Consider basic demands for survival: TAAI to govt

The Travel Agents Association of India (TAAI) has said it was in a "state of shock" as no economic package has been announced for them and asked the government to consider its requests for survival, failing which it will adopt the Gandhian way of protest.

While Prime Minister Narendra Modi has announced a package of Rs 20 lakh crore, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman "has neglected us and no relief to us is seen", the TAAI said in its letter to the Central government on Sunday.

"We are not only in despair but also in a state of shock. The trade was so confident that under the leadership of Modi ji, we would be nurtured and protected," the TAAI noted.

Sitharaman has not announced any specific relief package for the hospitality or the tourism sector.

The hospitality and tourism sector has come to a complete halt since March 25, when the government imposed a nationwide lockdown to curb the spread of coronavirus.

"The feeling (is) that the government has abandoned our sector which is one of the largest revenue earners in the country, be it Income Tax, GST, Foreign Exchange etc," the TAAI said in its letter marked to Sitharaman, Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri, Tourism Minister Prahlad Singh Patel, Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal and Niti Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant.

The TAAI, which has more than 2,500 travel companies as its members, said: "We along with FAITH (Federation of Associations in Indian Tourism & Hospitality) have had various dialogues especially with MOT (Ministry of Tourism)/MOC (Ministry of Commerce)/MoCA (Ministry of Civil Aviation)/ Niti Aayog."