Occasion Xperts Executes 36th IATO Annual Convention in Gandhinagar

by  EVENTFAQS Bureau Business Events | January 11, 2022 | News

Occasion Xperts IATO Ashish Vidyarthi Abhijeet Sawant Jimmy Felix

Occasion Xperts executed the 36th Indian Association of Tour Operators (IATO) Annual Convention from 16 to 19 December 2021 at The Leela, Gandhinagar. 

The convention was inaugurated by Bhupendra Patel, Chief Minister, Gujarat; G Kamala Vardhan Rao, Director General Tourism, Government of India; and Hareet Shukla, Secretary Tourism, Government of Gujarat.

Actor and motivational speaker Ashish Vidyarthi addressed delegates to inspire the travel industry to stand strong during crises like the Covid pandemic and look for future opportunities. 

On all three days, entertainment programmes were hosted with singers such as Abhijeet Sawant, Jimmy Felix, and Urvashi Arora, besides a Karaoke competition.

The IATO Run, a regular affair at the convention, took place this year in a ‘zero-pollution environment’, with an AQl level of less than 50, informed organisers. 

Bhavina Hasmukhbhai Patel, a Silver medalist in table tennis at the 2020 Tokyo Summer Paralympics, raised the flag. She was also honoured by IATO during the inaugural ceremony.  

Following the convention, five post-convention tours were organised, with over 200 delegates exploring Gujarat and visiting places such as the Statue of Unity, Somnath, Dwarka, Jamnagar, Porbandar, Modhera, Bhuj, Patan, and the Little Rann of Kutch.

Besides a bevy of speakers from government and state-run institutions, panelists included Sanjay Kumar, Chief Strategy & Revenue Officer, IndiGo; Nakul Anand, Executive Director, ITC Hotels & Chairman FAITH; Puneet Chhatwal, MD & CEO, The Indian Hotels Company Limited; Anuraag Bhatnagar, COO, The Leela Palaces, Hotels and Resorts; and Ajay Bakaya, Managing Director, Sarovar Hotels & Resorts.