Event Information

41st IATO Annual Convention to take place from 10th to 13th September 2026 in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh   
  
Our annual convention is one of the most important events on the Indian Travel calendar.

It attracts delegates not only directly involved in handling travellers, but also brings in a strong participation from states as well as numerous senior dignitaries from the political and administrative arms of central and state governments.

The convention is the main gathering of stakeholders in the tourism industry and the ground for forming strategies and policies for the coming year. The event also attracts widespread trade and mainstream media coverage.

To grow, you need to invest. Invest in your business in your employees, in your marketing. As important are those direct investments, you also need to invest in your industry. Today is an era of co-operation and not competition. We need to use this convention as a venue to share ideas, to exchange strategies and to devise a road map on taking the industry forward After all, you only reap what you sow.

So come and join in the celebration of who we are as an industry, in recognition of the service we do to the nation and in the growth of industry.

Please Join us in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh to witness the Incredible, 41st  IATO Annual Convention.

PROGRAMME

41st IATO ANNUAL CONVENTION, 10 – 13 SEPTEMBER 2026

Novotel Visakhapatnam Varun Beach, Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh

Theme: “India: The World’s Next Tourism Opportunity”

 

DAY 1 – Thursday, 10 September 2026

1000 - 1700 hrs             Registration for the Convention and the IATO Run for Responsible Tourism at Novotel Visakhapatnam Varun Beach  

1300 - 1415 hrs             Lunch hosted by IATO at Novotel Visakhapatnam Varun Beach.  Delegates staying at other hotels will be transferred to Novotel Visakhapatnam Varun Beach at 1230 hrs from respective hotels. Lunch will be served till 1415 hours.  

1600 hrs onwards          Delegates start arriving at Novotel Visakhapatnam Varun Beach.

High Tea hosted by VFS Global

1645 – 1715 hrs             Delegates to take their seats.  Cultural Programme                                            

1720 – 1730 hrs            Arrival and welcome of Guests and the Chief Guests

• Shri N. Chandrababu Naidu, Hon’ble Chief Minister, Govt. of Andhra Pradesh 
• Shri Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, Hon’ble Union Minister of Culture and Tourism, Govt. of India
• Shri. Kinjarapu Rammohan Naidu, Hon'ble Union Minister of Civil Aviation, Govt. of India
• Shri Kandula Durgesh, Hon'ble Minister for Tourism, Culture & Cinematography, Govt. of Andhra Pradesh

1735 - 1740 hrs             Welcome Address by Shri Sunil Mishra, Honorary  Secretary, IATO & Convention Chairman

1740 - 1750 hrs             Presidential Address by Shri Ravi Gosain, President, IATO

1750 - 1800 hrs              Address by Shri Shamsher Singh Rawat, IAS, Special Chief Secretary to Government (Tourism & Culture), YAT&C Department, Govt. of Andhra Pradesh

1800 –1810 hrs             Address by Shri Bhuvnesh Kumar, IAS, Secretary, Ministry of Tourism, Government of India

1810 – 1820 hrs            Address by Mr. Neelu Sharma, Chairman, Chhattisgarh Tourism Board

1820 – 1825 hrs            Address by Shri Kandula Durgesh, Hon'ble Minister for Tourism, Culture and Cinematography, Govt. of Andhra Pradesh

1825 – 1830 hrs            Release of IATO Manual 2026-27

1830 – 1835 hrs            Release of IATO Responsible Tourism Mission 2027- Policy and Common SOP Document

1835– 1840 hrs             Presentation of IATO Hall of Fame Award 2026 and Acceptance speech by the recipient

1840  - 1850 hrs            Address by Shri. Kinjarapu Rammohan Naidu, Hon'ble Union Minister of Civil Aviation, Govt. of India

1850 – 1905 hrs            Address by Shri Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, Hon’ble Union Minister of Culture and Tourism, Govt. of India 

1905 - 1920 hrs             Address by Shri  N. Chandrababu Naidu,  Hon’ble Chief Minister, Govt. of Andhra Pradesh

1920 – 1930 hrs            Presentation of Mementoes

1930 - 1935 hrs             Vote of Thanks by Shri Deepak Kumarr Bhatnagar, Hony. Treasurer, IATO and Convention Co-Chairman

1935 – 2000 hrs            Inauguration of IATO Convention Travel Mart by Shri N. Chandrababu Naidu, Hon’ble Chief Minister, Govt. of Andhra Pradesh, Shri Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, Hon’ble Union Minister of Culture and Tourism, Govt. of India and Shri Kandula Durgesh, Hon'ble Minister for Tourism, Culture & Cinematography, Govt. of Andhra Pradesh

2030 - 2230 hrs             Evening entertainment by Dastaan Band.  Dinner hosted by Shri N. Chandrababu Naidu, Hon’ble Chief Minister, Govt. of Andhra Pradesh

2230 hrs                       Depart for respective hotels.

 

DAY 2 -  Friday, 11 September, 2026

 

0950 hrs                      Delegates to assemble in the convention hall and take seats at Novotel Visakhapatnam Varun Beach

0955 - 1000 hrs           Start of Business Sessions - Opening Remarks by Shri Rajnish Kaistha, Senior Vice President, IATO, followed by Convention Film

1005  - 1010 hrs           Announcement of Door Prizes

1010 - 1110 hrs           Business Session 1 – India - World’s Next Tourism Opportunity - Strategy and Policy

                                    Moderator:   Ms. Peden Doma Bhutia, Asia Editor - Skift

                                    Speakers:

• Shri Bhuvnesh Kumar, IAS, Secretary, Ministry of Tourism, Government of India
• Shri Amrit Abhijat, IAS, Additional Chief Secretary and DG (Tourism), Govt. of Uttar Pradesh
• Shri Shamsher Singh Rawat, IAS, Special Chief Secretary to Government (Tourism & Culture), YAT&C Department, Govt. of Andhra Pradesh
• Shri Barun Kumar Ray, IAS, Additional Chief Secretary and Director General (Tourism), Government of West Bengal
• Dr. Ilayaraja T, IAS, Secretary Tourism & MD - Madhya Pradesh Tourism Board,
• Shri Nakul Anand, Former Executive Director, ITC Limited, (Hospitality and Tourism expert)
• Shri Ravi Gosain, President - IATO

1112 - 1152 hrs           Special Session on Andhra Pradesh -   

                                    Moderator- Shri Rahul Chakravarty, COO - IATO

                                    Speaker: - Shri Ravi Pattanshetti, IAS, MD APTDC and CEO, AP Tourism Authority, Govt. of Andhra Pradesh

1155  - 1210 hrs          Tea/Coffee Break/B2B Networking -  hosted by M/s. Arts & Life, Agra

1212 -  1220 hrs          State Presentation 1  - Uttar Pradesh Tourism  

1222 -  1230 hrs          State Presentation 2  - Madhya Pradesh Tourism

1232 -  1322 hrs          Business Session  2  – The Future Tour Operator – AI and Technology

Moderator: Shri Naveen Kundu, Tourism Futures.AI

Speakers:

• Shri Jitin Bhatia, Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Explurger
• Shri Dev Karvat, Founder & CEO, ASEGO
• Shri Rocky Jagtiani, AI Transformation Coach
• Shri Abhishek Logani, Chief Business Officer – Hotels, myPartner & TripMoney
• Shri Chirag Agrawal,  Co-founder and COO, TravClan

1325 -  1430 hrs           Lunch/B2B Networking - hosted by IATO

1430 – 1435 hrs           Announcement of Door Prizes

1435 -  1443  hrs         State presentations 3 - Chhattisgarh Tourism 

1445 -  1535  hrs        Business Session 3 - Sustainable Tourism – Growth with Visitor Management

                                    Moderator: Shri Ram Pratap Singh, Founder, ISN - Indian School of Nature

                                    Speaker:

• Shri Pushp Kumar, Director (Eco-Tourism), Dept. of Tourism, Govt. of Uttar Pradesh
• Shri Pradeep Murthy, Muddy Boots Vacations India LLP
• Shri Rupeshkumar K, Chief Executive Officer, Kerala Responsible Tourism Mission Society, Dept. of Tourism, Govt. of Kerala
• Dr. (Ms)  Manjula Chaudhary, Kurukshetra University
• Shri Vikram Cotah – CEO GRT Hotels & Resorts
• Dr. Anish Andheria , President & CEO of the Wildlife Conservation Trust (WCT)

1537 -  1545 hrs            State presentation 4  -  Punjab Tourism

1547 – 1555 Hrs            State Presentation 5  -  West Bengal Tourism  

1600-  1615 hrs             Tea/Coffee Break/B2B Networking - Hosted by EBIX Travel & Holidays Ltd.

1615 – 1620 hrs            Announcement of Door Prizes

1620 – 1710 hrs           Business Session 4 - Unlocking High Growth Tourism

                                      Moderator:  Mr. Homa Mistry, CEO, Trail Blazers

Speakers:

• Shri Suman Billa, IAS, Additional Secretary & DG (Tourism), Govt of India
• Mr. Suneel Anchipaka, IAS, Managing Director and CEO, Delhi Tourism & Transportation Development Corporation
• Shri Saumil Ranjan Chaubey IAS, Managing Director Chhattisgarh Tourism Board
• Shri Manish Puri, Head of Sales – Air India  
• Shri Vikram Madhok, Managing Director, Abercrombie & Kent  
• Ms. Megha Ajgaonkar, Vice President sales, The Leela Palaces, Hotels & Resorts,
• Shri Sanjay Basu, Managing Director – Far Horizon Tours Pvt. Ltd

1712 -  1720 hrs            State Presentation 6 – Rajasthan Tourism

1722 – 1730 hrs            State Presentation 7 - Gujarat Tourism

1732 -  1740 hrs            State Presentation 8 –  Delhi Tourism

1745 hrs                       Depart for respective Hotels

1930 hours                   Depart from respective hotels for Novotel Visakhapatnam Varun Beach    

2000 - 2230 hrs           Evening Entertainment. IATO Got Talent Season 6 - Karaoke Singing Competition followed by DJ Sunny & Rhitik - percussionist in attendance. Dinner hosted by IATO at Novotel Visakhapatnam    

2230 hrs                       Depart for respective hotels.

 

DAY 3 – Saturday, 12 September 2026

0630 – 0800 hrs           IATO Run for Responsible Tourism        

0950 hrs                       Delegates to assemble in the convention hall at Novotel Visakhapatnam Varun Beach  

1000 -1005 hrs             Announcement of Door Prizes

1007 – 1015 hrs           Signing of MoU between IATO and Indian School of Nature (ISN) for carbon audit of the 41st IATO Annual Convention

1017 – 1047 hrs           Knowledge Session - "The New Risk Map for Tour Operators: From Trip Disruption to Enterprise Risk" by Mr. Vikas Anand, Founder & CEO, SafeTree (A2V Insurance

Brokers Pvt. Ltd.)

1047 - 1055 hrs            State Presentation 9 - Tamil Nadu Tourism

1057 - 1105 hrs             State Presentation 10 – Karnataka Tourism 

1107 - 1115 hrs              State Presentation 11 – Goa Tourism

1117 - 1150 hrs              Tea/Coffee Break and B2B Networking - hosted by Alliance Hotels & Resorts

1150 - 1250 hrs           Business Session 5 – Fostering Partnerships for Tourism Growth

                                    Moderator:  Mr. Aashish Gupta, Consulting CEO, FAITH  

                                    Speakers:

• Shri Harikishore S, IAS, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Tourism, Government of India
• Shri Krishna Teja Mylavarapu, IAS, Commissioner, Panchayat Raj and Rural Development, Andhra Pradesh
• Smt. G. Rekha Rani, IAS., Commissioner of Handlooms and Textiles, Andhra Pradesh
• Shri Parveen Chander, Executive Vice President, (Commercial), Indian Hotels Company Limited
• Shri Arif Patel, Chief Commercial Officer - ITC Hotels
• Shri Anshul Sethi, Head of Sales – India - IndiGo
• Shri Rohit Arora, VP-North & Goa & Head of Leisure Sales, The Park Hotels
• Shri Pronab Sarkar, MD - Swagatam Tours Pvt. Ltd.
• Shri Kanwarjit Singh Sawhney, MD - Bakshi Transport Service (P) Limited

1250 - 1300 hrs             Presentation on IATO Responsible Tourism Mission 2027 by Mr. Sanjay Razdan, Vice President & Mr. Debjit Dutta, Chairman-IATO West Bengal Chapter

1302 - 1310 hrs             State Presentation 12 - Meghalaya Tourism

1312 - 1320 hrs             State Presentation 13 - Andaman & Nicobar Tourism (confirmation awaited)

1320 - 1420 hrs             Lunch/B2B Networking – hosted by IATO

1420 - 1425 hrs             Announcement of Door Prizes

1425 - 1433 hrs             State Presentation – 14 – Manipur Tourism   

1435 - 1440 hrs             Commencement of Valedictory Session

1440 – 1445 hrs            Welcoming of Guests

1445 – 1455 hrs             Welcome address by Shri Ravi Gosain, President, IATO

1455 – 1505 hrs            Address by Shri Ravi Pattanshetti, IAS, MD APTDC and CEO, Andhra Pradesh Tourism Authority,  Govt. of Andhra Pradesh          

1505 – 1515 hrs            Address by Shri Shamsher Singh Rawat, IAS, Special Chief Secretary to Government, YAT&C Department, Govt. of Andhra Pradesh

1515 – 1525 hrs            Address by Shri Suman Billa, IAS, Additional Secretary & DG (Tourism), Govt. of India

1525 -  1535 hrs           Address by Dr. Shankar Ghosh, Honorable Minister in Charge, Department of Tourism, Government of West Bengal

1535 – 1545 hrs            Address by Shri Kandula Durgesh, Hon'ble Minister for Tourism,  Culture & Cinematography, Govt. of Andhra Pradesh

1545 – 1555 hrs            Presentation of Special Awards for the Exemplary Work in the Tourism Field

1555 – 1600 hrs            Summing up/concluding remarks by Shri Sunil Mishra, Honorary Secretary and Chairman Convention

1600 – 1605 hrs            Vote of Thanks by Shri Sanjay Razdan, Vice President – IATO                         

1605 – 1625 hrs             Tea /Coffee Break and B2B Networking - hosted by M/s. AndamanExperts.com   

1625 – 1725 hrs            Comedy Session by Shri Karan Chauhan, Mentalist Comedian

1725 – 1755 hrs            Award Presentation Ceremony

1800 hrs                       Depart for respective hotels  

1930 hrs                        Depart from respective hotels for Novotel Visakhapatnam Varun Beach     

2000 - 2230 hrs             Evening Entertainment by “Crooners Collective Band”. Dinner hosted by IATO and Novotel  

2230 hrs                       Depart for respective hotels.

 

Day 4 – Sunday, 13 September 2026

 

Delegates Check out. Post-Convention Tours.

 

Note:

1. Programme is subject to change due to any force majeure event.
2. Door prizes will be announced as mentioned above. However, door prizes will be given to delegates who are physically present in the hall at the time of announcement

Register Online Now

REGISTRATION INFORMATION

• Please fill up the complete form and do not leave any column blank. 
• Registration forms duly filled in along with the fee need to be forwarded to: Indian Association of Tour Operators, 310, Padma Tower- II, 22, Rajendra Place, New Delhi-110008.
• All payments by cheque/demand draft should be drawn in favour of “Indian Association of Tour Operators” on any Delhi bank. Payment can be made online on www.iato.in by Visa/Master Credit/Debit Card.
• Registration Form without payment will not be accepted
• Last date for registration is 30th August, 2026 (without late fee).
• Late fee supplement of Rs. 1000/- would be charged for Registration Forms received on or after 1st September 2026.
• ⁠If cancellation is received on or before 6th September 2026, the amount will be refunded, after deduction of Rs. 1000/- towards secretarial charges. No refund will be made if cancellation is received on or after 7th September 2026. 
• Any change or substitution in the name of the delegate will attract a charge of Rs. 500/- per substitution as secretarial charges. 
• While IATO has negotiated special discounted rates with the hotels and will help you in getting room reservation on first-come-first serve basis, the delegates shall have to pay all hotel charges including room tariff directly to the hotels. 
• ⁠In case of cancellation is received on or after 7th September 2026/ or in case of no show/or in case of reduction in number of room nights, hotel will charge retention for the whole nights booked.
• For such cancellations/No shows, Hotel will send the invoice/bills to IATO which will be sent to the concerned delegate for settlement directly with the hotel under intimation to IATO.      
• We have limited inventory of rooms splitted in 8 hotels in different categories and all are of good quality and we have negotiated very special rate with all of them. Delegates who wish to book accommodation through IATO, need to give at least Three Choice of your hotel out of the list attached. We shall try to accommodate you in the hotel of your choice but it cannot be guaranteed.
• Last date for registration of post-convention tours is 10th August 2026. However, this will be on first come first serve basis subject to availability of rooms in each tour.   
• Accommodation in all post- convention tours would be on twin room sharing basis.
• Please note delegates who are travelling with spouse or companion and opt for Post-Convention Tours if spouse/companion withdraws from the Post Tour later, hotel accommodation would be given to the other delegates in the waitlist as all rooms are on twin sharing basis.
• Allotment of Hotel accommodation for the post tour would be on the discretion of the Registration Committee and cannot be challenged by the delegate as these are complimentary.
• Members opting for post-convention tours should book their return flight as per the timings given in the post tour details.
• It will be compulsory for all the delegate to follow SoPs/Guidelines issued by the MoHFW and the State Government.

Registration Categories

Recommended Hotels

Available Tours

Spouse Tours and Post Convention Tours

41st IATO Annual Convention, Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh

 

Spouse Tours

• Spouse Tour 1  - 11th September, 2026 -  Visakhapatnam City Tour  
• Spouse Tour 2 – 12th September, 2026 - Shopping Tour

 

Post Convention Tours

• Post Tour 1 - 13th September - Day Trip to Bojjanakonda
• Post Tour 2 - 13th September -  Day Trip to 2 Shakti Peethas
• Post Tour 3 - 13th to 14th September - One night/ 2 Days - Araku Valley,  Borra Caves
• Post Tour 4 - 13th – 15th September - Two Nights/3 Days - Anija Golf Resort, Rayagada
• Post Tour 5 - 13th to 15th September - Two Nights/3 Days -  Araku Valley with Tribal Tour
• Post Tour 6 - 13th to 15th September - Two Nights/3 Days - Kakinada-Rajahmundry -Vijayawada - drop at Vijaywada airport 

Available Tours

Form A  - Delegate Registration Form-      APPLICATION FOR DELEGATE REGISTRATION

 

Form B - Indian Tourism Fair.     APPLICATION FORM - Indian Tourism Fair

 

Form C - Application form for advertisement in IATO Manual 2026-2027:   APPLICATION FORM FOR ADVERTISEMENT IN INDIA TOUR OPERATORS MANUAL

 

Form D - Application form for Marketing & Innovation. Application form for Marketing & Innovation