IATO takes on the responsibility
“As an association, we have been following up with hotels and airlines for refunds. I would like to mention that IATO has been successful in getting refunds from various agencies. Ever since the lockdown got more extreme, things have slowed down. Hotels are not giving refunds; airlines are not giving refunds. We have written to the PMO, finance minister, NITI Aayog and every other place, and we are still quite hopeful that some relief will be given to us by the government. Now, as far as survival of our members is concerned, we have arranged a special session for them with lawyers and HR experts, to understand salary disbursements. As far as monetary relief is concerned, it will only come from the government. We, as an association, cannot give any monetary benefits to members, but we are definitely there for all our members for any other kind of support. We have also successful in getting a letter issued by Ministry of Tourism for refunds related to ITB Berlin, which are now under process. We have recommended that tourists from select countries be given visas to come to India.” provide relief. The panellists also largely believe that a major shift in the marketing and destination selling approach
To
that,
Atree, – Rajiv Mehra
need to look for those tourists who have survived this pandemic and those who are ready to travel when the vaccine is available. The government and Ministry of Tourism should come out with SOPs and a list of dos and don'ts. The draft of the document is out, and we expect the official document to be out soon. Then, we will see how we can work and get tourism back on track,” he says.
Bharat Bhushan
Managing Director, Caper Travel
jobs in the other sectors. So, it is essential to take care of these people,” he believes.
Atree adds that the next six-eight months will be critical for business, for many it will be ‘make or break’. “A liquidity-rich support for the industry, anywhere between Rs3-4 lakh crore, will be required to fill the gap created in the industry by COVID-19. But, I really do not see that happening looking at current polices of the government. There should be no hesitation in saying that the COVID-19 pandemic is the new form of terrorism since it is the biggest crisis the travel industry has ever faced. Going forward, I would say adapting to the situation and keeping costs & liquidity in check will be the key. People should
grow your business and support each other's company will be important,” he says.
Since the lockdown was announced, the tourism industry of the country has only been thinking about three things- impact, survival and revival, says
Director & CEO, Impression Tourism Services (India).
Dutta, Debjit