The Indian Association of Tour Operators (IATO) concluded its biennial elections on 10 may with a decisive victory for the “Team Stronger Together” slate, led by Ravi Gosain, who secured the presidency with a commanding 263 votes against challenger Amaresh Tiwari’s 124 votes.
In what was framed as a contest between continuity and change, IATO members have overwhelmingly chosen to maintain the association’s current trajectory. The election, which saw high participation from the tourism community, resulted in a clean sweep for the Gosain-led team across all executive positions:
- President: Ravi Gosain (263 votes)
- Senior Vice President: Rajnish Kaistha (250 votes)
- Vice President: Sanjay Razdan (253 votes)
- Honorary Secretary: Sunil Mishra (253 votes)
- Honorary Treasurer: Deepak Kumar Bhatnagar (254 votes)
- Honorary Joint Secretary: Viney Tyagi (229 votes)
The Active Category Executive Committee shall now consist of Harish Mathur, Tony Marwah, Manoj Kumar Matta, Sehgal Jose and Rishi Kapoor.
There was a defined split in the candidates about where IATO should go from that point. “Gosain’s ‘Team Stronger Together’ made the emphasis on experience and institutional wisdom and made better strategies—foundation stones of its platform.” Having already been Vice President for the period of four years, Ravi Gosain put his emphasis on stability and the demonstration of the effectiveness of the already established policies.
“My vision is to strengthen government coordination for member-centric policies, promote India overseas through strategic partnerships, and digitally empower our membership and chapters through a portal,” Ravi Gosain Elected IATO President in 2025 Elections as ‘Stronger Together’ Unveils New Leadership for 2025–27 Ravi Gosain had stated during his campaign. He will also put in place a think tank that is policy and advocacy oriented with a view to shaping the course of inbound tourism.
Meanwhile, “Team Change Makers,” headed by Tiwari, supported a transformative agenda with the urgent necessity for digital transformation, professional standards, youth involvement, and innovative policy initiatives. Some of their initiatives on their platform included an IATO Certification Program, Young Leadership Programs, a Women’s Leadership Forum and increased engagement with ministries, embassies and academia.
Challenges and Opportunities
India’s tourism industry is at the crossroads as the juncture for the new leadership to take over. Though the industry’s environment continues to be fluid as recovery from the pandemic proceeds, intensified rivalry from competing nations calls for more imaginative thinking on the part of marketers and product developers.
Sanjay Razdan, the new Vice President, has always believed that what true leadership is all about is service and not titles. As Honorary Secretary of IATO for the past two years, we have been working day and night to advance the members’ interests, and our recent achievements paint a good picture, yet much work is to be done.
The conclusive result demonstrates that the IATO members realized and admired the experience and contacts created by the existing team. Deepak Kumar Bhatnagar, who was re-elected as Honorary Treasurer has a history of over 36 years behind him and has had an integral part in tackling important issues facing tour operators.
Once the election is over, emphasis will be on the translation of electoral promises to the outcomes and addressing the stakeholders’ concerns in the sector. If Team Stronger Together is to retain the confidence of the IATO membership, they have to show that they can deliver in government coordination and policy advocacy.
Several canvassed—losers had complaints about the lack of transparency and accountability in the use of member funds, which might occur after the election. Team Change Makers, who failed to appeal for structural changes, argued for the full-time appointment of a CEO for the IATO Secretariat and simpler capital access options for tourism firms.
The overwhelming victory of Team Stronger Together proves that most of the IATO members agree to reinforce the existing framework rather than attempting dramatic alterations. Therefore, the overwhelming endorsement of the opposition indicates significant IATO membership desire for slower improvement and more restructuring.
What the newly established executive will be expected to do in 2025-2027 is to respect.
