval NOTAM to 06:30-11:30 hours IST, or it should be permitted to operate at 12:30-14:00 LT.
