25th May 2020

To All Members,

Subject : Update on IATO Activities (18th May Monday to 24th May Sunday 2020)

Dear Members

Greetings

Please find appended relevant activities of your association for the period (18th May to 23rd May 2020)

 

Heading used are

1.                      Communication / Letters
2.                      Webinars/ Panel Discussions/Survey/Circulars
3.                      IATO PR Agency

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

 
1.      Communication / Letters
 

18th May(Monday)

  • Ø Refund of advance payments made to Airlines for air ticket and State Government for luxury trains and Wildlife Safaris

On the 18th of May, IATO President wrote a letter to Mr. Rakesh Kumar Verma, Joint Secretary (Tourism), Ministry of Tourism, on three key hurdles faced by the tourism industry and requested for:

v Refund of Air Fare for the bookings made and cancelled for the foreign clients for travel on domestic sector

 

v Refund of Advance paid for booking on Luxury Trains without any Cancellation Charges run by: -

  • RTDC - Palace on Wheels
  • IRCTC - Maharaja Express, Golden Chariot and Buddhist Train.
  • MTDC - Deccan odyssey

 

v Request for full refund of advance payment made for bookings of Wildlife Safaris from State Govt Tourism Departments

MoCA letter dated 16th April 2020 and IATO letters dated 21st April, 25th March and 9th May were enclosed for ready reference.

20th May(Wednesday)

  • Ø Inbound Tour Operators who bring in foreign tourists and earn valuable foreign exchange for the country, collapsing - need urgent help to survive

On the 20th May IATO President wrote a request letter to Shri Prahlad Singh Patel, Hon’ble Minister of Tourism to offer urgent help to Inbound Tour Operators who bring in foreign tourists and earn valuable foreign exchange for the country and are now collapsing. IATO sought immediate support is required in the form of 

  • Financial Support for Survival Revival
  • Special collateral free and interest free long term loans (5-10 years) to be provided to the tour operators for revival of business

Copies of the request letter was sent to Mrs. Nirmala Sitharaman, Hon’ble Minister for Finance and Mr. Amitabh Kant, CEO Niti Aayog, Government of India.

22nd May(Friday)

  • Request for refund of advance paid for booking of POW Luxury train and for Wildlife Safaris

On the 22nd of May a letter was sent by President IATO to Mrs Sreya Guha, Principal Secretary and Commissioner (Tourism), Government of Rajasthan requesting

a)      Full Refund of advance paid for booking of Palace on wheels without any cancellation charges – this was a follow up on the earlier mails of 20th February, 28th February and 25th March 2020.

b)    Full refund of advance payment made for bookings of Wildlife Safaris – this was a follow up on the earlier mails of 4th February, 11th March and 9th May 2020

Copies were marked to Shri Vishvendra Singh, Hon’ble Minister of Tourism, Dr. Bhanwar Lal, Director Tourism, Govt of Rajasthan and Dr. Kunj Bihari Pandya, Managing Director, Rajasthan Tourism Development Corporation

  •  Visa Policy - Post Lockdown/Covid -19

On 22nd May IATO President wrote to Mr. Anil Malik, Additional Secretary (Foreigners), Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India with a request that the draft of the Revised Visa Policy (if Visa Policy is being revised), may kindly be shared with IATO, enable IATO could give inputs based on their experience so that Inbound tourism to India is not affected due to Revised Visa Policy.

Copies of the letter were marked to Mr. Ajay Kumar Bhalla, Home Secretary, Mrs Meenakshi Sharma, Director General (Tourism), Mrs. Rupinder Brar, Additional Director General (Tourism)

23rd May(Saturday)

  •  Regarding Commencing Operation of Domestic Flights w.e.f. 25th May 2020 and clarity on State Government Policy on passengers to be Quarantined

On 23rd May 2020 IATO President wrote to Mr. Hardeep S Puri, Hon’ble Minister for Civil Aviation, Government of India regarding Commencing Operation of Domestic Flights w.e.f. 25th May 2020 and clarity on State Government Policy on passengers to be Quarantined and urgent intervention and cooperation in the matter before the domestic flight operations starts so that passengers do not suffer or are harassed.  

IATO recommended that No flight should operate to that particular state under such strict clause. This should be followed unless and until that State Government agrees that they will not quarantine the domestic passenger arriving by flight after due precautions being taken at the airport at the time of boarding.

Copies of the letter were marked to, Mr. Pradeep Singh Kharola, Secretary Civil Aviation, Mr. Arun Kumar, Director General, Directorate General of Civil Aviation, Mr. Yogendra Tripathi, Secretary Tourism, and Mrs. Meenakshi Sharma, Director General Tourism,

  • Air India Letter regarding Refund of Air Fare

On 23rd May 2020 IATO President wrote to Mrs. Meenakshi Malik Executive Director (Commercial), Air India on the airline’s circular regarding refund of air fare and advising the correct email ids for refund claims and submitting Refund letter from passenger duly signed along with a Copy of passenger id proof with signature to match the signature on refund letter. This will be an impossible request from our members to their foreign agents. IATO requested Air India that refund should be made by the airline through the source the payment was received.

A copy of the letter was marked to Mr. Rajiv Bansal, Chairman and Managing Director, Air India

 
2.      Webinars/ Panel Discussions/Survey/ Circulars

18th May (Monday)

  •  Information received on Webinars to be organised by the Ministry of Tourism, Govt.of India from May 19-23, 2020 as part of the Dekho Apna Desh Webinar series and was sent to members

19th May 2020 – 1100-1200 hrs. - PHOTOWALKING® BHOPAL: Tradition, Culture and Tourism

To Register : https://digitalindia-gov.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_wLHXyRTGTrK3Vb-IjK8sxQ

21st May 2020 – 1100-1200 hrs. – Tigers & Tourism

To registerhttps://digitalindia-gov.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_43rpq3C2Tlajcb9Yudy3AA

23rd May 2020 – 1100-1200 hrs. – BICYCLE TOURS - Exploring India at the pace of a pedal

To Register:  https://digitalindia-gov.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_lnw9yYASR52nPIAtBvUSVw

YouTube Link of earlier webinars were also given

(Members were informed on the 18th of May)

19th May (Tuesday)

  • FICCI Webinar on “Rebooting Indian Travel & Tourism” on MAY 19, 4.30 PM -6.00 PM

FICCI organised a Webinar on “Rebooting Indian Travel & Tourism” on MAY 19, 4.30 PM -6.00 PM 

Smt. Meenakshi Sharma, Director General, Ministry of Tourism, Government of India and Shri Vishal Kumar Dev, IAS, Commissioner – cum – Secretary, Tourism Department and Sports and Youth Services Department, Government of Odisha were the key panellists besides others.

(Members were informed on the 18th of May)

  • Webinar organised by the Ministry of Tourism

19th May 2020 – 1100-1200 hrs. - PHOTOWALKING® BHOPAL: Tradition, Culture and Tourism

21st May(Thursday)

  • Webinar organised by the Ministry of Tourism

21st May 2020 – 1100-1200 hrs. – Tigers & Tourism

  • Ø Video Conference of the IATO EC and Regional /State Chapter Chairmen on Thursday, the 21st May 2020 at 4 pm

To take stock of unprecedented situation due to Covid-19 all over the country and to have interaction between the IATO EC and the Chapter Chairmen, a Video Conference was held from 4 pm to 7pm on 21st May 2020 via Zoom App. 

Chapter Chairs offered their views on 

  • Outcome of any representation made to the Government or any meeting had with their state Government Officials.
  • How should we move forward under the present situation? 

22nd May(Friday)

  • Request from IATO Chapter Chairmen to the members - to clear pending payments of their excursion agents/transporters

A meeting of all the IATO Regional/State Chapter Chairmen was called on the 21st of May 2020.During the interaction, some of the State Chairmen on behalf of members in their respective state requested to appeal to all the members to clear the outstanding payments of their excursion agents/transporters who have provided the services but their bills are pending for settlement with the principal agents. (Members were informed on the 22nd of May)

23rd May (Saturday)

  • Webinars organised by the Ministry of Tourism

23rd May 2020 – 1100-1200 hrs. – BICYCLE TOURS - Exploring India at the pace of a pedal.

  • CIRCULAR

A Circular to All Members was sent on the

Subject: Extension of validity of Ministry of Tourism recognition/approval in r/o all categories of Tour Operators (Inbound, Domestic, Adventure) Travel Agents and Tourist Transport Operators due to postponement of inspection work and application scrutiny during the lock down period from March 2020 onward in the wake of COVID-19 pandemic.


3.      IATO PR Agency

18th May (Monday)

  • Online Stories

On the 18th of May, Online Stories carried on statement by IATO President in Livemint.com. The topic was Tourism industry-in-shock-with-no-relief-measures-from-govt.

19th May (Tuesday)

  • Two stories were carried in HT and Mint

On the 19th of May two stories were carried in HT and Mint where the efforts IATO towards seeking relief measures was mentioned.

21st May(Thursday)

  • A story carried in Hindu Business Life

On the 21st of May a story carried in Hindu Business Life mentioning the thoughts of IATO President that stated that the industry is the first to hit and last to survive, struggling with reduction in salaries and companies shutting down their business.

With regards,

Rahul Chakravarty

COO