The event saw a participation from around 240 audience representing industry representatives, tourism faculty & students who actively indulged in the interactive session.
MTF Events hosted the inaugural edition of MTF Spark on August 10th at the Jai Hind College Auditorium, creating a platform for the Mumbai travel trade community to inspire the younger generation to join the tourism industry. The idea was conceptualized and executed by three industry veterans – Pradip Saaboo, Managing Director of Guideline Travels Holidays India Pvt. Ltd.; Rajat Bagaria, Managing Director of Shrishti Tours & Travels Pvt. Ltd.; and Sameer Karnani, Owner of Arunodaya Travels.
The two-hour event focused on uncovering the untold stories of industry leaders and highlighting the unique opportunities that make tourism a promising field for the next generation. Spark featured a panel discussion with insights from seasoned professionals across various sectors, including Nishant Kashikar, Country Manager of Tourism Australia; Kiran Bhandari, Partner at Polarverse; Sunil Kumar, Travel Advisor and Consultant; Sanjar Imam, Founder Director of Panache World; Neil Patil, Founder, CEO, and Chief Technology Officer at Veena World; and Rahim Aslam, Founder of One Above Global. The discussion was skillfully moderated by Sanjeet from Buzz Marketing.
In a conversation with T3, Patil highlighted key areas within the travel trade that require attention, offering opportunities where the new generation can make a significant impact. He said that whether it’s a new or an older generation, expertise and personalization is what really matters. People often say that ‘Price’ is a big thing and travellers often go for ‘Price’, based on their socio-economic background, but in the last 10-15 years of Veena World it is seen that ‘Service’ plays a key role. And when ‘Service’ come to role, expertise and what unique one brings to the table for the end travellers, is what really matters.
He further added, “Whether you are someone getting to the industry or five years into the industry or a veteran, we find ourselves in the greater travel trade where we must start working smarter, because AI and ML are now used extensively across the board, and not many companies are actually doing it. But as the world and the traveller becomes smarter, as well as the consumer also becomes more informed, it is important for us also to work smarter and become more informed. If you give the service that the end traveller desires, they consider it as a value for money, whether budget or luxury travelers.”
Imam also shared with T3 and expressed that the next generation is fortunate because it gets to deal with 43% of the community which comprises of millennials and Gen Zs. “There is going to be a direct relatability because you are talking to the almost same age and similar wavelength people, and this makes the generation uniquely placed. If you look at the current business scenario, it is run by the previous generation, and it’s the best time for the new generation to step in”, added Imam.
The event saw a participation from around 240 audience representing industry representatives, tourism faculty & students who actively indulged in the interactive session. MTF aims to organise more such events and engagements to bring together the travel trade fraternity, where MELANGE is next in line, set to take place on 19th-20th September at the Jio Convention Centre, Mumbai.
