To expand its footprint, IHCL has signed a new hotel under its Gateway brand in Patnitop, Jammu & Kashmir. Nestled amidst the serene landscapes, the 78-key Gateway Patnitop, Jammu & Kashmir, will offer guests an immersive experience of the region’s natural beauty. The resort will feature an all-day dining restaurant, a speciality restaurant and a bar.

India’s DigiYatra has enrolled its first international user, marking a major step toward extending facial recognition–based airport entry to foreign travellers and eventually international travel. Suresh Khadakbhavi, CEO, DigiYatra Foundation, said, “The rollout begins with enabling enrollment via electronic passports. The foundation has also signed a pilot agreement with ICAO, the global passport standards body, signalling the start of its international expansion journey.”  

India’s hospitality sector is witnessing one of its strongest growth phases, driven by rising investor confidence in the country’s hospitality industry across institutional investors and family offices. According to Xander Nijnens, Senior MD, JLL Hotels & Hospitality, and Gaurav Sharma, Managing Director, Hotels India, the sector is witnessing record levels of signings and transactions. This heightened activity is significantly boosting industry performance and overall market momentum.

Staunch International LLC has been awarded as the ‘Best Experiential Luxury Travel Planners 2025’ at the India Travel Awards 2025. Binwant Singh Khurana, Founder & CEO, said, “The company is proud to secure its third consecutive ‘Maya’ win. The recognition inspires us to keep innovating and striving for excellence in luxury travel, and we are truly honoured to use it as a catalyst for growth and improvement.”

Anantara Jewel Bagh Jaipur, the debut property of Minor Hotels in India, has completed its first year of operations with strong performance in the competitive luxury market of Jaipur. Vimal Verma, General Manager, said, “The second year will focus on accelerated growth — introducing designer dining concepts, enhancing global flavours, and strengthening commercial momentum across luxury leisure and corporate segments through agility and faster execution.”

Referring to Assam’s inclusion in the New York Times’ ‘52 Places to Go in 2025’, Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, Tourism Minister, Government of India, said it’s a proof of growing global interest in the region. Under schemes like Swadesh Darshan and PRASHAD, projects worth ₹3,000 crore have been approved for the Northeast to build new circuits, revive heritage sites, enhance connectivity, and world-class tourism experiences, he said.

Dubai Safari Park, home to over 3,000 animals across 119 acres of immersive wildlife zones, will host an exclusive webinar tomorrow at 3 pm IST. Attendees can explore unique drive-through safaris, rare species like moon bears and rhinos, daily feeding sessions, and world-class animal care. For more information, write to jaspreet.kaur@ddppl.com or 9650196532.

Bird Group won the ‘Best Aviation Group in India’ award at the India Travel Awards 2025. Receiving the award, Praful Khosla, Executive Vice President, said, “This award is a great motivation for us. Our constant endeavour is to establish new routes, bring global airlines into India market, and actively collaborate with the travel fraternity to deliver the best products and experiences to the country.”

CB Ramkumar, Vice Chair, GSTC, says sustainability will soon become the default standard in global travel and hospitality, with certified practices expected as the norm. Reflecting on 2025, he describes the year as one filled with “optimism and great hope”, noting that the industry is rising to global sustainability challenges. He remains confident about hotels accelerating their sustainable transformation.

Sharing the Travel & Expense Survey insights at the first-ever Global Business Travel Association (GBTA) India Summit, Ravi Sattavan, Director & India Lead, Large & Mid-Market Segment, Commercial Solutions, Visa, revealed that 69% of buyers have seen higher domestic business travel in the past year, while 68% report an uptick in international corporate travel within their programmes. Premium travel is rising too, while blended travel gains momentum with more employees extending work trips for leisure.