Convention from Oct 14-16

The luxurious Emirates Palace in Abu Dhabi has been shortlisted as the venue for TAAI's 63rd convention which will focus on both inbound and outbound tourism.

The Travel Agents Association of India (TAAI) has finally frozen on the venue and dates for its 63rd Annual Convention & Exhibition, also known as the Indian Travel Congress. Abu Dhabi's luxurious Emirates Palace has been shortlisted as an important venue. Sunil Kumar, President, TAAI, reveals, “We have decided on Abu Dhabi as the destination for our next convention that will be held from October 14-16, 2016. We are in the process of blocking air seats now. It is one of the strongest destinations in the Middle East region and also an easy place to reach from India.

“We want a strong convention this year with a strong focus, for our members as well as our partners. We will focus on both inbound as well as outbound. We are amidst signing contracts for this right now and have blocked rooms and convention space at the grandiose Emirates Palace,” he says. The Managing Committee that had met in Mumbai on August 16 to discuss this is now working on the convention theme, logistics and other details. Kumar says that Abu Dhabi has grown into a “masterpiece” among cities of the world. “When a survey was done on 100 outbound pas- sengers from India who visited Dubai, it revealed that only about five per cent visit Abu Dhabi, which is quite shocking. One prime reason is the inadequate awareness on the growing strengths of Abu Dhabi, particularly in the areas of tourism and MICE,” he adds. The TAAI team has had meetings with several airlines to offer delegates attractive airfares. TAAI is associating with the Abu Dhabi Tourism & Culture Authority ( TCA Abu Dhabi) that has assured its support to TAAI for this event. Speaking about the convention, Kumar says that it will be rich in content as well as experience for the delegates. The content will focus on the importance of a fast changing ‘today’ and the urgent need for members to rise beyond the routine. According to Kumar, this convention is designed to be a limited edition one. The exhibition – Indian Travel Congress – will offer exhibitors and vendors from the region an opportunity to connect with the Indian outbound industry. TAAI will also promote ‘Inbound into India’ as an important topic at the convention.

We will focus on both inbound as well as outbound. We have blocked rooms and convention space at the Emirates Palace. Sunil Kumar President, TAAI