D.N. Singh appointed Chairman; Avneesh Pathak named Secretary as association expands its state-level presence
The Global Association of Events & Hospitality Professionals (GAEHP) has launched its Uttar Pradesh Chapter in Varanasi, bringing travel, tourism, hospitality and events professionals under a new state-level platform.
D.N. Singh has been appointed Chairman of the chapter, with Avneesh Pathak as Secretary. The new chapter will focus on industry networking, knowledge sharing, government-industry engagement and creating business opportunities for professionals across Uttar Pradesh.
The launch was attended by tourism officials and industry representatives, including Amit Gupta, Assistant Director, India Tourism, and Dinesh Kumar, Joint Director, Uttar Pradesh Tourism.
Speaking at the launch, *Rajesh Arya, President, GAEHP, underlined the importance of bringing professionals from different segments of the industry onto a common platform. *P.P. Khanna, National Advisor, GAEHP, and Pranav Bansal, Honorary Secretary, GAEHP, also addressed the gathering.
Avneesh Pathak, Secretary, GAEHP Uttar Pradesh Chapter, said, โThe objective will be to bring professionals across travel, tourism, hospitality and events onto one platform and create meaningful opportunities for collaboration. Uttar Pradesh has a diverse tourism ecosystem, and we want the chapter to become a platform for stronger industry engagement across the state.โ
The association believes the chapter can play a role in strengthening interaction between industry stakeholders and tourism authorities, particularly as Uttar Pradesh expands its tourism footprint across spiritual, cultural, leisure and MICE segments.
Varanasi was chosen for the launch as the city continues to strengthen its position as a major spiritual and cultural tourism centre. With Ayodhya, Agra, Prayagraj and other destinations also driving visitor demand, the state offers a sizeable market for travel and hospitality businesses.
For GAEHP, however, the launch is only the starting point. The chapterโs relevance will ultimately depend on its ability to convert networking into industry initiatives, business opportunities, knowledge programmes and sustained engagement with government and tourism stakeholders.