IATO ELECTIONS A fractured verdict gives the best of both teams to fight for common goals
With a tough contest between Team Moving Forward led by Rajiv Mehra and Team for Change led by Lally Mathews, the IATO members on March 06, 2021, have voted a new team to power for term 2021-23 during the election process conducted physically at The Ashok Hotel, New Delhi. While both the teams were confident and looking forward to winning with comfortable margins, it turned out to be a fractured verdict after a hard-fought battle. Even members were anticipating a total change with one strong team leading. Thus, it was important for TTJ to get the Office Bearers’ viewpoints and plans after getting elected in a split verdict through a nail-biting finish.
IATO Elections are over now and I have been elected as the President of the Association and not of any group. So, my main objective is to keep both the groups together to help our members with the common points and I will ensure that this happens. All the plans and strategies have been thought over and, in the days, to come, everyone will see how well both the groups work as One Team and I will ensure the same under my supervision.
My top priorities at the moment are:
• The change in the minimum amount of MDA from `2 Crore to `25 Lacs and upper limit from `25 Crore to `50 Crore and above.
• To get the SEIS benefit for our members for the year 2019 – 2020 as soon as possible.
• To ensure that Tourism is included in the next SEIS Policy from 2021–2025.
• To work with the Government for the announcement of the date as to when E Visa would be restored and international flights would start operations.
We require the help of each member of the association so that we can deliver as per the commitment made by all of us so that we could help the members for the revival of business.
Talking of election results, if you look closely, even though it’s a fractured verdict it has 50- 50 per cent people from both teams. Should there be a clear majority for any one team, it could have been easy for the team to take up and implement
their own manifesto items. But now, if both teams have got an equal position, the message is very clear from the membership that both teams have to work together for the betterment of the association. The membership feels that the strength of both teams is very much required in governing the association so that they get the best out of both teams.
We recently had the first executive committee meeting, and we have discussed the points, which had to be immediately addressed, and also the most important manifesto points like constitutional amendments, waiver of one-year subscription fees, and several important decisions have been taken on a consensus basis. Now, as one team, we are confident to work together and to move forward and finding solutions to the member’s immediate requirements.
The priority area where we will be working is the SEIS issue, which is pending with the government for quite some time and has to be immediately sorted out. I and Rajiv Mehra have discussed this matter and we are going together to take up the matter with the Finance Minister and even with the other ministries if the need be. The second priority is to try to get some financial support for the tour operators from the government, either with soft loans or with some kind of grants. Another priority is to convince the government to open up international tourism, removing the restrictions of visas and removing restrictions on international flight operations.
Presently, Indian tourism destinations are ready to receive international tourists, as they now have the experience in servicing the domestic tourists in the COVID situation and it is evident in places like Goa, Rajasthan, Kerala, Himachal and many other places. The industry has also been following all international, WHO, state governments and the tourism industries, safety and hygiene protocols, to ensure the safety of the tourists on a holiday. We will keep on continuously upgrading the quality of our services, and also the upkeep of our properties and our operations, based on the needs and the standards which are being developed from time to time.
Tourism in India generates substantial employment and main revenue for the government, with a large amount of foreign exchange earnings for the country. But the sector should not have been neglected to this level, because today tourism stakeholders are struggling to survive.
Members are going back from cities to their hometown to look after small petty jobs in order to survive. In this, tourism is losing experienced personals, which definitely not good for the industry. The government should be aware of this crisis, and it should, without any further delay, intervene and support the tourism industry in the best possible manner, in consultation with the tourism industry and IATO. This is our appeal to the government, especially to the Finance minister, Prime Minister and the Tourism Minister.
First of all, I want to say that IATO is a professional association and all the contestants are friends and have known each other for a long time. It’s a democracy and everyone who put their candidature for elections is free to push their elections agenda to members. It is the members’ decision whom to vote depending upon the wisdom and candidate’s standing as an industry leader. In current elections members have chosen a new team, which they think is best for them, so we have to respect people’s mandate. I believe there will no problem as we will have a common agenda to drive and work for membership benefits. However, there are already few pending issues that the last EC was working on and following up with various ministries, so the new EC will take it forward aggressively.
As the Vice President, I will have direct responsibility for membership development, conduct and supervise conventions, seminars, and overseas promotional activities. So, my priority will be to take this task seriously with a systematic plan to drive new membership on pan India basis. Apart from this, business-oriented regional seminars both online or offline are on my priority agenda, which I want to implement and it will benefit our members in all parts of the country. I would like to rope in our state chapters, MOT regional offices and state tourism departments. Overseas marketing activities with or without MOT will only be planned once we see the indication of India visa application and border openings. IATO Annual convention is one of the flagship events for the tourism industry in India and I want to explore the right technology to find out, how we can make our annual convention useful for members and participants with round-the-year activity rather than just 3-4 days event. These are the few things that I think can be done in a better way with the support of my fellow EC and members.
Lastly, we are passing through a very bad phase and we hope this ends as soon as possible; we need not only to lift our members’ self-esteem but also show them the path to recovery. This requires lots of brainstorming within the EC and also continue discussions with the MOT officials.
Firstly, I shall like to thank the members who voted in the highest record number. This shows the growing interest of members in IATO and its activities. Members have voted with their wisdom, and it’s not the first time
that a fractured mandate has come. All are like-minded people who are driven with the passion to take IATO forward. Everybody has suffered without any Govt support for survival, and we all are in the same boat. So collectively, we shall work on a common program for the revival of the industry. We had our meeting, and all were in sync with a positive thought process. We are seasoned professionals running our businesses, so I don’t see any problem with a fractured mandate. Of course, we all work together as a group and move forward as a group for the betterment of the association and upliftment of our members.
We have to get Tourism back on track. Revival is where our major focus shall be. Getting long overdue SEIS, overhauling and correct implementation of MDA, immediate overseas promotions to keep brand Incredible India alive in people’s minds are some of many immediate agendas. An increase in membership with ease in norms of MOT approval is also one of the major agendas. We are also working on a change in the IATO constitution to make it more membersfriendly and in sync with tomorrow.
I agree that the fractured verdict is not what we desired, but we respect the mandate with all humility. As far as possible we shall try our best to have the points mentioned in our manifesto implemented, and we have discussed with the new President about the same. At the same time, we also understand that we need to make a “Common Minimum Programme” taking into consideration both the manifestos.
The best strategy in my opinion is to work in tandem with all the new Office Bearers and EC and shall do all possible to create a synergy so that the industry benefits as a whole. Moving together, sure, but at the same time assert our very important ideas. We will make sure in the new EC, everyone’s voice is heard and decisions are taken accordingly in the best interest of members.
The highest priority for us is to try to have the SEIS released as soon as possible and hopefully, we shall be successful in this before March 31, 2021. My other priority is to have the membership status of those very senior members reversed back from Allied to Active and at the same time work on the amendment in the constitution. We need to bring smiles back on our member’s faces.
I would like to assure our membership that we shall leave no stone unturned to impress on the authorities to start E-Tourist Visas from countries where ever it’s possible and for people who have been already vaccinated. This will open many other avenues.