Mr. Sunil Kumar, the president of UFTAA (Universal Federation of Travel Agents Associations), spoke to the Dope about his organization’s vision for the future and how important leadership and learning are within the travel industry.
What is UFTAA’s major focus?
A global federation in association with 75 countries, UFTAA has agents from across the world. “Our main vertical for a while has been dealing with issues surrounding IATA, member-hand holding on ticketing matters and aviation matters,” says Mr. Kumar. UFTAA has also shifted from the ticketing domain to the tourism domain of being globally connected. “At UFTAA, we’ve realised how dynamic the world is and the importance of being connected. In the year 2020, we want UFTAA Connect to facilitate connections across the world,” said Mr. Kumar.
Mr. Kumar also believes in the power of going online. “To be truly connected we have to not just connect offline but also go online. We want to empower agents around the world to go online.”
How Indian travel and tour operators are growing
According to Mr. Kumar Indian travel and tour operators have an impressive pattern of growth. The constant innovation in the travel industry is the cause for it. A huge influx of younger professionals in the industry has helped revitalize it. “If you take a survey to understand the last few years, you’ll notice that most of the new employees are under the age of 30. This has really benefited the travel industry,” said Mr. Kumar. He also discussed the importance of learning leadership in the industry. “In 2020, we have to look at the big picture. We have to push people out of their comfort zones and think bigger. We cannot stay content any longer. The world needs to see how big the travel industry is and all that it has to offer,” added Mr. Kumar.
