The President of the Indian Association of Tour Operators (IATO), Mr. Rajiv Mehra, has made an appeal to all its members and all tourism professionals to get themselves, staff, and families to register for the COVID-19 for vaccination.
- Foreign tour operators should get vaccinated also as the e-Tourist Visa and international flight operations will hopefully resume soon.
- Presently there is shortage of vaccines, but one has to try daily on the e-website every day to book a slot for the vaccination.
- Vaccine production in the country will be accelerated in the next coming months as both Pune’s Serum Institute of India and Hyderabad’s Bharat Biotech are ramping up.
While requesting the members and others to get vaccinated, he mentioned that it is very important for everyone in the tourism and hospitality industry to get themselves and staff vaccinated at the earliest possible time. He went on to say that once the vaccinations are done, this same message should be conveyed to all counterparts and foreign tour operators in order to create confidence among them that the vaccination program in India is going on in full swing. This will demonstrate that all staff and frontline workers, i.e., airport representatives, drivers, guides, escorts, tourist felicitators, hotel front office, reception, and restaurant staff, etc., have been vaccinated.
Mr. Mehra also mentioned that this should be conveyed to the foreign tour operators that as soon as the e-Tourist Visa and international flight operations have resumed, India is ready to welcome foreign tourists. Besides creating confidence among foreign tour operators, it will also encourage them to resume business to India.
