VFS Global was honoured with the ‘Process Excellence in Visa Outsourcing’ award at the India Travel Awards. Ragini Abichandani, General Manager, Operations & SPOC, IRCC South Asia, and Kersi Dastoor, GM, Operations, received the award. VFS Global operates over 3,400 centers in 153 countries, processing 292 million applications since 2001.   

Padraic Gilligan, Chief Marketing Officer, Society for Incentive Travel Excellence (SITE), recently unveiled the results of SITE’s Incentive Travel and Motivational Events Global Survey. One of the major takeaways from the survey is the dominance of the finance and insurance sectors in using incentive travel programmes. According to Gilligan, “Finance and insurance have consistently been the largest users of incentive travel, and this year is no different.” These two sectors accounted for 35% of all responses, underscoring their ongoing reliance on incentive travel to drive performance and engagement. 

People are increasingly seeking out lesser-known destinations and more meaningful travel experiences. In response, Viacation is positioning itself at the forefront of these trends. Jatinder Paul Singh, Co-Founder & Global CEO, Viacation, said, “We’re expanding our offerings to include eco-conscious and wellness-focused travel packages, and using AI to offer personalised itineraries.” 

Predicting growth patterns in India’s tourism story at the ongoing ITB India show, Vishal Suri, Managing Director, SOTC India, says, “From a sixth-largest global spender on tourism, India will be the fourth-largest, to be among the top five in the list in the next four to five years. The question is whether we can manage that kind of growth, and are the stakeholders ready for it. Almost two-thirds of our spends will be on domestic travel, which is a very large chunk.” 

BS Prashanth, President, Mysuru Travel Association, appeals to the state government for support for local travel agents. He points out that online platforms can be misleading and lack personalized service, whereas local agents provide expertise and direct interaction. To level the playing field, he requests the creation of a common online platform for agents, an extra tax on online platforms, and a reduction in GST and interstate taxes for local agents. These measures would help them offer competitive prices and effectively promote Mysuru tourism. 

K S Sachin, Director of Sales & Marketing at Gokulam Grand Hotel & Spa, Bengaluru, was honored with the Sales & Marketing Professional of the Year award at the India Travel Awards. With over 19 years of experience in sales, marketing, and revenue management, Sachin has played a key role in numerous pre-openings, market readiness analysis, and data-driven decision-making. 

Travelling by public transport in Switzerland is the best way to enjoy its unparallel panorama. And, the all-in-one ticket, Swiss Travel Pass, grants travellers unlimited access to Switzerland’s public transport network. During this webinar, you will get to learn about the Swiss Travel System and its various offerings. 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. 

Himachal Pradesh to launch new flight routes connecting Chandigarh, Kullu, and Dharamshala. Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, Chief Minister, Himachal Pradesh said, “Strengthening air connectivity is crucial to achieving our tourism goals, and reducing travel time and costs for tourists is essential.”

According to a recent report by KPMG, in the past two years, searches for religious destinations in tier II and III cities have increased by 97%. Specifically, searches for Ayodhya grew by 585%, Ujjain by 359%, and Badrinath by 343% from 2022 to 2023. 

During her address at the ATOAI Women’s collective webinar, Mugdha Sinha, Director General of Tourism, advocated for the integration of sustainable practices and the promotion of women-led development, such as employing female trekking guides. Sinha also stressed the importance of gendered data collection to inform policies, urging industry professionals to collaborate on enhancing the adventure tourism experience.