Hyderabad: Travel agents demand package for all member associations

Hyderabad: The travel agents are unhappy with the financial package announced by the Centre on Monday stating that this was not a package but merely a small benefit for a handful of agents while the rest are being ignored.

The agents have decided to represent the Centre to extend the benefit to the members of the association which are registered with the Tourism Ministry. The Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitaraman on Monday announced a relief package for travel agents, a loan guarantee scheme of Rs 1 lakh and Rs 10 lakh for the Travel and Tourism Stakeholders including hotels, bus operators, tour bus operators etc.

However, the package covers only those who are registered with the Ministry of Tourism and leaves out a vast majority of the agents registered with the State Tourism corporations. The Travel Agents Association of India (TAAI) Telangana and Andhra Pradesh states Chairman Nagesh Pampati said that he would not call it a package but a benefit for just a few.

As many as 900 agents only would be benefiting from this initiative which is less than 10 per cent of the total number of agents. "We are trying to make a representation to the ministry at national level and will be addressing a press conference on this soon. I can't call it a relief as it is only a benefit to a few," said Nagesh Pampati.

According to the Indian International Air Transport Association there are about 10,000 agents in India. These are the agents who handle the tourists who come to India. "We request the government to help us out, everybody is affected... we are looking for ways and means on how to survive. We request the government to include travel agents who are members of the Associations recognized by the Ministry of Tourism," said Nagesh Pampati.

The TAAI says that the travel agents contribute about 10 per cent of the country's GDP and 90 per cent of the business is done by the agencies, which are the members of Associations recognised by the government of India. "We will be joining our national president Jyothi Mayal in New Delhi to represent our issues to the ministry with our demands.

We continue to express our concerns and needs and try to reach the government," he said. The TAAI chairman said that they had approached the state government a fortnight ago and the Tourism Minister V Srinivas Goud assured to take it to the notice of the Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao.

The Indian Association of Tour Operators (IATO) Telangana and Andhra Pradesh Chairman K Ranga Reddy thanked the Centre for the package. He said that the package will be applicable to registration.

The centre has been insisting on registration of the travel agents but many have been ignoring and now those who have registered are getting the benefit, he said.