An exclusive interview with Subash Goyal, president, IATO
What is your new agenda for the 31st IATO Convention?
The new agenda inter-alia includes drawing out a comprehensive event programme which showcases the needs of our industry partners, organising networking and business sessions and highlighting the emergent issues and experts deliberating on the theme of the convention and destination presentations. The theme for this year’s convention, ‘Tourism– we will change the Indian economy’ will leave all the delegates joining the IATO convention with lasting memories.
What are your plans for 2015?
As IATO, we envisage to take positive steps to achieve success on the following:-
- Government is now committed to have e-tourist visa for 150 countries as announced during the Budget 2015/16 and we will continue to put pressure till e-tourist visa is announced for all 150 countries
- Streamlining of taxation system to avoid harassments
- Exemption of service tax (based on foreign exchange earnings just like physical exporters are exempted)
- CENVAT credit allowed to tour operators
- To approve GST by end of this year. GST should not be more than five per cent on tourism and hospitality industry, otherwise we will out price ourselves with neighbouring countries like Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Srilanka, Dubai, etc
- More focus on civil aviation, airports to be developed under PPP model
- To create five new tourist circuits across the country
- To develop Goa as major convention centre with world class facilities based on PPP model
- To enhance rail connectivity in North East
- Internet connection in villages (will help to promote rural tourism)
- To help the tourism ministry and the Prime Minister in his Clean India Campaign
- Gaya to become international Buddhist destination
What are the primary challenges that the industry is facing? How does your association address these challenges?
Challenges are of continuous nature and we are seized with the issues and are constantly in touch with all the concerned authorities. Some of the major issues are:
- For the E-tourist visa, more countries be added like UK, Italy, Spain, Poland, Sweden and other countries which offer tourists round the year
- Biometric process be stopped in the countries where this has proved cumbersome and put tourists through a lot of inconvenience. In fact for this reason only, they are dropping India from their holiday programme. We want biometrics to be done on arrival at Indian airports
- Multiple entry visa be given while giving e-tourist visa Now it is only valid with one entry. Validity period of visa may also be increased for 90 days to 60 days at present
- Civil Aviation Policy be announced at the earliest
- Railways have created problems by refusing renewal of rail travel agent licenses. We will plead that this is restored at the earliest
- New Tourism Policy be announced and should also announce financial incentives
- Infrastructural development policy should focus on safety and security and thematic tours for tourism growth in a sustainable manner
- Highway developments and linking hinterland tourist cities
- Tourism education and international standard in tourism education.