In his discussion with the MOT, PP Khanna, President, ADTOI, has requested for inclusion of hotel charges in the MDA scheme for domestic tour operators. “The draft mentioned that for digital marketing or attending marts across India, this money would include cost of hotels, but in the final draft hotels were not included. Hence, we have requested the ADG to include hotels,” he said.

In a bid to boost tourism in the post-pandemic world, the Odisha government is decking up the ecotourism destinations in the state with houseboats as well as water-sport-based recreational facilities. Over 100 destinations are likely to be included in the plan, with boats and jetties expected to be set up by December this year.

In its latest survey that talks about travel trends, IATA reveals that 85% respondents say they will not travel if there is a chance of quarantine at the destination. The survey also reveals that travellers, though keen, are still willing to wait at least a month or two before resuming travel.

Jyotiraditya Madhavrao Scindia, the new Cabinet Minister for Civil Aviation, has shared that starting July 16, eight new flights will connect the state of Madhya Pradesh to other destinations in India via SpiceJet. The planned routes are Gwalior-Mumbai-Gwalior, Gwalior-Pune-Gwalior, Jabalpur-Surat-Jabalpur and Ahmedabad-Gwalior-Ahmedabad. Scindia says that his Ministry and the aviation industry are committed to taking UDAN to greater heights with these routes.

From April to June, Hong Kong’s exhibition scene has been picking up more momentum with the return of a series of close to 20 physical exhibitions at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre (HKCEC). Featuring a wide variety of products and services ranging from technology, and lifestyle, to arts and jewellery, the successful fairs attracted over a million visits under the pandemic, which is a promising sign for the exhibition industry. The positive response clearly indicates that the value of physical shows is high, and Hong Kong has demonstrated how to resume large-scale business events safely and seamlessly and pave the way for further recovery including international conventions and trade fairs. Kenneth Wong, General Manager, MICE & Cruise of the Hong Kong Tourism Board, shares that “We are delighted to see such a strong pick-up in demand for physical fairs. These events are a good demonstration of Hong Kong’s readiness to welcome business events of any scale, and an encouraging sign for the exhibition industry that the physical show is invaluable, and we are very much looking forward to a resumption of more trade fairs in the coming months.” Inaugural physical show drives future of business “GOVirtual Business Expo is newly launched to provide a one-stop trade platform to support enterprises to unlock and capture the boundless potential of virtual business in the post-pandemic economy, and to encourage active interactions between tech industry and business sectors which will inspire frequent cooperation,” says Culsin Li, Managing Director of Baobab Tree Event, organizer of GOVirtual Business Expo, with which the GS1 HK Summit is co-located. Li adds, “we are thankful to host this new show safely and help our visitors to explore virtual …

The Israel Ministry of Tourism, India Office will conduct a virtual presentation for the Indian travel trade in all the seven states of the North East region of India today at 3pm IST. The session will highlight various offerings on the theme of Christian faith. To sign up, contact Jaspreet Kaur on 9650196532 or jaspreet.kaur@ddppl.com or click on https://event.webinarjam.com/register/251/5v7qwi90 Highlighting the importance of the India market for Israel, Sammy Yahia, Director of Tourism (India & Philippines), Israel Tourism, says, “In the last year, the travel industry around the world has experienced significant challenges, especially in the Indian trade. With new travel relaxations being introduced every day I believe that in the next few years, India will lead the international travel boom with many Indian travellers itching to experience new international destinations.  Before the pandemic, Israel welcomed over 65,000 tourists from India, setting a new record for us. I feel that in the coming months and year, when things normalise, we will double the number of arrivals from India to Israel.”

Arvind Singh, Secretary, Ministry of Tourism, has said that after considerable follow-up from all sides, even from Ministry of Commerce, the Department of Expenditure has said that they will release over Rs2,000 crore for SEIS in this financial year and a new budget has to be created. “The formalities have to be worked out, after which the amount will reach beneficiaries,” he shared.

Etihad Airways and EL AL Israel Airlines have launched their joint codeshare network and reciprocal loyalty agreement for frequent flyers. EL AL will add its ‘LY’ code to Etihad’s existing twice weekly service between Abu Dhabi to Tel Aviv. This new partnership is planned to include India as well from August 1 besides five other countries.

Singapore Tourism Board, Professional Convention Management Association and UFI have launched a White Paper on reimagining the future of business events. It reveals that there is a stronger appetite for digital or hybrid events from respondents in Asia, and that the number of events they are planning to exhibit at has recovered to its pre-pandemic levels.

The Ministry of Tourism has invited entries for the National Tourism Awards 2018-19. The last date for receipt of entries in the respective divisions in August 10, 2021, 16:00 Hrs. Entries are requested in hard copy, with accompanying material to send in a digital format. This year, MOT has included the Hall of Fame award as well.