TOAI Tourism Summit concludes with focus on sustainable tourism. Peerzada Faiyaz honoured

Ziraat Times Team Report

Bhubaneswar, Oct 2: The National Tourism Summit 2026, organised by the Tour Operators Association of India (TOAI) in Bhubaneswar, concluded with a focus on sustainable destination development, responsible tourism, technology-enabled travel, experiential tourism and stronger business collaboration across India.

The two-day summit, held on September 29–30 at Hotel Lemon Tree Premier, resulted in industry resolutions on sustainable destination management and cross-regional business-to-business (B2B) collaboration.

The summit also saw a call for greater collaboration between governments and the Responsible Tourism Society of India (RTSOI) for carrying-capacity studies of tourism destinations and green certification evaluation of hotels.

Peerzada Faiyaz Ahmed, National Advisor, TOAI, who delivered the keynote on responsible and eco-conscious tourism, introduced RTSOI during his address and highlighted its potential role in promoting sustainable tourism practices.

Ahmed said he had also incorporated a proposal in the recommendations and resolutions submitted to both the Odisha Government and the Central Government, urging them to collaborate with RTSOI for carrying-capacity studies and evaluation of hotels for green certification.

He described his felicitation at the National Tourism Summit as an honour and said the initiative had received extensive media coverage.

Stronger Odisha–TOAI partnership

The Odisha Tourism Board expressed support for TOAI’s initiatives and indicated its commitment to providing financial and other possible support for tourism promotion and the Association’s initiatives.

TOAI said it would use its nationwide network of travel professionals to promote Odisha more extensively and create greater business opportunities for the state.

As part of the initiative, TOAI is conducting a familiarisation (FAM) tour for tour operators, enabling them to experience Odisha’s destinations, tourism products and experiences first-hand and develop stronger destination knowledge.

Focus on sustainable tourism

A key theme of the summit was the need to promote responsible and environmentally sustainable tourism alongside the growth of the travel industry.

Ahmed’s keynote focused on responsible and eco-conscious tourism, including the importance of assessing the capacity of destinations to accommodate tourism activity without placing excessive pressure on local ecosystems and resources.

The proposed collaboration with RTSOI for carrying-capacity studies and hotel green certification was included in the summit’s recommendations to the state and central governments.

The summit also discussed the role of artificial intelligence and emerging technologies in the future of travel, along with destination selling, experience-led tourism and high-value travel.

TOAI expands regional network

TOAI announced new State and Zonal Coordinators as part of efforts to strengthen its grassroots and regional network across the country.

The summit also featured B2B networking, speed networking and destination showcases aimed at creating new business opportunities and strengthening partnerships among travel professionals.

Women’s leadership highlighted

The summit concluded with the TOAI Awards and a dedicated Women Empowerment Committee programme highlighting the contribution, leadership and journeys of women in the travel trade.

Summit proceedings

Day One was inaugurated by Sudersan Das, Trustee, HDF and activist, Bhubaneswar. The programme included sessions on artificial intelligence and the future role of travel agents, destination selling versus experience-led travel, B2B networking, speed networking and destination showcases.

Day Two featured the keynote on responsible and eco-conscious tourism, engagement with the Odisha Tourism Board, the announcement of new State and Zonal Coordinators by TOAI President Abdul Nazir M M, business spotlights and the TOAI Awards Ceremony.

The valedictory proceedings were attended by Dr Rina Rautray, columnist, author, social thinker and public intellectual.

Press conference

A post-summit press conference was attended by senior TOAI representatives, including Hiren Shah, Chairman, Advisory Board; Peerzada Faiyaz Ahmed, National Advisor; Abdul Nazir M M, President; Priyanka Gaikwad, Secretary; Riza Fathima, Chairperson; Seema Bhutada, Chairperson, Women Empowerment Committee; and M. Anish Kumar, President, Kerala State Chapter.

The summit concluded with a renewed emphasis on sustainable, responsible and technology-enabled tourism, stronger industry-government collaboration and greater promotion of emerging tourism destinations across India.