T3 site is part of the Informa Markets Division of Informa PLC

This site is operated by a business or businesses owned by Informa PLC and all copyright resides with them. Informa PLC's registered office is 5 Howick Place, London SW1P 1WG. Registered in England and Wales. Number 8860726.

Podcast Streaming Now

HomeNewsIndia TourismA tricky situation?

A tricky situation?

For an industry association it’s annual convention is probably the most important occasion where they can voice their concerns and issues. Mostly we have seen that these conventions do not miss the opportunity of praising the government’s initiatives. Rarely, we see the forum used to put the grievances in a more candid and straight manner. But it can also be a tricky situation as it could end up antagonising their very guests they have tried so hard to bring to the event. We have witnessed this in past.

So it is a very much catch-22 situation here. If you speak, you risk antagonising the very people who are used to sycophancy and mostly undeserving compliments. And if you don’t, you are not using the available forum for your benefit and opportunities lost.

However, IATO’s last convention in Chennai was a welcome break from the continuing format of the previous many years. It introduced a format no other associations tried before, that is, brainstorming sessions of the core IATO members from across the country to discuss and debate some pressing issues that members could otherwise not have discussed on an open platform or at the many business sessions that the convention organises. But this was not all.

The other and more important welcome break was the departure from pleasantries and praises that’s usually heaped on the top government officials, mostly unwarranted and pure sycophancy. But that was not the case last year at the Chennai Convention. The association was far more direct and unequivocal in voicing its key concerns in the presence of top government officials, both from centre and state. 

The Convention Chairman message was courageous, blunt and direct. He was unequivocal in pointing to the government’s apathy towards tourism and the dwindling tourism arrivals in the organised sector that the industry was complaining of despite the government reports showing positive growth. A curious case indeed, and was suitably highlighted. 

The IATO President’s was also very forthcoming and made insightful suggestions that Tamil Nadu needed to pay heed to if they want a turnaround of their tourism fortune.

Once again, the IATO convention promises a new format at the Bhubaneshwar Convention. It promises this year’s deliberation to be more dynamic and interactive. The association plans to accomplish it by limiting the sessions and increasing the interaction time.

Now where do we go from here? Fine, you have fewer sessions but more dynamic and interactive. But where does that take the industry? What is the outcome?

The Indian Ministry of Tourism recognises IATO as its marketing arm and the association is involved in virtually every decision that the Ministry of Tourism, Government of India, take. And that’s a big leverage to make use of.

 

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here
Captcha verification failed!
CAPTCHA user score failed. Please contact us!
RELATED ARTICLES

SOCIAL FOLLOWERS

FansLike
FollowersFollow

GALLERY

slide2
slide3
slide4
slide5
slide6
slide7
slide8
slide9
slide10
slide11
slide12
slide13
slide14
slide15
slide16
slide17
slide18
slide19
slide20
slide21
slide22
slide23
slide24
slide25
slide26
slide27

Upcoming Events

NEWSLETTER

    Appointment