Mumbai: The global travel and tourism industry is finally witnessing a rebound as it emerges from a two-year slump caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. At a time when the industry is exploring new possibilities to improve the traveller experience, TV9 Network and Red Hat Communications have collaborated to laud the efforts of the changemakers and draw the roadmap for leveraging India’s vast tourism potential.

In a day-long event held in the national capital, the tourism industry leaders came under one roof to discuss the future of the industry from the lens of sustainable development. The day started with the TV9 Network Travel and Tourism Summit, which was divided into several segments to cover all the relevant issues. The themes focused on identifying the challenges and opportunities in the travel and tourism sector.

Welcoming the gathering of stalwarts of the industry, Travel Agents Association of India (TAAI) president Jyoti Mayal said, “The travel industry has witnessed a major transformation over the past two years, especially during the pandemic which has been a huge learning experience for the industry at large. The pace of this transformation has been rapid more than ever. In the past few years, a few ancillary industries have emerged to contribute to the travel industry's evolution, skill development and growth. The summit aimed to explore new developments and understand their positive impact on the sector.”  

TV9 Network chief growth officer Raktim Das said, “The travel industry, which was disrupted by the COVID pandemic, is finally on the rebound. The travel industry has massive potential and is bound to grow at an unprecedented pace in the upcoming years. The summit was an effort to appreciate the industry leaders' commendable progress and explore the upcoming trends for leveraging the India tourism story.”  

The summit commenced with inaugural addresses from the two guests of honour, Govt of Sri Lanka’s Minister of Tourism and Lands - Harin Fernando, and Union Minister of State for Tourism & Defence - Ajay Bhatt,. This was followed by panel discussion sessions on – ‘Tourism in Mission Mode’, ‘Techourism: Feasible or Fashionable?’ and ‘G20 Gains for Incredible India’!

The evening witnessed the felicitation of top performers judged by a robust jury. The fifth edition of the Iconic Awards featured the best and the brightest in the travel and tourism industry.

Gracing the stage before the award function, Union Ministry of Tourism, secretary Arvind Singh noted that the travel industry is expected to grow multi-fold in the coming years. “Events like these can bring focus on the strategies and ways to improve the average spends of people coming to India and promote wedding and MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions) tourism in the country, which augur well for the future growth of the travel industry.”

Govt of Sri Lanka’s Minister of Tourism and Lands - Harin Fernando discussed initiatives taken by the Sri Lankan Government to improve tourism in the island country. He added, “Sri Lanka is a country that has a combination of exciting places for tourists to see along with participation in local cultural activities which have been attracting millennials and Gen Z from across the globe who desire to visit an ‘undiscovered’ destination.” 

The day ended with the Iconic Awards presented by the industry leaders to the winners. Veteran Sri Lankan cricketer Sanath Jayasuria and popular Bollywood singer and composer Anu Malik among the celebrities who joined the Award function.

Award Winners:  

Customer delight international airlines- Emirates Airlines  
Customer delight domestic airlines- Indigo  
Luxury Indian hotels- Taj Hotels  
Business Hotel India- Hyatt Regency Delhi  
Emerging Sustainable Airline Domestic- Akasa Air  
Technology award- ITQ Travel port   
Travel platform B2B - Nexus DMC  
Most trusted travel Insurance Provider – ASEGO  
Missions and Visa facilitation- VFS  
Effective Tourism Representation- Think Strawberry