Category Archives: Breaking News (All Categories)

With the impending peak season, Harmandeep Singh Anand, MD, Jagsons Travels, says that to avoid last-minute rush for visas and prevent visa shopping, travel agents must guide their clients on when to apply for visas, depending on the country their wish to travel to. “Every year during peak season there is a lot of traffic for European destinations and Indian travellers tend to decide their holidays very last minute and expect their visas within a short span of time. However, visa as such has never been a problem if one applies in advance. Most of the embassies have increased their time when you can apply for a visa. For instance, you can apply for a Schengen visa as early as six months in advance! We see a lot of rush starting from March onwards. Next month will be super peak which leads to a lot of visa shopping. None of the European destinations had a challenge; they only had a restricted number of visa that would be issued. If you look at Italy, it has made it simpler in terms of repeat visitors to Schengen territory in the last eight years where they have opened up additional appointment slots. So agents must guide their clients in terms of applying for visas,” he shares.

In a significant step, India airlines are bracing up for an increased flight frequency in the upcoming summer schedule, beginning from March 31 by operating 24,275 weekly domestic flights. According to the DGCA, the number of weekly departures is set to rise by 2.30 per cent compared to the ongoing winter schedule, where scheduled carriers are operating 23,732 flights.

Addressing PATA International Conference on Women in Travel in Bohol, Philippines, Noor Ahmad Hamid, CEO, PATA, shared, “There should be equality, parity and equal representation for all tourism stakeholders including women. PATA is committed to advancing the role of women in tourism.”

InterGlobe Air Transport, GSA for Manta Air organised roadshow in partnership with Kandima resort, RIU Hotel and Niyama Islands for the travel fraternity in Bengaluru to showcase the product and highlight the benefits of flying with Manta Air to Dhaalu Airport in Maldives. The event was attended by 60 agents.

The India State Ranking Survey published by WTTCII with Hotelivate reveals state expenditure witnessed a 25% growth in 2022-23 compared to 2018-19, capital expenditure on tourism surged by almost 120%, and revenue expenditure increased by 14% during the same period.

Christopher Hartley, CEO, Global Hotel Alliance, said, “In India, we have seen considerable growth, with 5 lakh members of the GHA Discovery Program through The Leela Discovery. We aim to reach the one-million-member milestone in coming years by strengthening our relationship with Leela.

Chief Minister Dr. Mohan Yadav said that as a step ahead the government is now providing air transportation facilities in Madhya Pradesh. Expanding air service to religious and other destinations of the state is in progress. He added that after Ujjain and Omkareshwar the air service will also start for Datia, Mehar, Orchha.

An American Express 2024 Global Travel Trends Report said a remarkable 62% of Indian travellers plan to increase their travel expenditure. With food and accommodation as paramount considerations, beach vacations, adventure trips, and metropolitan explorations are high on the agenda for them. Notably, 67% aspire for beach vacations, 58% seek outdoor adventures, and 55% aim to explore new cities.

More than a year ago, Sharzede Datu HJ. Salleh Askor, CEO, Sarawak Tourism Board, welcomed about 500 TAFI members to her state for the association’s annual convention. Since then, she has seen a rise in visitors from India. She said, “We have seen great results from hosting the TAFI convention in 2022 in Sarawak; the numbers from India have increased. In fact, December 2023 received one of the highest numbers of Indian visitors to Sarawak.”

Maharashtra is set to become the first Indian state to buy land in union territory of Jammu and Kashmir to construct a tourist facility for the state’s people. Maharashtra Bhawan will be constructed in central Kashmir’s Budgam–first-ever state Bhavan in the valley on 2.5 acres of land at Ichgam, near Srinagar airport. The Jammu and Kashmir government has approved the transfer of land to the Maharashtra government for ₹8.16 crore.