India Travel Stalwart Receives Hall of Fame Award

He is chairman of the STIC travel group, one of the biggest B2B travel groups in the country, representing many prestigious groups. He has also been active in industry issues, such as the Open Skies policy.

In his acceptance speech, Dr. Goyal said, “I am always a big advocate of tourism and feel strongly that being a labor-intensive industry, it has great potential for poverty eradication and economic development, not only in India but worldwide.”

He thanked his wife, Gursharan, for her role, saying amidst cheers, “Without you, I would not be able to achieve whatever little I achieved during my tenure as IATO president.”

Dr. Goyal’s biggest achievement as President of IATO was to get the e-tourist visa policy announced and implemented. During his presidency, the membership grew from around 300 to over 1,500.

His career in the travel and tourism industry is long and distinguished.

He is Chairman of the Civil Aviation and Tourism Committee of the Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and he is the outgoing Honorary Secretary of the Federation of Associations in Indian Tourism & Hospitality (FAITH). Dr. Goyal has also headed the tourism and hospitality council of the Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (ASSOCHAM), and he writes about tourism subjects for many papers as well as frequently appearing on television.

Dr. Goyal concluded his remarks by saying: “I can assure you that till the last day of my life, I will  continue to leave no stone unturned to make India realize its true potential of the greatest tourist destination in the world, and through this, we will be able to create millions of jobs, eradicate poverty, and make India the country of dreams.”

Also receiving a Hall of Fame award that night was Randhirsingh Vaghela.

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