17th August 2020

To All Members,

Subject: Update on IATO Activities (Monday, 3rd August to Sunday, 9th August 2020)

Dear Members,

Greetings!

Please find appended relevant activities of our association for the period (Monday, 3rd August to Sunday, 9th August, 2020)

Segments covered are

  1. Communication / Letters that addressed key issues
  2. Webinars/ Panel Discussions/Circulars/Meetings

Request your feedback to further the content of our weekly report.  

1. Communication / Letters that addressed key issues

Segment 1 update sequence by date:3,5,August

Monday,3rd August

  • SEIS benefits to Tour Operators - help grow Foreign Tourists arrivals, Earn Valuable Foreign Exchange and an Engine for Economic Growth and Employment Generation for the Country 

On date and in continuation of the earlier letter dated 17th July 2020, IATO requested Shri Piyush Goyal, Hon’ble Minister of Commerce and Industry to kindly intervene personally and extend help to announce the SEIS Scrips for 2019-20 at the earliest and also to increase SEIS Scrips percentage for the tour operators.

Copy of the letter was marked to Secretary, Spl Secretary and Joint Secretary Ministry of Commerce and Industry. 

 

Wednesday, 5th August  

  • Request to postpone the 36th IATO Annual Convention to September 2021

IATO thanked Mr. Jenu Dewan, IAS, Managing Director, Tourism Corporation of Gujarat Ltd for agreeing to be the Host State for the 36th IATO Annual Convention which is scheduled to be held in September 2020. However, as unfortunately, present pandemic situation does not seem to be very conducive of having a very high magnitude IATO convention in Ahmedabad in September 2020, IATO requested that Convention may kindly be postponed to September 2021 in Ahmedabad. Dates of convention to be mutually decided at a later date.
 

Copy of the letter was marked to Secretary Tourism, Govt. of Gujarat, and Manager (Commercial), Tourism Corporation of Gujarat Ltd. 

 

2.Webinars/ Panel Discussions/Circulars/Meetings

Segment 2 update sequence by date:3,5,6,7,8,9,August

 

Monday,3rd August

  • On date team IATO met Shri Bidyut Behari Swain, Special Secretary and Shri Darpan Jain, Joint Secretary Ministry of Commerce & Industry and emphasised upon the need and the benefit of SEIS to tour operators and enhancing the percentage of SEIS scrips from 7% to 10% for 2019/20 which will help for our survival. We have been given a patient hearing and assured to propose to the next cabinet meeting. 

Wednesday, 5th August

  • Webinar by the Ministry of Tourism Government of India Bangalore was organized on 5th August 2020, 11.3- 12.30 hrs., on Lessor known Destinations in India

Members were informed on the 31st of July.

  • Overcharging by Travel agents on Air India evacuation flights under Vande Bharat Mission

On date members were informed about an email received from Air India regarding overcharging by Travel agents on Air India evacuation flights under Vande Bharat Mission and members were advised to refrain from any such activity.

 

 

Thursday, 6th August

  • Taj Online Training Session for IATO members was organized on Thursday, the 6th August 2020 at 4 pm on Zoom

Members were informed on the 30th of July.

 

Friday, 7th August

  • FICCI- Google Travel MSME Knowledge Series (August 7, 14, 21,28), 2020

Members were informed on the 3rd of August

 

Saturday, 8th August

  • Dekho Apna Desh Webinar was organised on Saturday, 8th August 2020 (1100-1200 hrs.) on “Memoirs of 1857 - A Prelude to Independence”.

Members were informed on the 7th of August

 

  • Dekho Apna Desh Facebook live session on “Heritage Stays of South Bengal: Relieve a Bygone Era” on 8th August 2020 from 1800 -1900 hours

Members were informed on the 7th of August.

  • IATO Interactive meeting on Saturday, the 8th of August 2020 at 12 pm.

The IATO Odisha Chapter Interactive Meeting was held on Saturday, the 8th August 2020 at 12 pm on Zoom Video Conference Platform. The Purpose of the meeting was to discuss about the various issues affecting the members at this time of crisis.

 

Sunday, 9th August

  • New Normal Tourism: Online Certificate Course on the Standard Operating Procedures for Tourism for Members of IATO Eastern and North East Region

India Tourism East (Kolkata) in association with IATO West Bengal Chapter would organise a series of online certificate programs on the Standard Operating Procedures for tourism with the new normal as per the following schedule: -

SOP for Tour Operators - 09 August 2020 organised at  1600 - 1700Hrs:
SOP for Tourist Transport Operators to be held on -11 August 2020 | 1200 - 1300Hrs:  
All Members in West Bengal, Orissa, Bihar, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh and North Eastern States were informed on the 7th of August.

All the above UPDATES are available on IATO WEBSITE

Thanks and regards,

Rahul Chakravarty

COO