A new report by PATA highlights four key workforce challenges in Asia-Pacific tourism: attracting and retaining talent, skill development and readiness for sustainable travel. Post-pandemic labour shortages, low industry appeal, salary pressures and fast-changing skill needs recovery unless industry and academia act swiftly to bridge the gaps. 

Malaysia Airlines is ramping up its India operations with an ambitious growth strategy, reaffirming the country’s status as a priority market. The airline currently connects 10 Indian cities with over 76 weekly flights and recently launched services to Kolkata (CCU), reflecting its intent to explore untapped potential. “India remains a key growth market for Malaysia Airlines, and our expanding presence underscores our commitment to enhancing connectivity between India, Malaysia, and beyond,” said Dersenish Aresandiran, Chief Commercial Officer of Airlines, Malaysia Aviation Group (MAG). “In FY25, we anticipate flying approximately 1.3 million passengers from India—a 14% increase from the previous year—driven by our expanded network, seamless interline connectivity, and focus on hyper-personalized services.” With sights set on new destinations such as Trivandrum, Ahmedabad and Amritsar, the airline continues to build its presence through Malaysian Hospitality and tailored travel offerings.

According to MMGY, Indian outbound travellers still rely heavily on traditional planning methods, especially for complex international trips. Despite increased digital savviness, travel agents remain crucial for curated, multi-destination itineraries and group tours

Accor and InterGlobe have strengthened their partnership to create India’s fastest-growing hospitality enterprise. The collaboration targets 300 hotels under Accor brands by 2030. They will jointly invest in Treebo, becoming its largest shareholder, and lead the development of Ibis and Mercure brands in India through a master license agreement. 

Signalling good times ahead for hospitality students, the hospitality placements at IHM Pusa Road have jumped from 20% to 49% this year. Principal Pant said, “Over the past four to five years, it was disheartening to observe that only about 20% of our students were entering core hospitality roles — in hotels, quick-service restaurants, and related sectors — while nearly 75% of the rest were moving towards retail, e-commerce, consulting, and other industries. This year, however, marks a turning point. Thanks to the industry’s commitment and the attractive opportunities being extended— 49% of our students are now stepping directly into core hospitality careers.”

Foreign exchange inflows from tourism in India hit a record $10.1 billion in Q3 2024-25, according to RBI. This marks a strong rebound from the pandemic slump, surpassing the pre-Covid high of $8.6 billion in Q3 2019-20. The rising trend highlights India’s growing appeal as a global travel destination and the sector’s contribution to the economy.

Telangana government has announced incentives under the Tourism Policy 2025-2030, offering 50% SGST reimbursement for five years to attract investments, excluding hotels and resorts. Aiming for ₹15,000 crore investments and three lakh jobs, the policy focuses on eco-tourism, medical tourism, spiritual tourism, MICE tourism, and sports tourism. 

To boost tourism and streamline visa processing, South African Tourism has launched the Trusted Tour Operator (TTO) Scheme. This initiative accelerates visa approvals for Indian group and MICE travellers, ensuring processing within three days. With 14 Indian operators onboard, phase two aims to expand participation and provide agent training.  

Dersenish Aresandiran, Chief Commercial Officer of Airlines from Malaysia Aviation Group said, “We anticipate surpassing our FY24 targets in FY25, with a projected 1.3 million passengers from India, representing a 14% year-on-year growth. Our Indian routes have shown robust performance, recording an 88% load factor in metro cities and 86% in tier-two cities. Kolkata is expected to play a crucial role in driving this growth.”    

Los Angeles Tourism is hosting a series of webinars for the travel trade starting from 20 March at 3pm IST, showcasing latest tourism offerings. Participate in the quiz to gain valuable tourism insights and updates and stand a chance to win prizes. For more information or to register, please contact Jaspreet Kaur at jaspreet.kaur@ddppl.com or 9650196532.