ET Travel Conclave, ET TravelWorld

The third annual travel and tourism conclave and awards which kick-started at Crowne Plaza Gurugram on November 26, 2024. has given a clarion call for the government and the industry to increase investments on sustainable and responsible tourism. The inaugural session of the conclave was attended by senior bureaucrats, top diplomats and industry leaders with large participation of delegates from the travel, tourism and hospitality industry in the country.Participating in the inaugural session, Rajesh Magow, co-founder and group CEO of MakeMyTrip underscored the importance of increasing the investments in sustainable and responsible tourism not just by the government agencies alone, but also by the private sector so that the growth which the industry is seeing is steady and seamless. He said that the changing consumer behaviour and the investments by the government on infrastructure are enabling a “perfect storm” in the travel and tourism sector, but the stakeholders have to be mindful about its impact on the environment, he said.

Yogesh Gupta, former secretary – MEA, who served India in many foreign missions abroad, also observed the need for conducting studies on environmental impact and connecting it with the carrying capacity of the destinations. He said that while many studies have gone into these aspects in the past, not many of them are well-connected and comprehensive. He called for more investments in developing new destinations to reduce the current burden on many conventional destinations.

Gupta said that India has to fill so many dots in terms of visa processes, infrastructure, technology, etc. to make the destination a compelling one for international travellers to consider visiting. He said that many countries are using advanced technology like AI to create seamless experiences for visitors. India also has to think in that fashion, Gupta said.

Anil Kalsi, secretary, Travel Agents Federation of India (TAFI) said that it is India’s time in travel and tourism and the huge spike of over 40 percent in airline prices in the last one year hasn’t dissuaded Indians from exploring the country and the world. He said that the country has added 18 new airports and the two new airports which are slated to open soon at Mumbai and Jewar in Greater Noida are going to be game changers, he added. He called for tweaking the tax regime governing travel in the country so that the travel industry can really flourish and prosper in the country.

High Commissioner of Seychelles to India, Lalatiana Accouche; Sofia Salas Mange, minister counselor and consul general of Costa Rica; Sophia Hope T Chimba, Attache to India, Zimbabwe Tourism; Sekou Condee, second counsellor of the embassy of Republic of Guinea were present at the inaugural.