About Us

History of ITTA

Even though tourism transport industry loosely begun its journey at the time when India was attaining independence, there was no collective effort to streamline the industry. Initially, Ministry of Tourism started recognizing Tourist Car Operators and as early as 1960 the Tourist Car Operators Association was formed. In early 1970s the group tourism to India was on a boom so many operators introduced luxury coaches as well. Some of the issues of coach operators were very different from the car operators.

In the absence of any industry voice, each tourist transport operator was left to fend for himself. Whereas, the Government, in the absence of a credible industry voice, paid little or no attention to any sporadic and lone voices. The industry in the early 1960s had come together to form All India Tourist Transport Owners Association (AITTOA) but over a period of time the association died its natural death with little or no interest shown by the members in the later years.

It was at this moment that tourism transport industry once again came together to revive and create a powerful lobby group for its representative sector. Several industry stalwarts joined hand to review AITTOA on October 7, 1987. However, it was because of issues related to registration and the absence of Pan-India membership base that the Association was later registered as Indian Tourist Transporters Association (ITTA) on March 2nd 1989. Those days creating a pan-India base was a monumental challenge in the absence of many of the technologies which are easily available today like internet, mobile phone, computer etc.

ITTA since its formation in 1989 continued to grow from strength to strength and has today emerged not only as tourist transport sector’s most respected and powerful voice in the country, but also as one of the most admitted tourism stake holders because of the issues of larger tourism interest that it has taken over the last three decades under the able guidance of its past Presidents including Mr. Mukesh Goel, Mr. Ajay Kapoor, Mr. Sarab Jit Singh, Mr. Krishan Dutt Yadav, Mr. Satish Sehrawat and now Mr. Amrit Pal Singh Mann.

Formation of ITTA was also the culmination of tourist transport sector’s long sought dream to have a powerful voice for itself that can also accommodate diverse and varied business interests of both the Car and the Coach owners.

As stated earlier, to strengthen the tourist transport operators, a joint body i.e. Indian Tourist Transporters Association, was registered on 2nd March 1989 with the following members in the Managing Committee:

1^st Governing Body

Executive Committee Members

Today, ITTA is not only invited for important meetings by Ministry of Tourism, Government of India and other Government bodies like Niti Ayog but also given equal status and our comments/views are given due weightage. ITTA is now invited for meetings and discussions by Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, Ministry of Commerce & Industry, Ministry of Finance, National Capital Regional Planning Board, Indian Institute of Tourism and Travel Management (IITTM), as well as, State Governments.

ITTA was one of the greatest proponent, catalyst and facilitator for the formation of Federation of Associations in Indian Tourism & Hospitality (FAITH), the policy federation of all the national associations representing the complete tourism, travel and hospitality industry of India.

In order to widen our scope of activities, apart from Executive Committee Members from different regions, we have appointed Chapter Chairmen in Southern and Western Regions and are in the process of appointing Chapter Chairmen in other regions.

We have always been put forward the concerns of tourist transport operators from across India and will continue to do so.