Category Archives: Agents

The 6th HAI Hotelier’s Conclave was held in Delhi with the theme ‘Hospitality: The Engine for GDP Growth and Employment.’ Industry leaders highlighted the importance of tourism as a job creator. Amitabh Kant, India’s G20 Sherpa and former CEO of Niti Aayog, stated, “Tourism is a significant driver of growth. Globally, it is a $5 trillion industry, with India’s share being less than 2%, a figure that needs substantial increase. From a political perspective, politicians primarily understand one thing: the number of jobs generated by the tourism sector. Tourism has a significant multiplier impact, creating seven indirect jobs for every direct job. However, the tourism industry has not effectively communicated to politicians its role as a major job creator. It would be worthwhile for the tourism industry to set a target of informing the political system at both the central and state levels that focusing on tourism could result in the creation of 25 million jobs by 2030.”

“This year we are forecasting India to be a £924 million market which would be approximately a billion-pound market from India! We are also predicting 695,000 visitors from India which is back to pre-covid levels. India has recovered and there is real excitement about the market. We also see an increase in spend per visitor – people are spending 30%-40% more than they were pre-covid,” VisitBritain CEO, Patricia Yates says.

Speaking about his new resort, Dr. J K Mohanty, CMD, Swosti Group, says, “A large number of tourists are visiting Puri every day but there are no five-star hotels in Puri. This will give us an edge in attracting high-end tourists visiting Puri.” Swosti Premium Beach Resorts, touted to be the perfect destination for M!CE and weddings, is scheduled to open in early 2024.

VFS Global has entered an agreement with the Ministry of Commerce, Saudi Arabia, to provide visa application services through a centre operated within the premises of the Ministry of Commerce headquarters in Riyadh. The agreement was signed in the presence of Eng. Mohammed A. Al. Alwaily, Deputy Minister for Shared Services, Ministry of Commerce. Through this partnership, VFS Global will cater to about 8000 employees and delegates, as well as personnel of subsidiary government institutions under the Ministry. In keeping with its commitment to making people’s cross border mobility simple and convenient through highly secure, reliable, efficient, and innovative technology solutions, applicants can also opt for the Visa At Your Doorstep* service to have trained professionals visit a location of choice to complete the visa application process. Zubin Karkaria, Founder and CEO, VFS Global said, “It is an honour to have entered this strategic partnership with the Saudi Arabian Ministry of Commerce. We are pleased to offer this dedicated Visa Application Centre service to the employees and associates of the Ministry, to further enhance their visa application experience in a seamless, convenient and secure manner. This partnership further strengthens our commitment to this great nation.”

The state cabinet approved the Haryana Registration and Regulation of Travel Agents Bill 2024 draft, with the clause that a person has to obtain a registration certificate to operate as a travel agent in the state. The bill aims to regulate travel agents who deceive people into illegal immigration.

Sharing his perspective on the interim budget, Mahesh Iyer, Managing Director & Chief Executive Officer, Thomas Cook (India), says, “The FM’s interim budget reflects a welcome focus on the overall travel and tourism sector – demonstrating its significant value as a powerful economic growth engine and employment generator. The government’s aim to accelerate infrastructure development is transformative and while featuring the current doubling to 149 airports, the Budget has focussed on air connectivity with 517 new routes across Tier 2-3 cities, carrying 1.3 crore passengers via the UDAN scheme; conversion of 40,000 bogies into Vande Bharat, enhancement of NAMO trains and metro connectivity – valuable in ensuring efficient and sustainable mobility solutions – especially with respect to addressing the powerhouse of Regional India. Additionally, setting aside Rs. 85,000 crore for new greenfield airports is key in creating a world-class travel infrastructure. We commend the Budget’s focus on spiritual tourism which will serve as a force multiplier in catalysing this strongly emerging segment while uplifting local communities and the ecosystem around India’s pilgrimage circuits. Spiritual Tourism, we believe, will create critical momentum to Domestic Tourism and boost the government’s intent of “Dekho Apna Desh”. India’s coastline of over 7,500 kms represents a viable opportunity for cruise tourism and we welcome the inclusion of port projects; also infrastructure/ connectivity towards development of India’s island destinations like Lakshadweep. An important highlight is the government’s plan to provide long-term interest-free loans to States for development of iconic tourism centres and promotion on a global standard – will be a key driver towards expanding tourism circuits across the Country. The anticipated tax buoyancy this fiscal augurs well – across the Travel & Tourism and allied …

Trevolution reported a growth in demand for trans-Pacific flights highlighting 22 per cent increase in India’s inbound tourism compared to pre-pandemic time. Another key highlight was a 179 per cent increase in outbound travel from India boosting job opportunities in the industry.

South India has become the major contributor to the business of Thomas Cook (India) Limited. Bengaluru-Karnataka has emerged as the company’s top source market for the leisure segment. Romil Pant, Executive Vice President & Business Head – Holidays, Thomas Cook (India) Limited, said, “We have launched a dedicated range of products to cater to the unique preferences of customers from this market and catalyze growth. We expect to see an uptick of 30% from Karnataka in 2024.”  

VFS Global announces its achievement of securing a rating of 4.01 on a scale of 5 for 2023 on Glassdoor, a leading platform for employee feedback and company reviews. This significant achievement reflects VFS Global’s unwavering commitment to excellence in every aspect of its people management and human capital development. With an employee value proposition of developing a ‘fellowship of winners’, VFS Global is deeply committed to best-in-class HR practices and to developing every team member to her/his full potential.  The company has continuously invested in training and development and in building an organisation where people come first, and in creating meaningful work opportunities and building successful careers, in a diverse and inclusive workplace. The six parameters on which Glassdoor assesses companies is based on Excelling in Culture & Values, Work/Life Balance, Senior Management, Compensation & Benefits, Career Opportunities, and Diversity & Inclusion. VFS Global has elevated its standing on all of them. VFS Global has set a benchmark in creating an exemplary work culture that resonates with employee satisfaction and empowerment. This recognition not only celebrates the company’s achievements but also solidifies its reputation as an employer of choice in the global marketplace. This rating is even more satisfying as this reaffirms the company’s employee centric policies and its sharp focus on nurturing the potential of its employees as it has always focussed on Learning and Development programmes which is highly appreciated by its workforce. Over the years, the company has also won recognition by winning the Golden Peacock National Training Award four times since 2017 in recognition for its exemplary learning and development practices. The last it won was in 2023. According to Nirbhik Goel, Chief Human Resources Officer, VFS Global, …

At Travel M!CE and Corporate Show, Rikant Pittie, Co-Founder, EaseMyTrip.com, said, “We have seen 15% increase in our business when we started selling flights, hotels and accommodation together, so bundle products should be recommended for business augmentation.”