The Federation of Indian Airlines (FIA), representing major Indian carriers, has sought waivers on user development fee and aviation security fee for a year at Srinagar Airport to boost air travel demand to and from Kashmir. Currently, every departing passenger shells out ₹1,050 as UDF and ₹200 as Aviation ASF plus GST, as per FIA.  

In a bid to promote tourism in the hill State, Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, Chief Minister, Himachal Pradesh, launched border tourism activities at Shipki-La. He said, “We have eased restrictions for the tourists to enjoy the beauty of Shipki-La, and the tourism activities here would strengthen the economy of the local people, along with boosting tourism in the region.”  

According to HVS Anarock’s latest report, hotel occupancy in India in April 2025 increased by 2 percentage points (pp) from March 2025. In comparison to April 2024, it was up by 4–6 pp.

To strengthen ties between Oman and India’s travel trade, Oman has organised its Sales Mission in Hyderabad, which brought together industry leaders and tourism professionals from across India. The event saw engaging panel discussions on travel opportunities, strategic networking and relationship-building and insightful presentations showcasing Oman’s unique offerings.

Despite India holds 18% of the world’s population, its air travel market remains under-penetrated. In FY25, 715 crore Indians travelled by rail and only 16.6 crore flew domestically by air, as per the DGCA. With rising incomes and a growing appetite for luxury, India’s airline passenger count is projected to double by 2030, marking a major shift in travel preferences.

To boost tourism revival in Jammu and Kashmir, TAAI launched its ‘Rally for Valley’ campaign, showcasing solidarity and support for the region’s travel industry. Sunil Kumar, President, TAAI, said that the campaign will run for the next three months, till the end of September, with region-wide efforts to regain traveller confidence and strengthen tourism in Kashmir.

Speaking about how a volatile stock market impacts tourism, Naveen Kundu, Managing Director, Ebixcash Travel Services, said, “A volatile stock market leaves a discernible impact on travel and tourism by influencing consumer confidence and spending behaviour. Travel is closely tied to how secure consumers feel financially, and the stock market plays a central role in shaping that sentiment.”

India’s business travel segment is booming, with the MICE market projected to double from $49.4 billion in 2024 to over $100 billion by 2030, according to CII. The rise of bleisure travel and demand from younger professionals for curated, experience-rich itineraries blending work and leisure are key drivers of this growth.

Akasa Air will operate flights from day one of the opening of the Navi Mumbai International Airport, which is likely to start operations from the end of August. The airline will start with 15 daily domestic flights and increase the number to over 40 domestic plus 8-10 international flights by next summer, said Vinay Dube, Founder-CEO and Praveen Iyer, Co-founder and CCO, Akasa Air.

In a move aimed at strengthening its tourism appeal, the Puducherry Transport Department has opened its doors and brought camper vans and caravans under a formal tax structure. This key initiative facilitates the issuance of permits not only for Puducherry-registered vehicles, but also for vehicles from other States, through a convenient tax system for 3, 7 and 30-day durations.