TAFI elects a new team; Ajay Prakash is the new President

Elections were held for the TAFI National Management Committee on July 24, 2021. Members, pan India, from TAFI’s eleven Chapters, cast their e-vote in a virtual election conducted by NSDL and selected, with a thumping majority, a new team to take TAFI forward in the new decade.

The new team comprises dedicated members who have demonstrated their commitment to TAFI and, as candidates, they won all nine posts. Ajay Prakash led the team, and they were confident of sweeping the election and they have done so with flair. The team swept clean the TAFI national elections in the e-voting process. Close to 561 votes were polled in the elections that day. Ajay is a passionate TAFI’ite, who has held various positions, including the position of TAFI President from 2010 to 2012, and will lead this new pan India team, with the mission to Rejuvenate TAFI.

While Ajay Prakash is the new President, Kamal Ramchand has been elected the Vice-President. Abbas Moiz is the new National General Secretary and Hitank Shah, Treasurer. Other than them, Rani Bachani, Anil Kalsi, Seeraj Sabharwal, Lalith Jain, Rai Achal Krishna, who all share the vision of a resurgent TAFI won at comfortable margins, and now are the new Managing Committee.

On the day of the election and on his team’s victory, Ajay spoke, “We are grateful for the overwhelming trust the members have reposed in our team. We seek their continued support in our

mission to Rejuvenate TAFI and make it more responsible and responsive.”

The opposite team was led by Rajat Bagaria. His team looked forward to assisting TAFI members in innovation through technology and bringing a “Creative Change”.

Outlining the vision of the new team and major thrust areas, Ajay Prakash said, “The travel industry is facing, tremendous, unprecedented challenges, but challenges compel you to think outside the box and look for creative solutions.”

He also stated, “Our first priority is to restore the faith of our members along with increasing our membership base because an Association derives its strength not from individuals but from the will of its collective membership. We shall engage with our members in a more consistent, meaningful, and coherent dialogue. Our Chapter committees need to be empowered and educated on the ever-changing scenario; our members need to feel a sense of ownership and pride and to believe that TAFI is there for them. We also need to work closely with all the other associations towards creating a credible lobby whose voice is heard. We need better outreach to the government and the travelling public and drive home the necessity of consultation with the industry on policy matters. But above all, we need to inculcate a more responsible approach to tourism by all stakeholders. The ugly term ‘revenge tourism’ has no place in the lexicon of the next, normal. Sustainability has to grow beyond merely a catchphrase; the Green Imperative and Responsible Tourism needs to be built into the core business strategy at every level of the tourism ecosphere.”

Some of the other key areas that Abbas Moiz, National General Secretary commented upon, “We need to urgently ensure that agents are protected against airline failure–this will protect not just agents, but also the travelling public since we have all suffered when an airline folds up. The fractured relationship between agents, airlines, and IATA needs a serious overhaul. We shall create legal and facilitation cells to assist our members. Our objective is to create value for our members and assist them to look at issues not as problems, but as a learning process, using technology to create unique solutions, suited to their own organisations. We shall also ensure that our members receive regular updates, from our liaison with relevant National Government bodies, like the Ministry of Civil Aviation, Ministry of Tourism, DGCA, etc., and with our principals, i.e., IATA, airlines, hotels, diplomatic missions, tourism boards and all others of relevance.”

Two more members, Sampat Damani and S. Bhaskar have been co-opted as per the bye-laws of TAFI at the first meeting of the new Managing Committee and Pradip Lulla has joined the MC as the IPP (Immediate Past President).