KNOW YOUR CANDIDATES: A WHEREABOUTS INITIATIVE
At a time when tourism businesses are faced with unprecedented challenges of survival and revival, the IATO Election –a week away, has great implication for inbound tourism too. Members who have great expectations from the future Managing Committee of the association feel that this is the most crucial time for IATO to have an efficient and dynamic team to lead the industry by adopting bold initiatives that is required to minimise the aftereffects of the pandemic.
Uday Tours’ Rajiv Mehra, candidate for President from team ‘Moving Forward’,says his team members are those who have stood by the members in difficult times, are like-minded people with unquestionable integrity, are hardworking and with passion to work for the growth and development of IATO, its members and country’s inbound tourism.
“Our (Moving Forward) aim is to think big and not lure our members for small petty benefits. We are going to work for revival of the businesses of our esteemed membership. Need of the hour is to think lateral and logical with paramount focus on revival of our business and ignore the petty issues. We are confident that our members are intelligent enough to choose the best team,” says Mehra.
Talking about the key issues Mehra says, “Besides the survival and revival of our members, we want the government to start roadshows as soon as e-visa and flights are opened. Apart from that, the important issues at the moment which mainly are related to the MDA scheme, SEIS and Foreign Trade Policy 2021-25 are on the list of priority. I am hopeful that we will succeed to clear all the issues soon.”
“As far as survival and revival is concerned we have to kick in many issues whether it is taxes on the hotels or road taxes so that we become competitive and don’t lose our business to Sri Lanka and Thailand whenever they are opened.”
He informed that the manifesto also lays great emphasis in developing synergies with Ministry of Finance/ Commerce/DGFT for issues such as release of pending SEIS, to get SEIS for the tour operators for next 5 years by getting it in included in Foreign Trade Policy 2021-25, to get relaxation in qualification for MoT Recognition, to create synergy between active and allied members’, making state chapter chairmen strong with major thrust and support from head office, and more.
Talking about his association with IATO Mehra says, “I worked for IATO selflessly for 16 years and gave my services for all the IATO Conventions. I contested in the elections for the first time in 2011 and was elected as EC Member. It was my sheer hard work which convinced the then President Subhash Goyal to invite me to join the committee as EC Member.”
“During this period besides various other works done by me I was associated with Ministry of Home Affairs in finalising and launch of E-visa by then Hon’le Home Minister in 2014. I was elected as Vice President IATO under the President ship of Pronab Sarkar and got involved in day-to-day activities of IATO as per the need of the hour,” he added.
While recalling his contributions as the MC member, Mehra shared that when members were stuck in various difficulties during Demonetisation IATO addressed some of the problem within 24 hours, i. e. IATO was able to get the monuments entrance ticket included in essential services so that old currency notes could be used by the members. In 2020, when Covid-19 pandemic started in January, the association helped its members in getting refund from the hotels and the airlines.
Talking about his key Contribution, Mehra further says that since 1994 he is handling IATO Conventions and other such functions. “A lot has been done by me for the IATO Conventions, and today the situation is that within 30 seconds a person at the registration counter gets cleared. Hotel accommodation software has been developed where a message goes immediately to the delegate,” concludes Mehra.
