MoT & private sector bring back USTOA s 2014 Out-of-Country Board Meeting to India after 20 years
The meeting will be held from March 22-31 in Delhi
Almasalla Arab Travel Portal News – Delhi- India Tourism, along with stakeholders in the industry, will host the United States Tour Operators Association’s (USTOA) 2014 annual Out-of-Country Board of Directors Meeting from March 22-31 in Delhi. This is the second time that the Meeting will be held in India. The first was held around 20 years ago.
A 48-active member USTOA delegation will be present for the Meeting in Delhi next month. The Indian travel industry, especially Indian Association of Tour Operators (IATO), and USTOA supplier members in India have been lobbying hard for some time now to bring the group to the country.
Every year, the USTOA Board travels to different countries for the Meeting. Talking about the significance of the Meeting, Rajeev Kohli, Joint Managing Director, Creative Travel and Vice President, IATO, said that India won the bid to host the Meeting against two other countries.
“This is an exceptionally influential and powerful group in the North American travel industry. We need to ensure they (USTOA) go back with praises for our destination. Wherever the Meeting has been held earlier, USTOA delegates have been given utmost importance. In Israel, the Minister of Tourism travelled with them, while in Jordan, they were guests of the King,” he said.
During their stay in India next month, USTOA will also tour Jaipur and Agra. Accommodation for the delegates will be provided by leading hotels like The Leela Palaces Hotels and Resorts, Oberoi Hotels and Resorts, and Taj Hotels, Resorts and Palaces. While the Ministry of Tourism, Government of India will host a welcome dinner for USTOA, the travel industry will host a dinner open for non-USTOA members as well, Kohli informed.
In India, there are about 36 USTOA supplier members. USTOA was established in 1972 by a small group of tour operators based in California. It became the premier national organisation of professional US tour operators in 1975 with headquarters in New York. Among key objectives, USTOA aims to foster a high level of professionalism among tour operators, and protect both consumers and travel agents from financial losses in the event of active members’ insolvency, bankruptcy or cessation of business.
Source : TBM
