Tour Operators against foreign player managing e-commerce platform

New Delhi, Aug 5 (UNI) The travel and tour operators are up in arms against the Ministry of Tourism for launching its e-commerce platform as only one company from the United Kingdom alone will manage the growing travel business, leaving domestic players in lurch.

The platform was launched none other than Tourism Minister Ambika Soni on the website www.incredibleindia.org on July 25 apppointing the UK-based operator Eviivo Ltd to manage all the travel business in the country and abroad, India Association of Tour Operators (IATO) Subhash Goyal told reporters.

''We have unanimously passed a resolution to urge the government to withdraw this platform with immediate effect which will be sent to tourism and culture minister,'' Mr Subhash Goel added.

If this platform is not withdrawn by Monday, he said, the joint meeting of tour and travel operators will be held which will decide the future coarse of action that may include protest march, dharna or legal action.

Association of Domestic Tour Operators of India Past President Jyoti Kapur said the government action has created a monopolistic situation which will completely eliminate 2,00,000 stake holders' of country's tourism industry.

He asked on what process was Eviivo short listed and selected.

The government should give equal opportunity to all the travel operators and customers should be given freedom to choose, he said.

For the first time, Indian Association of Tour Operators (IATO), Travel Agents Association of India (TAAI), Travel Agents Federation of India (TAFI), Association of Domestic Tour Operators of India (ADTOI), Adventure Tour Operators Association of India (ATOAI), and Indian Tourist Transporters Association (ITTA) have come together to safegaurd the interest of the tour and travel agents, said Mr Goyal.

UNI