OTOAI President delivers an optimistic keynote address at a Luxury B2B MICE Conference in Istanbul, Turkey

Riaz Munshi, President, OTOAI, was recently invited to be the Keynote Speaker at a Luxury B2B MICE Conference in Istanbul, Turkey organised by Team Travel Shop. The event took place from April 6 – 7, 2021.

Expressing his thoughts on Indian traveller’s travel habits in the light of the pandemic, President OTOAI said, “Turkey is the perfect destination for all segments of Indian travellers, be it families, honeymooners, MICE groups, or weddings. Turkey is also one of the first countries to launch the Safe Tourism Certification System, which is already a step in the right direction to build consumer confidence. Travellers will now be much more cognizant of their choice of destinations and will seek reassurance that they will be safe while in a particular country or location. Positioning the destination as one that promises travel safety upfront puts Turkey in a good position to attract more travellers. I am sure that together, we will make India the number one source market for Turkey.”

Emphasising how the entire world is travelling in the same boat and must collectively work towards turning this into an opportunity, Munshi said, “I believe that the travel industry is at a point of disruption and the future will be different from what we had imagined, but it will surely be a bright one. For all my friends who have suffered financial losses, I would just like to say that don’t lose heart and be mentally strong. Create a bigger picture of your future. We all need to adapt, innovate, and collaborate to make travel easier, safer and more seamless than ever before. When we all are geared up to grow, we will see phenomenal growth of the world economy and tourism is going to be one of the biggest contributors.”