Welcome to IATO - Indian Association of Tour Operators

To All Members Sub: IATO Interactive Fortnightly meeting on every alternative Friday beginning from 19 th  June 2020 at 4 pm Dear Members, Keeping in view the present crisis tourism industry is facing and we are not sure when we are going to come out of the crisis and have physical meetings, it has been decided to have fortnightly meeting with the members on every Alternative Friday at 4 pm via zoom conference. However, meeting schedule may change in case of any other important meeting/webinar coinciding with our meeting. Frequency of the members meetings shall be reviewed time to time depending upon our members demand. The objective of this meeting is to continue our dialogue with our members, get their ideas, motivate small tour operators and update the members with the initiative IATO is making for survival and revival of the industry.  We shall try to invite speakers from various ministries or senior leaders from the industry to talk on different topics related to the indu...

Full Refund Request for Palace on Wheels (Luxury Train) by RTDC for Foreign Tourists which were canceled due to Covid-19 5 th  June 2020   Shri Ashok Gehlot  Government of Rajasthan  Chief Minister Office  Secretariat  Jaipur-302005 Hon’ble Chief Minister Sir,  Sub: Full Refund Request for Palace on Wheels (Luxury Train) by RTDC for Foreign Tourists which were canceled due to Covid-19  Greetings from IATO!  May I draw your kind attention to our letters dated 3 rd  March and 11 th  March 2020 with regard to our request for a full refund of advance payment made for bookings of Luxury Train (Palace on Wheels) which were canceled due to COVID -19. A huge amount has been paid by the tour operators as advance payments to Rajasthan Tourism Development Corporation on this account as advance payment. We have sent a number of emails/reminders, but there is no response at all or acknowledgment of our email sent to Rajasthan Tourism a...

Request for Refund of advance payment made for bookings of Wildlife Safaris in Madhya Pradesh and canceled due to COVID -19 4th June 2020   Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan Hon’ble Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh Secretariat Bhopal Sub: Request for Refund of advance payment made for bookings of Wildlife Safaris in Madhya Pradesh and canceled due to COVID -19  Greetings from IATO!  May I draw your kind attention to our letter dated 30th April 2020 regarding our request for Survival Measures/Relief Package to the tourism industry. While we are looking forward to supporting from Madhya Pradesh Government for the survival of the tourism industry, I would request you to kindly look into para 7 regarding the Refund of advance payments made for Wildlife Safaris for the foreign tourists and bookings canceled due to Covid-19. A huge amount has been paid by the tour operators as advance payments to Madhya Pradesh Wildlife Department for booking of Wildlife Safar...

IATO requests to reduce entrance fee at all ASI monuments for foreigners - need support to revive 3 rd  June 2020 Shri Anand Kumar Secretary Ministry of Culture Government of India 502-C Shastri Bhawan New Delhi Dear Sir, Sub: IATO requests to reduce entrance fee at all ASI monuments for foreigners - needs support to revive   As you are aware, the Indian Association of Tour Operators (IATO) is India's National Apex Body of Tour Operators with the membership of over 1700 across the country. Our membership consists of inbound tour operators, travel agents, tourist transport operators, hotels, airlines, state tourism departments and other stakeholders in the tourism & hospitality industry. The Membership of IATO controls over 90% of all inbound tourism into India. All our active members are recognised by the Ministry of Tourism, Government of India who is earning valuable foreign exchange for of the country. Due to pandemic of Covid-19, Inbound tourism to India at present is ...

Update on IATOs meeting with the Honble Minister of State for Tourism (IC), Government of India To All Members Sub: Update on IATOs meeting with the Honble Minister of State for Tourism (IC), Government of India    Dear Colleagues, An IATO  delegation led by the President along with Presidents of ADTOI, ATOAI and OTOAI met the Tourism Minister at his office yesterday to   apprise him about the acute distress that the tourism industry is undergoing especially the tour operators. Mrs. Meenakshi Sharma, Director General (Tourism) and Mr. Rakesh Kumar Verma, Joint Secretary (Tourism), Government of India were also present.    The delegation impressed upon the Honble Minister that tour operators are not in a position to pay salaries to their staff since there is no business and they are under acute financial crisis and requested for the following support:- Financial support to tour operators so that tour operators do not close down their business and contin...

Regarding Membership Subscription for the Financial Year 2020-21 To All Members Sub: Regarding Membership Subscription for the Financial Year 2020-21 Dear Members, At the outset on behalf of the Executive Committee, I wish you, your family and all your team members in the office to remain in good health and stay safe. Let us in this difficult time stay home and stay united and fight together with Covid-19 by following the advisories being issued by Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India and the State Governments. Due to lockdown since 21st March 2020, IATO Office premises was closed and staff had been working from home since then. Now with partial relaxation, IATO office is opened with skeleton staff thrice a week i.e. Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday to do the essential work related to finance and budgets.  However otherwise, IATO Secretariat is fully functional and working from home. Similarly offices of most of our members remained closed since national lockdo...

8 th  May 2020 To All Members, Sub: Additional guidelines for quarantine of returnees from abroad / contacts / isolation of suspect or confirmed cases in private facilities Dear Members, Attached please find Additional guidelines issued by Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Government of India for quarantine of returnees from abroad / contacts / isolation of suspect or confirmed cases in private facilities received from Ministry of Tourism, Government of India. Thanks and regards, Rahul Chakravarty COO   Subject:  Additional Guidelines for Quarantine GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF TOURISM (TRAVEL TRADE DIVISION)     EON :  TT-202/8/2020                                                      ...