OTOAI holds a bullish stance on the Indian travel market, expecting substantial growth, positioning India as one of the largest outbound markets globally.
The Outbound Tour Operators Association of India (OTOAI) concluded the 5th edition of annual convention in Kenya, held at Sarova Stanley in Nairobi. The convention put into spotlight India’s growing profile as one of the biggest and fastest growing tourism source markets. The event served as the platform for OTOAI members to gain experiences and valuable opportunities. Besides, the three-day event with pre and post-Convention familiarization tours showcased Kenya’s diverse tourism attractions.
With a wide range of experiences and discussions, ranging from wildlife and luxury experiences to intensive sessions on the deployment of Artificial Intelligence and ChatGPT for promoting the travel business, the 5th Convention of the Outbound Tour Operators Association of India (OTOAI) presented an ideal mix of business and pleasure for over 150 delegates from India who attended the Convention held in Nairobi.
According to OTOAI President Riaz Munshi, the Convention concluded with an exceptional and gratifying experience, marking an abundance of positive feedback. According to him, the event was not only enjoyable but also served as an informative platform for attendees. “Delegates expressed their satisfaction, highlighting the success of the convention. The chosen theme, ‘Smart Tourism: Use of AI and ChatGPT’, added a significant and insightful layer to the discussions, contributing to the overall success and value of the event”, Munshi added. Today we have learned about how we can utilize and optimize this technology to promote our business. So, we all appreciate this session where we have seen how ChatGPT will help us build itineraries and how you can use a combination of your mind and ChatGPT to promote your business,’’ Munshi informed.
Shravan Bhalla, Vice President OTOAI and Convention Chairman said “OTOAI along with the support of Sarova hotels, One Above Dmc, Air India, and Kenya airlines as airline partners as well as the Kenyan Authorities came up with a very subsidized convention package for OTOAI active members which was attended by 160+ members. Every itinerary was personally as well as professionally looked into by the Convention committee.”
He highlights that the theme was a much-needed topic for discussion and presented well by the professional speakers. Also, Kenya is seen by 150+ OTOAI members out of which many were first timers and had the first-hand experience. He further added, “In addition, Kenyan authorities have made free visa for Indian travelers with additional direct flights from major Indian hubs making it a hot selling destination for the year 2024. We are expecting a big increase in numbers to Kenya from India this season.”
“The market is moving towards luxury and experiential travel and Kenya is fit for that. The experiences that Kenya offers are very different from those that we find elsewhere and also the quality of their hospitality is unbelievable. It is excellent here. We are here at Sarova Hotels, which is a leading hospitality group in Kenya and I am sure they will quickly see the Indian tourist traffic increase sharply after this Convention,’’ said Munshi.
OTOAI Joint Secretary Monia Kapoor says that Kenya was always a popular destination for the Indian travel trade, the visit to the Convention and the familiarisation trips allowed the travel agents to experience some novelties for themselves.
‘‘We are very happy with the way things have gone. All our members turned up and participated very enthusiastically in all the sessions and the presentations on Artificial Intelligence would leave many takeaways for our members as we have to now start thinking about how we can use these technologies for our business. Kenya is already there on everyone’s plans, but coming over here and meeting the Kenyan suppliers would certainly help promote tourism from India to Kenya as it would allow the Kenyan Tourism Board to now project Kenya in a better way across India,’’
Rahim Aslam, Founder, One Above, extending gratitude to the OTOAI leadership & selecting Kenya, shares “The conclusion of the 5th edition of OTOAI’s annual convention was impeccably conceived, meticulously planned, and flawlessly executed. Kenya, already renowned yet filled with hidden treasures, warmly welcomes Indian travelers.”
He further adds, “Our longstanding partnership with OTOAI has a history of collaboration, and we are committed to continuing this alliance in the coming years. Sarova showcased their properties splendidly, leaving all the dignitaries contented and satisfied with their experience”. He also expresses that the convention concluded with a promising beginning for a brighter tomorrow, and eagerly anticipates being part of this journey ahead.
Rahim Aslam, Founder, One Above, extending gratitude to the OTOAI leadership & selecting Kenya, shares “The conclusion of the 5th edition of OTOAI’s annual convention was impeccably conceived, meticulously planned, and flawlessly executed. Kenya, already renowned yet filled with hidden treasures, warmly welcomes Indian travelers.”
He further adds, “Our longstanding partnership with OTOAI has a history of collaboration, and we are committed to continuing this alliance in the coming years. Sarova showcased their properties splendidly, leaving all the dignitaries contented and satisfied with their experience”. He also expresses that the convention concluded with a promising beginning for a brighter tomorrow, and eagerly anticipates being part of this journey ahead.
Kenya Tourism Board eyes a significant jump from India
John Chirchir, Acting Director of Kenya Tourism Board, welcomed the arrival of a large Indian travel trade delegation for the Convention and expects a massive jump in Indian arrivals in Kenya next year.
“OTOAI is an important organization and I am very happy that over 150 Indian tour operators are here in Kenya for this Convention. Since we have good connectivity with India, the tour operators will be able to take advantage of that and demand will drive additional groups. India is a great source market for Kenya and we already have traffic from Tier I and Tier II cities. More important is that the Indian travel trade knows Kenya and has had a good relationship for several years with Kenya and with this Convention, we are reconnecting and cultivating this market,’’ Chirchir, who welcomed the delegates at a welcome reception on the eve of the Convention.
He says that having experienced Kenya, the travel agents would be able to scale up their volumes for Kenya rapidly. “The fact of having Indian tour operators in Kenya and getting them to experience our products, our sustainable tourism, and interact with our communities will allow them to then reflect this to the end consumer in a much better manner than Kenya Tourism Board could ever have done. They will take back these experiences, this knowledge, and the things that have been highlighted to them, they will be able to create wonderful itineraries and products from these,’’ he adds.
For the Destination Management Company, One Above, the DMC Partner for the Convention, Kenya, and Africa are extremely promising markets.
“The leading destination for Indian travelers in Africa is South Africa and then Kenya. Another destination that is picking up is Tanzania and I believe they will do well. Also, Rwanda and Uganda are picking up in India. People who want to see gorillas have no choice but to go to Rwanda or Uganda. We are very positive about Africa and that is why we have set up our own, One Above office, here in Kenya. I am looking to double our numbers in Africa and Kenya specifically. For the Kenyan Tourism Board, I think they could see a 25 pc growth in the Indian market next year,’’ says Irshad Dadan, Director and Group CEO.
Dadan says that the market is now expanding beyond leisure as even MICE travelers find the destination fascinating. “MICE is another segment that is getting interested in exploring new destinations and Kenya and Masai Mara are the destinations that can accommodate a sizable MICE group from India. We have ourselves been receiving MICE groups. Just recently, we did a 380-person group from India here in Masai Mara,’’ Dadan adds.
Rahim Aslam, co-founder of One Above, says that Kenya is becoming increasingly popular in India due to several factors. “The demand for Kenya in India is fantastic due to the flights, visas are easy to get as it is an online process plus the hoteliers here welcome Indian markets and I would say they are slanted towards the Indian market and even the tourism board said so,’’ Aslam said.
Enthused by the growing demand for Kenya and other African destinations, Aslam says his company is about to intensify its efforts to promote Africa further in the Indian market. “Post-pandemic Indian travel has become long haul and long holidays. So, we have seen people go to Europe for 15-20 days and now as One Above what we are doing is that since we have a presence all over Africa, we are creating for next year a new bouquet of packages called African Holidays which we will launch in March. In these, you can cover various parts of Africa as you do in Europe. It will be from 10-20 days,’’ informs Aslam.
