In a significant development for the Indian travel and tourism industry, the Indian Association of Tour Operators (IATO) has elected a new Executive Committee, with Mr. Ravi Gosain taking over as President for the 2025–2027 term.
The elections witnessed a sweeping victory for Mr. Gosain’s team, with all his nominated candidates securing positions on the committee. The newly elected office bearers include:
- Mr. Rajnish Kaistha – Senior Vice President
- Mr. Sanjay Razdan – Vice President
- Mr. Sunil Mishra – Honorary Secretary
- Mr. Deepak Bhatnagar – Honorary Treasurer
- Mr. Viney Tyagi – Honorary Joint Secretary
The Executive Committee will also include Mr. Rajiv Mehra, who assumes the role of Immediate Past President. Additional members of the committee are Mr. Harish Mathur, Mr. Manoj Kumar Matta, Mr. Rishi Kapoor, Mr. Sejoe Jose, Mr. Tony Marwah, Mr. Ashok Dhoot, Mr. P. Vijayasarathy, and Mr. Wasim Shaikh.
Speaking on his election, Mr. Ravi Gosain expressed gratitude to IATO members for their trust, stating: “We are deeply grateful to our members for the faith they have placed in me and my team. It will be our sincere endeavour to support and empower our members to grow their businesses in a dynamic and competitive environment.”
Mr. Gosain highlighted the importance of revitalising international tourism promotion, noting the decline in foreign tourist arrivals. He emphasised the need for stronger collaboration with the government to boost India’s global visibility through international travel marts, roadshows, and the reinstatement of familiarisation (FAM) trips for foreign tour operators, influencers, and media. He further stressed the urgency of reviving the long-suspended Marketing Development Assistance (MDA) scheme, which he described as “critical to enable small and medium-sized tour operators to market themselves abroad and boost inbound tourism to India.”
Concluding his remarks, Mr. Gosain outlined his vision for IATO: “Our vision is clear — to build a stronger, more inclusive IATO that champions the interests of our members and positions India as a leading global travel destination.”