IATO highlights need for partnerships
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By Anil Mathur
The recent annual convention of the Indian Association of Tour Operators (IATO), held in the eastern state of Orissa, has highlighted the focus on partnerships – often a neglected area earlier – to make full use of the coming opportunities and manage the industry’s growth.
Tourism Secretary S Banerjee announced that joint advertising will be undertaken between the Ministry of Tourism, state governments and the private sector. For the sensitive Northeast Region, the state governments will not pay anything, while the other states will make a contribution, along with the private sector.
On the thorny issue of hotel-tour operator synergy, it was agreed that avenues for dialogue should be in place, so that neither sector segment feels hard done by. Often, agents have said that hotels in India are out pricing themselves and the country. On this issue, several suggestions were made including efforts to prolong the hotels’ high season, and that both agents and hotels make slight cuts to make the packages more attractive.
The convention also resolved to promote the eastern states on a wider scale.
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