Ajay Prakash-led team confident of winning TAFI national elections on 24 July

The much awaited national election of the Travel Agents Federation of India (TAFI) will finally be held on July 24, 2021 through e-voting. Elections will be held for the nine posts of President, Vice-President, National General Secretary, Treasurer and the five Managing Committee members.

It is learnt that Ajay Prakash (CEO, Nomad Travels and former President of TAFI)-led team is confident of winning the elections, with their motto ‘Time to wake up and rejuvenate TAFI’. The team comprises Lalith Jain, My Travel Agent; Rani Bachani, Vice Regal Travels & Resorts; Anil Kalsi, Ambe World Travels; Kamal Jadhwani, Tulip Travel Services; Rai Achal Krishna, Travel Assistance Bureau; Hitank Shah, Alka Airlink; Abbas Moiz, Shoiz Travels; Seeraj Sabharwal, Charter Tours & Travel.

While speaking to TravelBiz Monitor, Prakash, who is contesting for the post of President, said that there has been no proper election of the association for many years. “Either people had given up or just continued,” Prakash quipped. He added, “From last year, I have been receiving calls from various members of the association requesting me to contest the election. Hence, I was compelled to contest.”

When asked, if elected, what would be areas of priorities? Prakash replied, “Finding a way to protect agents from the airlines. This is one area where agents have been suffering over the years.” His second priority is to establish a strong rapport with the Ministry, especially Tourism Department. “In the pandemic, we have miserably failed to let our voice be heard in the corridor of power. Travel associations in other countries have evolved but we haven’t,” he pointed out.

Another area under spotlight is to increase the number of members as he believes the strength of an association lies in its strong membership. “In 2013, the number of IATA agents was around 3,500 and today the figure is almost 5,000. Unfortunately, TAFI membership hasn’t registered similar growth,” lamented Prakash.

TravelBiz Monitor also spoke to a few eligible voters of TAFI to get the pulse of the election, and almost all of them said that the chances of winning by the Ajay Prakash-led team are maximum.