The IATA Agents Association of India (IAAI) will be organising its Annual Convention – ICON 2017 – this September in Kochi. Biji Eapen, president, IAAI speaks to Express TravelWorld on the convention theme and the topics of discussion
When and where is the convention being held?
The IAAI National Convention – ICON 2017 will be held as a three nights/four days’ event from September 14 to 17 at the picturesque Cherai Beach located just 25 km from Kochi city.
What is the main theme of the convention?
The Theme for the Convention is – “Travel Agents by 2030 – Protocols Redefined”.
What are the issues that will be discussed?
As travel agents are just coming to grips with the newly implemented GST, it will form one of the prime issues for discussion since airline commission is going to be crucial for their survival. The additional BSP charge of US$ 30 per month imposed by IATA since April 2017 has come at a time when airlines are still denying commission to their own appointed travel agents. As implied by the ICON 2017 Theme, IAAI is all set to launch “i-Top” (Indian Travel-Agents Own Portal), a new revenue model that would safeguard the interests of its Members from all the present challenging market conditions.
How many IAAI members are expected to attend?
Around 400 members are expected to participate.
How do you think GST will impact the tour operators in India?
The tariff-based GST slabs that have been imposed on hotels is going to increase the accommodation costs which will have a domino effect on tour costs that could deter many a tourist. It can be said that the reduction of the erstwhile nine per cent Service Tax to five per cent under GST on tour packages will be the silver lining in the cloud.
