With borders slowly reopening for Indians, student visa applications for various countries are at a record high. With this higher demand for visa application appointments, VFS Global has continually faced the issue of scammers posing as employees or associates of the organisation and embezzling customers. Misusing VFS Global’s trusted name in the visa space, such scammers lure aspirants with the false promise of overseas settlement. An all-too-frequent modus operandi involves a scammer using new software and other technology to clone VFS Global’s web page and mask their phone numbers, so it appears that the call has indeed come from an official VFS Global line. The victim is then asked to verify the number on the official website, leading him/her to further believe the caller. “We understand anxieties engulfing students and parents with the reopening of international borders. With high demand for student visas, it is also important for our customers to be wary of miscreants looking to take advantage of this peak demand period. VFS Global urges prospective students to beware of such malpractices. VFS Global is taking all necessary and proactive measures to accommodate students visas as per directives from the respective Embassy or Consulate,” said Pranav Sinha, Head – South Asia, VFS Global. Touts could also reach out to customers via chat apps, offering simple assistance such as booking an appointment slot to apply for a visa at a VFS Global centre at an additional fee. VFS Global does not charge customers for appointments to submit applications. All appointments are available online on a first-come-first-served basis completely free of cost. No VFS Global employee or third party can assure an appointment based on payment. With the increasing number …

In his opinion piece on Moneycontrol.com, Suman Billa, Director, Technical Cooperation & Silk Road at UNWTO, advised, “Enable travel in a predictable and hassle-free manner. A national committee with the Ministries of Tourism, Civil Aviation and Health along with representatives from the states and industry should be set up to prescribe and harmonise travel restrictions across India.”

Gurpal Singh Chahal (IAS), Deputy Commissioner – Ferozepur District, Government of Punjab, informed that recently Punjab Government has sanctioned Rs 5 crore for developing light and sound show at the National Martyrs Memorial at Hussainiwala Border. The Indo-Pak Retreat Ceremony at Hussainiwala Border is a popular activity and can be witnessed from as close as 100 feet from the Zero Line. If developed and marketed properly, this can outshine the retreat ceremony at Wagah Border.    

Amadeus’ latest Travel Trends report says that Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru are still the most searched destinations in India in 2021, the same as 2019. Mani Ganeshan, its Head of R&D, Asia Pacific, says, “This suggests that Indian travellers are looking to explore closer to home, albeit cautiously. However, in 2021, the travellers’ duration of stay is lengthening which tells us the desire to travel never falters, and that travellers are creatively making the most out of their travel and taking advantage of the new hybrid working model we are seeing unfold.”

Regional aviation in India – in terms of independent regional and commuter airlines – remains very fragile. Eight carriers have failed in the last 10 years, with more exits likely in the near term. The regional aviation system needs a complete overhaul to ensure that regional carriers have adequate capitalisation, a well-structured business plan and qualified management. These are critical for the viability of the sector. It is now or never for fundamental, structure reforms, CAPA India says.

The Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi) has announced the launch of the first official Public Profile for a tourism board on leading social media platform Snapchat – giving potential travellers the chance to explore everything that the capital of the UAE has to offer in a new and immersive way. Public Profiles give brands the ability to have an organic presence on Snapchat, housing all their unique content in one discoverable place. Acting as a portal to unlock everything the region has to offer, the Visit Abu Dhabi Public Profile will provide subscribers with exclusive travel information for Abu Dhabi, showcasing the wide variety of things to do during a stay in the emirate, whilst bringing the beauty of the destination to life in an interactive new format. At a time when travel is slowly opening up, the new official Public Profile is ideal for those planning an upcoming trip to Abu Dhabi, offering a glimpse of the destination from the comfort of their own homes – and phones. There will be a wealth of content to explore, be it uncovering the beauty of Al Ain via the Highlights section or simply experiencing the capital in real-time via Stories or Community Snaps. Public Profiles were launched by Snapchat in 2020 and have had great success in bringing a brand’s story to life. The move from DCT Abu Dhabi marks the launch of the first official tourist board profile and it’s likely other tourist boards will follow suit as they look to welcome tourists back. Social channels have been a popular vehicle to engage potential travellers – inspiring wanderlust by making global destinations accessible to …

The Directorate of Tourism, Jammu is now trying to promote a little-known destination in the UT called Kishtwar. Rupinder Brar, Additional DG, MoT, said that Kishtwar is blessed with beautiful geaography and rich culture, and has immense potential with regard to several types of tourism, ranging from nature to ethnic tourism. She said, “We need to work with the local administration and develop connectivity to the destination, hospitality units workforce quality and marketing strategy for Kishtwar. We are planning roadshows and other promo activities to promote the region extensively.”

According to a Reuters news report, Singapore is looking to allow quarantine-free travel for those who are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 from September, when 80% of the city-state’s population should be inoculated. Singapore will establish travel corridors with countries or regions where COVID-19 is under control, and those who are vaccinated may not have to quarantine or may be allowed to isolate at home. The city-state will also review whether to loosen curbs in early August.

The past year has brought about significant changes and challenges due to the global pandemic, with travel and tourism being amongst the most impacted sectors. As the travel and tourism industry adapts to the new realities of working remotely, reduced travel business and other factors, it has become more important than ever to look after mental wellness, as well as physical health. To assist the travel industry in looking after their mental wellbeing, Tourism Australia is organising a series of Wellness Workshops in India aimed at providing a toolkit of practical tips that will help build confidence in the ability to maintain and build mental wellbeing. Nishant Kashikar, Country Manager – India and Gulf, Tourism Australia said, ‘Pre-COVID our travel industry was focused on promoting the many benefits of travel to consumers, including the positive effects of travel to overall wellness and mental wellbeing. Now with travel on hold, the workshops have been planned to impart effective strategies, techniques and mechanisms for our travel industry colleagues to manage stress and maintain their general mental wellbeing in the challenging times. It is also a positive step towards supporting the resilience of our industry and our tourism partners in these challenging times.’ This first-of-a-kind initiative in the travel industry includes a curated set of sessions featuring veteran motivational speakers and mental health experts and will be open to Aussie Specialist Agents and all members of the Indian travel trade.

Members of the Travel Agents Federation of India (TAFI) chose Ajay Prakash as their new national president via electronic voting today. The results were announced at around 5:30pm. He will lead the new team with  Kamal Ramchand as the Vice-President. Other winners include Abbas Moiz as the National General Secretary, and Hitank Shah as the Treasurer. The five Managing Committee Members are Anil Kalsi, Lalith Jain, Rani Bachani, Rai Achal Krishna and Seeraj Sabharwal.