Having previously served for two consecutive terms from 2015 to 2019 as the President of Travel Agents Association of India, Sunil Kumar is back to lead the oldest and largest India Travel Congress of India for the 2024-26 term with remarkable victory over the other presidential candidates.
The announcement was made today following the election held at ITC Grand Maratha in Mumbai, after TAAI’s 73rd Annual General Meeting.
The presidential post was contested by Sunil Kumar, outgoing President Jyoti Mayal, who served the association for the past five years, and Harmandeep Singh Anand. Sunil Kumar secured 304 votes, Jyoti Mayal received 177 votes and Harmandeep Singh Anand garnered 286.
Joining Kumar in the leadership team are Lokesh Bettiah, appointed as Vice President with 417 votes, Shreeram Patel as Honorary Secretary General with 344 votes, and Paras Lakhia as Honorary Treasurer.
The Managing Committee for the 2024–26 term includes Gopal Unadkt, Manav Soni, Amish Desai, Lalit Kumar Jain, Hema Chander, Sameer Karnani and Rajan Sehgal.
In his first interaction with media after winning the election, Sunil said: “We have never had this kind of attendance before. A total of 768 members coming together and casting their votes is a remarkable achievement. Members travelled from across the country to participate, demonstrating their eagerness for progress.”
“We must live up to their expectations. People have the right to choose their leaders, and we accept the verdict of the general body,” he added.
While elaborating on his plan of action Sunil said: “We will soon have a managing committee meeting to create a collaborative plan. All of us must be aligned to take collective responsibility for this plan, which will focus on ‘Mission: Members First.”
“It will require significant time from the office bearers and the Managing Committee. To elevate TAAI to the next level, leadership needs to be highly active, inspiring the entire organisation to engage with and support these initiatives,” he concludes.
