NDC, AI & nature in focus @TAFI

The Travel Agents Federation of India (TAFI) recently held its annual convention in the Ninh Binh province of Vietnam. The convention, attended by around 385 delegates, offered its members an opportunity to discover an unexplored region of Vietnam, as well as get insights from experts on pertinent issues affecting the industry.

Nisha Verma from Vietnam

Ajay Prakash, President, TAFI, said that the TAFI Convention 2025 would boost Indian visitation to Ninh Binh, like it has done for other destinations the association has taken conventions to.

“Vietnam has become an extremely popular destination for Indian travellers over the last couple of years. More direct flights are coming in and Indians are now discovering this beautiful country. The challenge is that you need to disperse tourist traffic. Instead of everybody going into Hanoi, Saigon, Da Nang or the Halong Bay, there are many other destinations that this country has to offer,”
he said.

Sharing how they closed in on the destination, Prakash revealed, “When we first started looking at Vietnam, we were looking at other cities. However, when we met the Chairman of the People’s Provincial Committee of Ninh Binh, he insisted on coming to Ninh Binh. When we came for our first recce, we realised that it is a beautiful place with lots of stunning natural beauty and many cultural bonds.”

Theme in action

Adding further he shared, “Vietnam is a destination that could use more tourism, but responsible tourism. While it is still in the nascent stage, it is important that we talk about how we will develop tourism in a destination that is being discovered by Indians. It is the only industry that survives on the natural beauty, diversity and the differences that we have in this world. Thus, it has also got a responsibility towards the planet, which is the theme of our convention—’Tourism for Tomorrow, Protecting the Planet’.”

He added, “In Ninh Binh, where what used to be just marshlands has been converted into a beautiful pagoda with Tam Chuc, where we had our farewell dinner. The caverns visited by delegates at Trang An in boats were totally neglected in the past. Today it is recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Hence, they have done good work, but it is important to re-emphasise that tourism has to be done in a responsible manner if it is to be sustainable.”

Prakash said that the idea behind TAFI bringing its convention to Ninh Binh was to boost its numbers. “TAFI loves to do conventions in unconventional places, and everywhere that we have taken a convention, the numbers have grown. You will see the same happening in Ninh Binh as well,” he claimed.

The takeaway

The convention saw knowledge sessions which delved into topics like NDC, AI and new revenue generation models with speakers ranging from airlines, GDSs, travel aggregators and senior travel industry representatives. “The convention is a catalyst for conversations. The idea of a convention is not merely to go and discover a destination, it is also to network with your peers, because we have 12 chapters spread across the country. This is the opportunity for members to meet, talk, complain, to strategise and devise new solutions. The conversations have been extremely interesting and exciting. However, the convention has opened the doors for further conversations with the suppliers. Also, the B2B gave an opportunity for members to discover new products, new people and build relationships,” he concluded.