Terms of Service

These Terms of Service ("Terms") govern access to and use of the services, platforms, memberships, programs, websites, applications, digital communities, events, certifications, educational services, networking ecosystems, chapter activities, and related offerings operated by the International Association of Hotels & Travel Agents ("IAOHTA", "Association", "Company", "we", "our", or "us").

By accessing, registering with, participating in, or using any IAOHTA service, the user, member, participant, chapter representative, office bearer, visitor, or organization ("User", "Member", or "you") agrees to be legally bound by these Terms, the Privacy Policy, Code of Conduct, Refund Policy, Certification Terms, Event Participation Terms, Cookie Policy, and all other policies, circulars, constitutional documents, and governance frameworks issued by IAOHTA from time to time.

If you do not agree to these Terms, you must discontinue use of IAOHTA services immediately.

IAOHTA is a non-profit Section 8 Company incorporated under the Companies Act, 2013, India, operating as an international trade association for the travel, tourism, hospitality, hotel, and travel services ecosystem. IAOHTA operates globally through digital platforms, state chapters, national chapters, strategic collaborations, and institutional partnerships.

Nothing within these Terms shall be interpreted as creating any of the following between IAOHTA and any user or member:

• A partnership or joint venture
• An employment or agency relationship
• A franchise relationship
• A securities offering or investment relationship
• A fiduciary relationship of any kind

IAOHTA operates under a hybrid institutional membership framework encompassing both associational and contractual dimensions.

3.1 Associational Nature of Membership

Membership in IAOHTA constitutes voluntary participation in an international trade association governed by constitutional documents, governance frameworks, election procedures, chapter structures, ethical codes, disciplinary policies, and institutional circulars issued by IAOHTA. Members acknowledge that membership involves institutional participation beyond purely commercial service consumption.

3.2 Contractual Nature of Services

Specific services offered by IAOHTA may constitute contractual service arrangements, including but not limited to:

• Certification programs and educational courses
• Webinars, workshops, and summits
• Mentorship programs and consulting-oriented educational sessions
• Technology solutions, software access, and digital platform services
• Directory services and digital communities

Such services may be subject to supplementary terms, pricing structures, eligibility conditions, or participation requirements.

Users may access IAOHTA services only if they possess the legal capacity to enter binding agreements under the laws applicable within their local jurisdiction. Where local law establishes a minimum legal adult age requirement, users must satisfy such requirements. Organizations registering on behalf of employees, representatives, or delegates warrant that they possess full authority to do so.

IAOHTA reserves the right to reject, suspend, or terminate applications from:

• Sanctioned entities or prohibited jurisdictions
• Blacklisted organizations or fraud-risk users
• Individuals engaged in illegal activities
• Politically exposed high-risk entities
• Users presenting reputational, regulatory, operational, or security risks

IAOHTA may offer multiple membership categories including but not limited to:

• Hotel Members
• Travel Agent Members
• Tour Operator Members
• Corporate Members
• Affiliate Members
• Professional Members
• Institutional Members
• Trade Association Members
• Honorary Members
• International Members
• Student or Emerging Professional Categories

IAOHTA reserves the right to create, modify, suspend, merge, or discontinue membership categories at any time. Voting rights, eligibility rights, governance participation, chapter participation, and representation privileges may vary by category.

Membership approval is subject to verification, review, eligibility assessment, and institutional approval processes determined by IAOHTA. Submission of an application does not guarantee approval.

IAOHTA reserves the unrestricted right to approve or reject applications, seek additional information, conduct due diligence, verify business legitimacy, or request supporting documentation. Members are responsible for ensuring that all submitted information remains accurate, complete, lawful, and updated at all times.

7.1 Annual Membership Fees

Membership fees are annual unless otherwise expressly stated. Membership validity periods shall commence from the date of approval or activation unless otherwise communicated.

7.2 Additional Paid Services

IAOHTA may separately charge fees for events, conferences, webinars, certification programs, training sessions, educational courses, mentorship programs, technology services, software access, sponsorships, premium networking opportunities, or specialized institutional services. Certain services may operate on recurring billing models.

7.3 Accepted Payment Methods

IAOHTA accepts the following payment methods:

• International Credit & Debit Cards (online)
• UPI (Unified Payments Interface)
• NEFT, RTGS & IMPS (Bank Transfers)
• Domestic & International Bank Transfers
• SWIFT Transfers (International Wire)
• PayPal
• RazorPay
• CCAvenue

7.4 Taxes

Applicable taxes, duties, GST, VAT, withholding taxes, or local levies shall be borne by the user where applicable under the laws of their jurisdiction.

8.1 General Rule

All payments made to IAOHTA are non-refundable unless explicitly stated otherwise in writing, required by applicable law, or mandated by a competent legal authority.

8.2 Membership Fees

Annual membership fees are non-refundable after approval, activation, or issuance of membership credentials.

8.3 Event Fees

Event participation fees may be transferable only where expressly permitted. No refunds shall be issued for failure to attend, travel disruption, visa rejection, scheduling conflicts, or any participant-related circumstances.

8.4 Courses & Certification Programs

Refunds for digital learning, certification, mentorship, or educational services shall generally not be permitted once access credentials, learning materials, or program access has been issued to the user.

8.5 Chargebacks

Improper chargebacks, fraudulent disputes, or unauthorized payment reversals may result in suspension, permanent removal, legal recovery actions, or reporting to payment processors and relevant authorities.

Approved members may automatically appear in public directories, listings, search systems, digital showcases, and institutional databases operated by IAOHTA. By joining IAOHTA, members grant IAOHTA a limited, revocable, non-exclusive, worldwide, royalty-free license to display business names, logos, trademarks, public contact information, and descriptive business information for institutional, promotional, directory, verification, networking, or association-related purposes. Members represent that they possess all necessary rights to provide such content.

All users and members must comply with IAOHTA ethical frameworks, community standards, anti-harassment requirements, professional conduct expectations, anti-fraud policies, anti-corruption laws, and all applicable legal obligations.

Prohibited conduct includes but is not limited to:

• Fraudulent representation or misuse of association identity
• Unethical tourism practices or counterfeit certifications
• Hate speech, harassment, or defamation
• Misleading claims or unlawful discrimination
• Actions damaging the reputation or interests of IAOHTA

Please refer to our dedicated Code of Conduct page for full details.

Members participating in governance structures, elections, chapter operations, committees, councils, or representative functions agree to comply with constitutional frameworks, election procedures, institutional circulars, governance directives, and disciplinary frameworks.

IAOHTA may conduct digital voting, token-based voting, electronic confirmations, virtual governance meetings, and digitally authenticated governance procedures. Electronic governance records shall carry legal validity to the extent permissible under applicable law.

IAOHTA may establish state chapters, national chapters, international representative offices, affiliated institutional bodies, and regional governance structures.

12.1 National Chapters

National chapters may operate with limited independent administrative control subject to IAOHTA constitutional authority, institutional oversight, governance supervision, and applicable affiliation conditions. National chapters shall not represent themselves as legally independent owners of IAOHTA intellectual property unless expressly authorized in writing.

12.2 State Chapters

State chapters function as operational extensions of IAOHTA and shall not operate independently unless expressly approved by IAOHTA.

12.3 Limitation of Liability for Chapters

IAOHTA Global shall not automatically be liable for local disputes, independent acts, contracts, representations, financial obligations, employment matters, or unauthorized conduct undertaken by chapter representatives or local bodies unless expressly authorized in writing by IAOHTA.

Participation in conferences, expos, networking events, webinars, summits, training camps, workshops, award ceremonies, or official gatherings is subject to behavioral, operational, and security protocols. Participants agree that:

• Event schedules, speakers, and venues may change
• Sessions may be recorded and photography/videography may occur
• Participation does not guarantee commercial outcomes

IAOHTA reserves the right to deny entry, remove participants, or restrict access for safety, ethical, legal, reputational, or operational reasons without prior notice or refund obligation.

IAOHTA certifications are internally issued professional and educational recognitions. Unless expressly stated otherwise:

• Certifications are not government licenses or statutory accreditations
• Certifications are not regulatory approvals of any kind
• Certifications do not guarantee employment or commercial success

Certification validity, renewal requirements, assessment standards, and verification mechanisms may be modified by IAOHTA at any time. IAOHTA reserves the right to revoke certifications obtained through fraud, misconduct, plagiarism, impersonation, or violation of association policies.

IAOHTA does not operate as an investment advisor, broker, NBFC, crowdfunding platform, financial intermediary, securities exchange, portfolio manager, merchant banker, or financial services institution.

All investment readiness programs, mentorship initiatives, investor networking activities, introductions, educational sessions, funding awareness programs, and Investor Connect activities are purely informational, educational, facilitative, and networking-oriented in nature. IAOHTA:

• Does not guarantee funding or endorse any investment
• Does not negotiate deals or verify investor legitimacy
• Does not manage funds or provide financial, legal, or investment advice

Users must independently conduct due diligence and consult qualified professional advisors before making any financial decisions.

IAOHTA may provide or facilitate access to websites, portals, mobile applications, CRM systems, booking tools, digital communities, online learning systems, AI-powered systems, automated workflows, communication systems, and integrated third-party technology solutions. Services may evolve continuously and may include beta, experimental, or AI-assisted functionalities.

IAOHTA does not guarantee uninterrupted availability, error-free functionality, platform compatibility, or commercial outcomes arising from use of its technology services.

IAOHTA may utilize artificial intelligence, machine learning systems, automated moderation tools, recommendation systems, automated verification technologies, or algorithmic systems in relation to content moderation, analytics, learning systems, member services, fraud prevention, communication workflows, and digital platform operations.

Automated outputs may contain inaccuracies. Users remain responsible for independently verifying critical information before reliance on any AI-generated or automated output.

IAOHTA communities may include WhatsApp groups, Telegram groups, forums, social media communities, discussion channels, or other collaborative communication platforms. Participation in such communities is subject to respectful conduct, lawful behavior, anti-spam requirements, confidentiality expectations, and platform-specific rules. IAOHTA reserves the right to remove users from communities without prior notice where necessary.

All intellectual property associated with IAOHTA — including names, logos, trademarks, certifications, seals, educational materials, governance systems, digital assets, content, publications, graphics, frameworks, methodologies, and platform systems — shall remain the exclusive property of IAOHTA unless otherwise stated.

Users shall not:

• Misuse IAOHTA branding or falsely claim affiliation
• Create counterfeit certificates or establish unauthorized chapters
• Copy institutional frameworks or impersonate representatives
• Commercially exploit IAOHTA intellectual property without prior written authorization

IAOHTA reserves all legal rights relating to brand enforcement and intellectual property protection.

Users retain ownership of their submitted content. By submitting content to IAOHTA platforms, users grant IAOHTA a limited, non-exclusive, worldwide, royalty-free license to host, display, reproduce, publish, distribute, and utilize such content for operational, promotional, educational, institutional, directory, moderation, archival, or platform-related purposes.

Users warrant that submitted content does not infringe third-party rights, is lawful, and may legally be shared with IAOHTA.

IAOHTA is committed to responsible handling of personal data in alignment with applicable Indian data protection laws, Digital Personal Data Protection Act principles, GDPR-aligned privacy principles, and internationally recognized consumer protection standards.

Data collected may include identity information, contact details, business information, payment data, communication records, event participation data, and technical usage information. This data may be processed for membership management, service delivery, governance operations, security, analytics, compliance, marketing communications, and operational administration.

Users consent to reasonable cross-border data processing where required for international operations. IAOHTA implements reasonable technical and organizational safeguards but cannot guarantee absolute cybersecurity.

For full details, please refer to our Privacy Policy.

IAOHTA websites and digital platforms may use cookies, analytics systems, tracking technologies, session identifiers, and similar technologies for authentication, analytics, security, personalization, performance optimization, and platform functionality. Users may manage cookie preferences through browser settings, though disabling certain cookies may impact the functionality of IAOHTA platforms.

By interacting with IAOHTA, users consent to receiving emails, notices, newsletters, alerts, event communications, policy updates, governance communications, promotional communications, and service-related notifications. Users may opt out of certain promotional communications where legally required. Operational, governance, compliance, and critical service communications may remain mandatory regardless of opt-out preferences.

IAOHTA reserves the right to suspend, restrict, terminate, revoke certifications, remove governance privileges, revoke memberships, or restrict platform access for violations including but not limited to misconduct, fraud, unethical conduct, reputational harm, legal violations, payment defaults, abuse, security risks, or anti-association activities.

24.1 Emergency Suspension

IAOHTA may impose immediate temporary suspension where urgent protection of members, institutional integrity, reputation, legal compliance, or platform security requires urgent action.

24.2 Review Process

Except in severe or emergency situations, users may be provided a reasonable opportunity for review or response prior to permanent disciplinary action being taken.

IAOHTA services are provided on an "as-is" and "as-available" basis. IAOHTA does not guarantee:

• Commercial success, revenue generation, or business growth
• Employment outcomes or investment outcomes
• Regulatory approvals, visa approvals, or travel outcomes
• Partnership or funding success
• Uninterrupted or error-free access to services

Users participate in IAOHTA services voluntarily and at their own discretion.

To the maximum extent permitted by law, IAOHTA and its officers, directors, representatives, founders, chapters, volunteers, employees, advisors, affiliates, and partners shall not be liable for indirect damages, consequential damages, reputational losses, business interruption, data loss, lost profits, investment losses, travel losses, cybersecurity incidents, or third-party conduct.

Where liability cannot legally be excluded, total liability shall be limited to the amount directly paid by the user to IAOHTA for the relevant service during the preceding twelve (12) months.

Users agree to indemnify and hold harmless IAOHTA against all claims, losses, liabilities, costs, and expenses arising from misuse of services, unlawful conduct, intellectual property infringement, false representations, policy violations, or third-party disputes caused by the user.

IAOHTA shall not be liable for failures, interruptions, delays, cancellations, or disruptions caused by events beyond reasonable control, including natural disasters, pandemics, epidemics, cyberattacks, terrorism, political unrest, war, strikes, governmental restrictions, internet outages, power failures, travel restrictions, or other force majeure events. IAOHTA may reschedule, modify, digitize, postpone, or cancel services where reasonably necessary.

IAOHTA may facilitate access to third-party providers including technology vendors, educational providers, payment gateways, travel suppliers, investors, sponsors, hospitality platforms, and external partners. IAOHTA does not control or guarantee third-party services and shall not be liable for third-party conduct, failures, or outcomes.

These Terms shall be governed by the laws of India. Exclusive jurisdiction shall lie with the competent courts located in New Delhi, India.

Any dispute arising out of or relating to these Terms shall first attempt resolution through internal review procedures where applicable. Failing amicable resolution, disputes shall be referred to arbitration under the Arbitration and Conciliation Act, 1996, with the following conditions:

• Seat of Arbitration: New Delhi, India
• Language of Arbitration: English
• Proceedings: May be conducted digitally where legally permissible

Users agree that digital agreements, electronic signatures, online approvals, email confirmations, token-based voting, digital communications, and electronic records may constitute legally valid records and agreements to the extent permissible under applicable law.

IAOHTA reserves the right to modify these Terms at any time. Updated versions may be published on official digital platforms. Continued use of IAOHTA services after updates constitutes acceptance of the revised Terms.

If any provision of these Terms is determined to be invalid or unenforceable by a court of competent jurisdiction, the remaining provisions shall remain in full force and effect and shall continue to be valid and enforceable.

These Terms, together with associated policies, constitutional documents, governance frameworks, and official circulars issued by IAOHTA, constitute the complete and entire agreement between IAOHTA and the user relating to the subject matter herein, and supersede all prior understandings or agreements.

For any queries, concerns, or legal notices relating to these Terms of Service, please contact us: