From strengthening ties with state tourism boards to creating new opportunities for inbound operators, IATO Chapter Chairmen are working across regions to promote destinations, address industry needs and drive India’s inbound tourism growth.
Srishti Mukherjee
When we talk about promoting India as a global tourism product, marketing and positioning continue to remain key challenges for inbound tourism, which calls for strong collaborative efforts between the tourism industry and the respective state governments, tourism boards and industry stakeholders. And when it comes to inbound tourism, the role of tour operators and industry associations becomes increasingly crucial.
The recent years have witnessed several such collaborations with an increased focus on connecting destinations with the inbound trade where several tourism conventions across the country bring key stakeholders together and put India and its destinations in the spotlight. Meanwhile, IATO aims to focus on the inbound trade and tour operators who are directly responsible for taking India’s tourism products to the international markets. With its annual conventions bringing together tour operators, state tourism representatives, government officials and other industry stakeholders under one roof, the association encourages discussions that extend beyond destination promotion.
Here’s a glimpse into what the IATO Chapter Chairmen have to say about the initiatives they are undertaking with the state government to boost tourism for the state.
IATO SOUTHERN REGION
Ranga Reddy Chairman- IATO Andhra Pradesh & Telangana Chapter
“We closely align private trade expertise with government policy—jointly developing niche itineraries, promoting lesser-known regional destinations, and participating in global trade meets to position our state as a premier year-round hub. To empower our members, we prioritize ease of doing business. Key initiatives include streamlining single-window regulatory clearances, advocating for digitized visa operations, and conducting digital upskilling workshops.
We actively mediate between operators and statutory bodies to resolve operational bottlenecks, secure trade incentives, and ensure local infrastructure supports seamless, high-quality visitor experiences.”
Nandakumar Chairman – IATO Tamil Nadu Chapter
“To strengthen our collaboration, we maintain regular interaction with the State Tourism Board team to enhance joint international roadshows, B2B meetings, travel marts, and coordinated digital marketing campaigns. We are also focusing on promoting lesser-known destinations within the state rather than concentrating only on established tourist centers.
We have proposed several key initiatives to support operators and improve the visitor experience. We suggested introducing a scheme in major temples allowing faster access for a prescribed fee alongside online booking facilities to help operators plan visits efficiently along with regular training and refresher programs for licensed guides.
Vijay Mohan, CEO Co-Chairman IATO Andhra Pradesh
“We have curated the Tribal Circuit – ‘Echoes of the earth,’ with 15 unique experiences in the PVTG villages of Vantamiri and Korai Kotavalasa. We are also working on creating the Buddhist Circuit – Foot Steps of Buddha and creating the stories around the Buddhist sites and planning joint campaigns to showcase Andhra Pradesh beyond the usual spots. We are working with the government on improving last-mile connectivity, homestay policies, and skill development for hospitality staff to ensure tourists get a world-class experience.
We also have a dedicated B2B between Andhra Pradesh Agents and IATO members and are curating product presentations with new circuits, and niche products so members have new things to sell immediately.”
IATO WESTERN REGION
Mahendra Pratap Singh Chairman- IATO Madhya Pradesh & Chhattisgarh Chapter
“It is my duty to maintain regular contact with state tourism officials and to share the industry’s viewpoint on the development and promotion of destinations.
Madhya Pradesh is no longer being shown only through its established strengths of heritage, wildlife, tribal and rural tourism. Experiential and eco-tourism are becoming increasingly popular, which provides the industry with new narratives and products to promote internationally. One such attempt was the London experiential tour in 2025, which aimed to showcase the state through experiences rather than just its popular attractions. The Madhya Pradesh Travel Mart, which was held in the same year, welcomed foreign tour operators from 27 countries, as well as domestic operators and members of the Indian travel trade.
The Swachh Paryatan Abhiyaan at Sanchi is another good example of how the tourism board and IATO can work together beyond promotion. As a chapter, we were able to take IATO’s national cleanliness initiative to a World UNESCO Heritage site, with the support of the Madhya Pradesh Tourism Board and local stakeholders.
IATO provides a platform for inbound operators to raise industry matters with government bodies and tourism authorities. At the chapter level, we stay connected with our members and bring their inputs into these discussions.
We also work towards creating more business opportunities for our members. FAM programmes, B2B meetings and platforms such as MPTM allow Indian operators to meet overseas counterparts, understand their requirements and explore new markets. At MPTM 2025, the participation of FTOs from 27 countries provided a strong platform for such interactions.”
Dr Sanket Shah, Chairman- IATO Gujarat & Diu Chapter
“I regularly visit the Tourism Board and stay in close touch with TCGL to represent the interests of IATO members. We discuss issues related to homestays, upcoming fairs and festivals, and challenges faced by inbound operators. I am also constantly encouraging Gujarat Tourism to participate more actively in international exhibitions.
This year, we have organised B2B roadshows and meetings to create more business opportunities. At the same time, we are taking up practical issues such as Gir safari availability, advance festival dates, brochures and maps, so that our members can plan and promote Gujarat well in advance.”
Pravin Kooverji Shah Chairman – IATO Maharashtra and Dadra, Nagar Haveli & Daman Chapter
“Our focus is on encouraging international visitors to explore the states’ rich heritage, UNESCO World Heritage Sites, forts, caves, wildlife, beaches, spirituality, cuisine, festivals and experiential tourism offerings.
We also encourage participation in B2B activities, trade fairs, destination promotions and familiarisation programmes to showcase the state’s tourism products to overseas markets. Supporting IATO members and creating a more business-friendly environment for inbound tour operators remains one of our key priorities as a chapter. We regularly engage with government departments and other stakeholders to take up issues faced by our members, particularly those relating to tourism infrastructure, connectivity, destination facilities, permits, local regulations and other operational challenges.”
Jaspreet Singh Bhatia, Co-Chairman, IATO Chhattisgarh Chapter
“We are focusing on creating the backward linkages with the stakeholders working on ground level in the state in the field of tourism and hospitality and trying to bring them in the main flow of the industry.
For our members, the first focus is to create awareness about the association’s objectives and to increase the number of members. Parallelly with the support of CTB we are planning to organise workshops both online and offline to educate the members about the various tourist circuits and especially how intra state circuits can be used to include Chhattisgarh as a part of it which can increase the footfalls of tourists in our state.”
IATO EASTERN REGION
J.K. Mohanty Chairman – IATO Eastern Region
“I am focusing on improving the tourism ecosystem, strengthening connectivity, developing tourism infrastructure and creating better experiences for tourists visiting the region. One of the key priorities is to increase international tourist arrivals to Odisha. Swosti Group has also been contributing to the growth and promotion of Odisha tourism for over four decades through its hotels, resorts, travel services and new tourism projects.
Our focus is to make inbound tourism more efficient and business-friendly for our members. We are regularly taking up industry concerns with the Government and relevant authorities, particularly on air connectivity, visa facilitation, tourism infrastructure, destination development and promotion.”
Debjit Dutta Chairman IATO West Bengal Chapter
“IATO has consistently advocated for policy reforms, improved connectivity, destination infrastructure, product diversification and a stronger global positioning for Bengal. We are also working towards positioning West Bengal as the Gateway to the East, connecting Bengal with the wider Eastern and Northeastern region and our neighbouring countries.
At the chapter level, my focus is on making our members more future-ready. We encourage them to develop and market new experiential journeys across Bengal and Northeast India, while providing knowledge and practical support on certifications, accreditations, government schemes, international marketing, and responsible tourism. We are also mentoring emerging tourism entrepreneurs and community-led accommodation providers so that promising local ideas can evolve into credible, market-ready experiences.”
Manas Mukherjee Chairman – Jharkhand Chapter
“The government’s role should primarily be to develop infrastructure, ensure security, frame and implement effective policies, and create a favourable environment for private investment.
As a team, we are identifying important tourism locations and trying to involve local communities so that they can directly participate in tourism and benefit through sustainable livelihood opportunities—for example, by serving authentic local cuisine, working as local guides, sharing stories about their culture and traditions, and offering authentic local experiences to visitors.”
Gagan Sarangi Chairman IATO Odisha Chapter
“IATO (Odisha) Chapter has also been actively engaging with the Tourism Department to encourage greater participation by Odisha’s tourism stakeholders in major national travel trade fairs. Odisha Tourism has been participating actively in major tourism fairs and events, with strong representation from tour operators in the Odisha Pavilion.
To ensure that members’ concerns are regularly addressed, IATO (Odisha) Chapter has been organising bi-monthly chapter meetings. At the same time, IATO (Odisha) Chapter is working with overseas tourism boards and their representatives to facilitate the participation of our members, particularly those involved in outbound tourism, in tourism roadshows and trade events being organised in Odisha.”
Dr. Peter Lobo Chairman – IATO Sikkim and North Bengal Chapter
“We are working towards promoting Sikkim and North Bengal as premier birdwatching destinations, both in India and in international markets and developing and promoting birding circuits and wildlife-based tourism products that can attract international visitors and encourage longer stays.
We focus on working with the tourism authorities to identify and promote lesser-known destinations. Besides that, we encourage greater participation in international travel fairs, B2B meetings, and overseas tourism promotions to position the region as a serious international tourism destination.
For the members of IATO and the tourism industry, we focus on supporting the development of trained local bird guides, nature guides, and tourism professionals, which will improve the quality of visitor experiences and generate local employment. I also focus on raising industry concerns that directly affect international visitors and inbound tour operators.”
H Radhakrishna Sharma, State in Charge- IATO, Manipur chapter
“Our focus is on developing market-ready itineraries and promoting Manipur’s key attractions—Sangai Festival, Loktak Lake, wildlife, culture, heritage, polo and indigenous experiences—while providing industry feedback on connectivity, infrastructure, visitor facilitation and destination readiness. We aim to strengthen public-private partnerships, attract more international tour operators and ultimately increase foreign tourist arrivals.
Our priority is to make inbound tourism more practical and rewarding for members by creating a stronger interface between IATO, the State Tourism Department and other concerned agencies. We are working to facilitate destination information, government coordination, B2B networking, familiarisation visits, market development, product packaging and promotion of Manipur with national and international tour operators.”
Bengia Mrinal State Incharge, IATO-Arunachal Pradesh Chapter
“Last month, we successfully organised the IATO–Arunachal Meeting-cum-Workshop, with the support of Arunachal Tourism. As tourism in our State continues to grow, IATO–Arunachal is making sincere efforts to empower local tour operators and tourism stakeholders through capacity building, education, product development, promotion and marketing.
Arunachal Tourism has also introduced the Chief Minister Paryatan Vipanan Sahayata Yojana (CMPVSY), an important initiative that provides marketing assistance to tour operators and other allied tourism stakeholders for promoting Arunachal Pradesh at domestic and international travel trade fairs and festivals. Under the scheme, eligible stakeholders are provided opportunities to participate in up to four domestic and two international events in a financial year.”
Banlumlang Blah, State In-charge- IATO, Meghalaya chapter
“One of our key initiatives has been organising Familiarisation (FAM) Tours for IATO members from across India during the month of June 2026. We also work together on roadshows, tourism conclaves, and buyer-seller meets to enhance industry engagement and generate business opportunities. We actively encourage responsible tourism by promoting community-based experiences, supporting local entrepreneurs, and showcasing Meghalaya’s rich cultural heritage, adventure tourism, and natural attractions.
Supporting our members remains one of our highest priorities. We are focused on creating a stronger ecosystem where inbound tour operators can operate more efficiently while delivering exceptional experiences to international visitors.
We facilitate networking opportunities between members, hotels, transport providers, local tourism stakeholders, and government agencies. We regularly share industry updates, policy developments, and market intelligence to help members stay informed and competitive. We also advocate for improved tourism infrastructure, better connectivity, simplified operational processes, and policies that encourage international arrivals.”
IATO NORTHERN REGION
Sunil Gupta, Chairman, IATO Northern Region
“We maintain active policy dialogues to streamline operations, enhance infrastructure, and resolve ground-level bottlenecks for inbound operators. Key joint initiatives include targeted FAM trips, co-promotions and roadshows and skill & capacity Building.
IATO focuses on removing operational friction and creating robust business networks for inbound operators through policy advocacy, market Access & B2B platforms and crisis assistance & capacity building”
Sunil Singh Rana Chairman – IATO Uttarakhand Chapter
“We are working towards closer collaboration in areas such as destination promotion, improved connectivity, development of new tourism products, infrastructure, skill development and responsible tourism. One of our key priorities is to promote destinations beyond the traditional circuits and encourage tourism that benefits local communities and creates sustainable employment.
Our focus is to make it easier for IATO members to do business in Uttarakhand and to create a more supportive ecosystem for inbound tourism. We are working to strengthen coordination between our members and the State Government, particularly on issues and operational challenges faced by inbound tour operators.
We are also focusing on capacity building and knowledge sharing through training programmes, webinars and industry interactions. Another important area is B2B networking and destination promotion and at the same time, we are advocating for simplification of processes and better coordination among different government agencies, because ease of doing business is critical for the growth of inbound tourism.”
Nasir Shah Chairman – IATO Jammu & Kashmir Chapter
Stake Holders on their own have been vigorously promoting J&K as a premier, peaceful & pristine destination. Their regular marketing has positioned J&K in general and Kashmir in particular as a fast growing destination. The Combination of Kashmir & Ladakh is doing very well. Much to the desire of State Tourism Deptt to participate in all forums & hold parley with various Inbound Tour Operators, primarily with Members of IATO, besides organising Road Shows in Far East & Middle East Market, the Government’s financial difficulties have put the promotions behind presently. The onus presently lies on IATO Members PAN India to promote & market Kashmir as an important destination where infrastructure is robust & facilities of various Adventure activities across all destinations.
The J&K Chapter Members of IATO have urged the Hon’ble Chief Minister, who is also the Tourism Minister time & again to collaborate with IATO for extensive presence of J&K Branding at various markets. The State Tourism Board must extend financial support to all the Indian Exhibitors to display J&K and distribute Digital Publicity material to all those who visit India Pavilions.”
