New Delhi: To strengthen the Hospitality and Tourism Industry of India, the Ministry of Tourism of India signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Yatra on Friday, July 2, 2021.

The primary objective of the MoU is to provide extensive visibility to accommodation units, which have self-certified themselves on SAATHI (System for Assessment, Awareness & Training for the Hospitality Industry) on the OTA platform. The MoU also outlines both parties to encourage Units to register on NIDHI and thereby on SAATHI and also encourage the local tourism Industry with appropriate safeguards for curbing the spread of COVID-19. Also, an idealogy to gather more information on accommodation units to gain actionable insights & designing evidence-based & targeted policy measures and promote safe, honorable, and sustainable tourism.

The Ministry of Tourism & Yatra will endeavor this association to take necessary steps to encourage and promote strategic and technical co-operation in the Indian hospitality & tourism sector for overall benefit in the identified areas through the MoU. It is expected that in the future more OTAs will come forward for signing such MOUs to strengthen the Hospitality & Tourism Industry of India.

The MoU was signed during the presence of Shri Rakesh Kumar Verma, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Tourism; Shri Sanjay Singh, Deputy Director General (H&R), Ministry of Tourism; Dr. A Raj, Senior Director, QCI; Mr. Aditya Gupta, Senior Vice President, Yatra, and Mr. Akshay Mehta, General Manager, Yatra.

The event was organized under the Ministry of Tourism and Quality Council of India (QCI) to implement strengthening measures for the Indian Hospitality & Tourism Industry.