Category Archives: NTO (National Tourist Offices)

Sharing an interesting update about a possible improvement in air connectivity between India and the Philippines, Shahlimar Hofer Tamano, Undersecretary, DOT, said, “The DOT secretary, Esperanza Christina Garcia Frasco, is more focussed on developing routes. Our President has just signed the Airlines Services Agreement between Philippines and India. Both the governments will now discuss better air services between the two countries which will lead to direct flights soon.”

Tourists to the UAE who stay beyond the validity of their visa will now pay a reduced fine of Dh50 per day instead of Dh100. The new system unified the amount of overstay fines to Dh50 per day for any type of visa violator. The overstay fine payment can be paid either by visiting happiness centres or online through the authority website and smart application.

Voicing his disappointment over delayed visas, Naveen Kundu, MD (India, South East Asia & Middle East), EbixCash Travel Group, says, “It is time we stood up to the outrageous behaviour of Embassies and High Commissions. Are we beggars? Are the corporates who spend millions of dollars in their countries fools to be doing M!CE there?” He urged national travel trade bodies to take immediate action.

Speaking about the importance of India market for Oman, Asma Al Hajry, Deputy DG of Tourism Promotions, Ministry of Heritage and Tourism, Sultanate of Oman, said, “The country recorded a 126% growth in Indian arrivals in April 2023 as compared to the same month last year. With Indian arrivals already surpassing 2,34,000 in the first five months this year, Oman has already seen a 114% growth in arrivals from India compared to last year.”

Speaking on the sidelines of Tourism Australia’s 18th Australia Marketplace India (AMI) in Bengaluru, Nishant Kashikar, Country Manager – India & Gulf, Tourism Australia, said, “India has improved its ranks among Australia’s source markets, and reached a milestone of emerging as the first market to recover to pre-Covid levels, with several marketing, public relations, distribution, and partnership initiatives aimed at enhancing Australia’s attractiveness and consideration. Our Key Distribution Partners, Aussie Specialists and Business Event agents have been vital in inviting Indians to Australia. We seek to maintain our current trajectory and unlock India’s potential growth towards the next decade of travel.”

The 18th edition of Australia Marketplace India 2023 held in Bengaluru recently witnessed record participation from both Australian delegates as well as Indian buyers. It saw 86 Australian delegates meet with 94 buyers from 8 cities in India. India has been the fastest recovering market for Australia and ranks as the fourth inbound market in terms of visits, which is 375500 for year ending May 2023. The three-day event saw the highest attendance this year which reiterates the demand for Australia among the Indian travellers.

Ministry of Heritage and Tourism, Sultanate of Oman, is organising an exclusive webinar to help attendees learn more about the beautiful city of Salalah in Oman, today at 11:30 am. Register to get a chance to win a free trip to Oman. Contact jaspreet.kaur@ddppl.com, 9650196532.

The newly appointed Director of Tourism Malaysia, Noriah Jaafar, is gung-ho about the India market. Sharing numbers, she says, “Pre covid in 2019, we saw 735,309 tourist arrivals from India and currently from January to April 2023, we have welcomed 164,566 arrivals into Malaysia. Our target for this year is to reach 462,000 arrivals from India. As an international source market for Malaysia, India ranked number four in 2022! This makes India a very important market for us.”

Indian visitors travelling to Sultanate of Oman increased to a record 63,492 in April 2023, according to Oman Ministry of Heritage and Tourism. The Ministry said the Indian tourist flow to the Sultanate has been highest in the past 15 years. In January 2023, the Ministry stated, the Indian arrivals were 38,279 more than the pre-COVID figures of 29,094. By April 2023, the numbers had reached 63,492 – the highest it has seen in the last 15 years! “This stupendous growth in number of Indian travellers to Oman in April is a delight. Following the mammoth rise in Indian tourist flow in April this year against the same period last year, we are optimistic that Oman will become a preferred travel destination for Indian tourists,” said Arjun Chadha, Country Manager, Oman Tourism India office. Oman, renowned for its hospitality, breathtaking landscapes, and rich history, has unparalleled attractions, combined with the efforts of the Ministry and its partners, have culminated in the extraordinary influx of Indian tourists in April, he added. Apart from investments in marketing tourism, Oman Tourism has carried out activities such as organizing roadshows in five cities and a four-city sales mission in India to jointly advertise and promote travel through various media outlets. According to the Ministry’s statement, to enhance its presence in the Indian market, Oman Tourism will expand its promotional efforts through collaborative efforts, sales missions, FAM trips, and roadshows. Recently, Oman Tourism hosted a sales mission in cities such as Kochi, Hyderabad and Kolkata, which was also honored by the presence of the MHT Head office, Muscat. The ministry met more than 70 trade partners at the time, which received a positive response. The …

Neliswa Nkani, Hub Head – MEISEA, South African Tourism, is extremely optimistic about the India market. Post the pandemic, India has moved up two spots to become the sixth-largest inbound traveller market for South African Tourism. She says, “Led by our robust recovery efforts we witnessed over 200% surge in travellers from India in 2022, welcoming more than 50,000 Indian tourists.”