The Travel Agents Association of India (TAAI) has chosen to postpone its 66th Convention & Exhibition in Colombo, Sri Lanka, slated for April 19-22, 2022.
“We had an overwhelming response to the convention registrations, which had crossed the 500-registration mark,” says Jyoti Mayal, President of TAAI. Sri Lankan Tourism Promotion Bureau (SLTPB) and Sri Lanka Association of Inbound Tour Operators (SLAITO), as well as Sri Lankan Airlines and Colombo hotels, were eager to host us for the convention.
The current economic and political crisis in the island nation, which includes a lack of gasoline, power, and gas, as well as political turmoil and treason in some regions of the country, has forced TAAI to postpone the convention in Colombo. Tourism is always the first to be hit at the start of any crisis, but TAAI is dedicated to working with their Sri Lankan counterparts to reschedule the convention and revitalise tourism as soon as the opportunity arises, said Jyoti Mayal.
Jay Bhatia, Vice President, TAAI added, “We received numerous calls and communications from our member delegates, invitees, and stakeholders expressing concern that travelling to Sri Lanka at this time would not only burden our Sri Lankan friends, but would also put the convention’s hosting in Colombo in jeopardy.”
TAAI is in close communication with its stakeholder partners and hosts in Sri Lanka, who have pledged their full support for the 66th Convention.
As a result of the feedback and suggestions received, the Managing Committee of TAAI has decided to postpone the 66th Convention, which was to be held from the 19th to the 22nd of April 2022 in Colombo, Sri Lanka, to a future date, which shall be communicated to all in due course, once the situation in Sri Lanka normalises, commented Bettaiah Lokesh, HSG, TAAI.
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