‘Three large conferences in 2018’
Gaurav Sundaram, Regional Director, India, GBTA, speaks about India and its intricacies while throwing some clarity on the GST regime
What have you planned for 2018?
We intend to conduct three large annual conferences next year – in Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru, which are the three primary hubs for business travel. We are not likely to replicate the workshop series that we did this year. We are also looking at introducing professional education and development in business travel through the GBTA programmes of corporate travel experts, and advancements in global travel professional certification in India. Here, we are customising the content for India and we intend to do it through our national network of offline training centres as well as online self-learning programme so that professionals who can't go back to the classroom can also benefit. We are also planning to look at strategic meeting management as an area of activity.
Is there a lack of education on business travel in India?
Yes, there is. Firstly, there is no industry body in India yet that represents business travel apart from GBTA. TAAI and TAFI associations don't focus on business travel at all. There is no advocacy on business travel issues with the government. There are similar challenges with airlines, and various other operators. There is clearly a need for education and a need for representing the interests of corporate travel buyer and industry with the powers that be.
What did this GBTA Conference 2017 in Mumbai focus on?
We had research presenters, a CXO round table which was very well-received last year, as well as a panel on GST among other things. We did a session on GST even in Delhi this August but it focused more on the logic behind the GST, the overarching principles and values, and what should the industry be preparing for. In Mumbai, the session focused on the operational aspect of the GST and how it impacts business travel.
Is there little more clarity on GST now as far as business travel is concerned?
Yes and no. There are certain stakeholders in the industry who are not willing to come forward and verbalise, like airlines for instance.