Infrastructure major GMR has come forward to adopt the historic Golconda Fort, Union Tourism and Culture Minister G. Kishan Reddy said on Tuesday. He told reporters that this would be on the lines of Dalmia Bharat Group adopting the Red Fort under the Union Tourism Ministry‘s ‘Adopt a heritage’ scheme.

Alok Sharma, CEO& Founder, Shycocan Corporation has claimed that there is a need for widespread use of technology to mitigate the risk of COVID. “We can sure help prevent the next wave and it will give confidence to business and humans to have a more normal life. The incidents, if any, would be less sporadic if it was not adopted in a big way,” he said. He also said Shycocan can work in outdoors and it is effective against mutants of virus as well. “It worked equally well on all mutants because it neutralises the cell positive charge from the virus and it doesn’t kill the virus. Human cells are negatively charged, and that’s why infection happens. Hence, it doesn’t matter which variant is there because the shell will get neutralised with Shycocan,” he claimed.

In an insightful discussion with industry stalwarts during the M!CE talk Digital Conclave, powered by Cvent India, Sabbas Joseph, Founder & Director at Wizcraft International Entertainment, called for an urgent need for the government to collaborate with MICE players in India. He said, “The world that we operate in has changed. While the government has gone very heavily for technology, its in bits and pieces. That technology must be made available to the MICE industry to help it make it that much safer. I think there is a need for collaboration using AI to understand consumers and being able to predict patterns and behaviour.”

As of 26th June 2021, Indian travellers fully vaccinated with Covishield can enter Switzerland without having to undergo quarantine. The Embassy of Switzerland and VFS Global have started accepting applications for all types of Schengen Swiss visas. Switzerland Tourism, in partnership with the Visa Section of the Embassy of Switzerland, will conduct a special webinar for the travel trade highlighting the latest news and information about the visa process and travel procedure for Indian travellers on Friday, 27 August, 2021 at 3:00 PM IST. To register, write to jaspreet.kaur@ddppl.com or 9650196532.

Members of the Enterprising Travel Agents’ Association (ETAA) North India committee met at the Best Western Country Club Resort, Manesar on 12th August 2021 for a discussion on the positive rebound of the domestic business. The Best Western  group talked about their various aspects of their property , they helped them explore and know more about their property through a presentation and discussed  the various new offerings of the unit. It was an exhaustive show around which was very educative and informative for the members learning about the fine nuances of the unit.

The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has appointed Nasir Kamal, IPS (UP:86) to the post of Director General in Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) for a tenure up to his superannuation on 31 .07.2022, or until further orders, whichever is earlier.  BCAS is the regulatory authority for civil aviation security in India. Director General, Bureau of Civil Aviation is responsible for the development, implementation and maintenance of the National Civil Aviation Security Programme(NCASP).

According to Airport Authority of India (AAI) officials, Flybig on Thursday started direct flight services from Guwahati’s Lokpriya Gopinath Bordoloi International Airport to Tezu in eastern Arunachal Pradesh’s Lohit district. With private airline Flybig launching its operations on the new route connecting Assam’s Guwahati with Arunachal Pradesh’s Tezu on Thursday, air connectivity expanded further in the hilly northeastern region.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chairman, Shree Somnath Trust, virtually inaugurated development projects at Somnath Temple, which include Somnath Promenade, Exhibition Centre, Reconstructed temple precinct of Old Somnath and also laid the foundation stone of Shree Parvati Temple. He also amplified the steps taken to promote tourism & uplift tourism sector like e-Visa, Visa on arrival and reduction of hospitality GST.

At an event in Mumbai, Ajay Prakash, President, TAFI, highlighted the need to have credible data as an industry. “We need to collate information like pre-pandemic business figures, employee numbers, etc so that we have some authenticated data right until the decline started. We then need to get a professional agency to conduct a comprehensive survey. This will put us in a strong position when we make our representation to the government and show them what this industry is worth.”

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has said that e-Visa regime and visa on arrival have been taken forward and visa fees have also been reduced. The GST on hospitality in tourism has also been reduced. All of this has benefited the sector and will help in its re-growth in the post-COVID era. He also spoke about laying the foundation stone of multiple projects in Somnath.