The much-awaited annual celebration of the National Congress is finally set to unfold in Mumbai this year, by Skal International Bombay (144) along with the support of the National Board of Skal International India. This mega celebration will take place from September 16-18, 2022. Sunil VA, President of Skal Club of Bombay, says, “The Congress is a milestone event and a great opportunity for stakeholders to showcase their best and at the same time it is an invaluable opportunity for those attending, to be able to network with the best and with like-minded colleagues and friends from across India. The B2B Conclave will showcase many of our domestic and international tourism boards, travel partners and hoteliers who will have stalls at the venue. Keeping with the theme of Unity and Recovery, we have curated a stellar panel of motivational speakers, panel discussions and ample time for networking and B2B interactions. There will also be a lot of emphasis on Young Skal at the Congress. The spirit of unity and recovery will be ever present and visible at a regional and national level with a highly focused and concise B2B session where members will get to interact, network and most importantly forge strong professional ties for their respective businesses and ventures. The inaugural sessions will kickstart the Congress on the 16th September. Cultural events highlighting the host city, state and the nation and the announcement of the Auction winners promises to set the tone for an exciting event.”

Before the Mahakumbh in 2025, the airport in Prayagraj will be made an international facility, Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya has said. He said Prayagraj has huge tourism potential and the authorities are mulling constructing a “Kanwar path” for the easy movement of devotees of Lord Shiva. 

Gagan Katyal, Head of Sales & marketing. Ananta Hotels & Resorts said that MICE is expanding on all fronts, small and large. Sustainable, responsible, green, and experiential MICE are becoming increasingly popular among travellers and corporates.

Ravi Gosain, VP, IATO said, “Technology plays an important part in our lives, and travel is not different from that. In the coming years, it will change the life of travel agents and tour operators in the way they are working.” 

The World Travel and Tourism Council reports that the travel and tourism industry is facing a staffing deficit of 1.2 million in 2022, with Italy the most hard-hit country. Pay is a major issue in key sectors of the industry, especially in hospitality.

Continuing with its series of webinars to help the travel trade discover Spain, the Tourism Office of Spain – Mumbai, along with Valencia Tourism, will conduct an exclusive one-hour webinar titled ‘Know Valencia’ on Tuesday, Sept 6 at 3pm IST. Sign up today for the Spain Specialist Program (SSP) and register now to attend the webinar. The webinar will conclude with an exciting quiz on the destination and the winner will leave with a 5-day trip to Valencia in November 2022. For more information, write to jaspreet.kaur@ddppl.com or 9650196532.

According to Boeing Managing Director (Marketing) David Schulte, India’s airlines will lead air traffic growth through 2040, growing at a rate of 6.9 per cent. Strong recovery is gaining momentum in Indian aviation and it is one of the fastest growing markets. 

Subhash Goyal, Chairman, STIC Travel Group, said “People have started to organise MICE events and weddings in India due to the difficulty of obtaining European visas and high airfares, which is a positive change for the Indian market.” 

The British High Commissioner to India, Alex Ellis, announced on Twitter that UK has started issuing priority and super priority visas to students from India. “There is a high demand and we recommend you apply for your visa as early as possible with the required documentation,” he said. 

A survey conducted by the community platform LocalCircles on air passengers said that 1 in 4 fliers either lost their baggage or found it delayed during the last three years; 35 percent found their checked-in baggage damaged one or more times.