As per the UN Tourism report, visa-free travel has seen an uptick globally with 21 per cent of people across the world not needing any form of visa, an increase from 17 per cent in 2008 and 20 per cent in 2018. Moreover, 14 per cent of the world population can apply for visa on arrival, an increase from 6 per cent in 2008 and 15 per cent in 2018.

Uttar Pradesh Tourism & Culture Minister, Jaiveer Singh, said, “To run their business, tour and travel in UP will have to register themselves with the tourism department as the state lacks their details. Post registration, the operators will be able to get economic benefits under Tourism Policy-2022.

Air India Express, a low-cost subsidiary of Air India, will commence flights to Imphal and Kochi from Kolkata on 4 April. The airline hopes to add two international services to Kathmandu and Dhaka from the city the following month. Meanwhile, the introduction of direct flights would boost travel in India.

According to data released by Amadeus, the travel industry will experience swift transformation with a 14% increase in technology investment in 2024. Machine learning is going to witness the highest investment from travel industry leaders followed by data analytics and cloud technologies.

The Uttar Pradesh tourism department has signed an agreement with rural homestay providers to offer better experience to the tourists visiting the spots located in rural areas. Visitors will get local experiences like farm stays, cuisine, and folklore. Govt is subsidizing these homestays and converting villages into rural tourism centers.

International visitor arrivals (IVAs) to Asia Pacific are expected to rise from 619 million in 2024 to 762 million in 2026, with a recovery rate of 111.6 per cent compared to the 2019 level. Asia will lead the recovery, with visitor arrivals reaching 564.0 million by 2026 in comparison to the Americas and the Pacific.

Switzerland Tourism invites the Indian outbound travel trade to attend an exclusive webinar on Zurich, today at 3 pm. The city offers access to numerous activities tourism experiences. Attend all webinars for a chance to win a trip to Switzerland in 2025! For more information, write to jaspreet.kaur@ddppl.com or 9650196532.

From a macro perspective, bleisure is continuing to gain traction. According to Allied Market Research, the global bleisure travel industry was estimated to be worth US$315.3 billion in 2022 but is anticipated to grow to US$731.4 billion by 2032, registering a compound annual growth rate of 8.9 per cent.

Amitabh Kant, G20 Sherpa, India in his inaugural speech at FHRAI Summit in Delhi, said, “In due course, India will become the third country in the world to have the third-largest greenhouse gas emissions. Therefore, India must become the first country in the world to grow its GDP through decarbonization.”

Paul Wilson, Executive Vice President of Cross Hotels & Resorts, stated, “Indians comprise about 25-30% of the total guests for Cross Hotels & Resorts. We aim to lead in this market, understanding it better than anyone else. India’s growth shows no signs of slowing, and neither does ours.”