New Delhi:
Representatives of the tourism industry bodies including Indian Association of Tour Operators (IATO) on Thursday met Niti Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant, seeking government support for the tourism sector, which has been hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic. The associations sought government support for the survival and revival of tour operators and other stakeholders in the tourism industry, IATO said in a statement.
During the meeting, IATO President Pronab Sarkar emphasised that inbound tour operators are on the verge of collapse due to the pandemic and need urgent help to survive as there is zero billing and consequently zero cash flow, it added. The representatives also sought financial support for tour operators so that they do not close down and are able to retain their experienced staff, the statement said.
They also asked for MSME special non-collateral and interest free long term loans (5-10 years) to be provided to tour operators for survival of business and aggressive marketing once tourism is back to business, the statement said. In addition, the representatives also sought an increase in incentives offered under Service Export from India Scheme (SEIS) from 7 per cent to 10 per cent which will allow them to offer competitive packages vis-a-vis the neighbouring countries, it added.
Apart from Sarkar from IATO, Adventure Tour Operators Association of India President Capt Swadesh Kumar and Association of Domestic Tour Operators Association of India President PP Khanna were among those who attended the meeting..
