South Africa in all its glory

About 175 delegates marked their presence at the recently-concluded four-day OTOAI Annual Convention held in Cape Town. OTOAI has held its past conventions in Manila, Bali and Ras Al Khaimah.

Kanchan Nath from Cape Town

The year 2018 holds special relevance to South Africa as it marks the centenary of the birth of Nelson Mandela. Speaking on the convention, Mahendra Vakharia, President, OTOAI, said, “About 175 delegates attended the convention. The line-up of international speakers comprising Greg Klassen, Principal, Twenty31 Consulting; Mallini Singh, Digital Customer Expert and Avinash Chandarana, Group Learning & Development Director, MCI, was well received by the delegates. Information from the experts about what is happening in the industry and how we can manage it to our advantage was important.” On South Africa as the destination for the convention, he added, “Many of the delegates were visiting South Africa for the first time. It was a good opportunity to experience the destination, see it and take back home the marketing and contracting details, so that they can promote tourism to this country.”

Elaborating on what’s next on the agenda for OTOAI, Vakharia said, “We will continue with workshops and trainings in the different parts of India for members and will start planning for the next convention. For example, in Ahmedabad, we have tied up with a training institute that is certified by an American certificate of trainers. Training will be free of cost for all our members once a month for about six months.”

Himanshu Patil, Vice President and Chairman-Convention, OTOAI said, “The growing incomes of the middle class, the huge population and the way social media is transforming lives of so many Indians is all impacting travel. Earlier, Southeast Asia and Europe were the most popular destinations, but the scenario has changed now. People are keen on going experiential and want to explore destinations off-the-beaten-track. Today’s traveller is knowledgeable and researches all his ideas and plans online before approaching us. That’s what also motivates us to be on our toes.”

Gurdeep Singh Gujral, Joint Secretary, Co-chairman-Convention, OTOAI stated, “Our theme this year was highly acclaimed. I also extend my thanks to my OTOAI members for their support and trust they have shown in our team. I am sure our South African sellers will definitely benefit from the table-top meetings and our members got a chance to explore Cape Town and other cities during the post Fam trips.

Game Plan

• OTOAI believes in updating its knowledge on a daily basis to stay relevant in business. Co-curated tours and understanding clients’ requirements is the need