Category Archives: NTO (National Tourist Offices)

With an objective to re-establish its connection with the travel trade in India and further entice Indians to visit Greece, the Greek National Tourism Organization (GNTO) has prioritised certain focus points for this market. Its aim is to touch base with the disruptive and ever-growing Indian travel trade associations and together explore opportunities. It will also share safety measures and travel guidelines that are being undertaken by Greece to ensure health and safety of all its visitors. Dimitrios Fragakis, Secretary General, remarked “Health first has been our imperative since the onset of the COVID-19 crisis. And I am proud to say that we have been successful. The Greek government designed detailed health protocols, in consultation with the leading experts. The protection measures have been implemented professionally, consistently and credibly by the businesses and the Greek state, since the reopening of borders in July of 2020. My clear message as the Secretary-General of the Greek National Tourism Organisation is that this summer Greece managed to keep its visitors safe, by implementing all health protocols in tourism. The South Asian market, and in particular the Indian market, is a new dynamic and exciting field for the Greek Ministry of Tourism and the Greek National Tourist Organisation. We are looking forward to enhancing our collaboration with the Indian market.” GNTO is working towards finding more lucrative opportunities to strengthen and expand their network in India and directly involve with travel communities to boost travel activities and position Greece on top of every Indian traveller’s bucket lists. Harris Theoharis, Minister of Tourism commented, “India is one of the emerging markets of high quality and importance on international level and it is one of the …

Saudi Arabia will be extending its e-visa facilities for Indian tourists soon, revealed Fahd Hamidaddin, CEO, Saudi Tourism Authority (STA). Hamidaddin said that Saudi is home for nearly 5 million Indians, and the proposed e-visa facility will help in unlocking the huge potential that exists for Visit Friends & Relatives (VFR) from India to Saudi Arabia. “You can expect the good news soon,” he said. The STA CEO has said that the eVisa has proved to be quite successful for Saudi Arabia and around 5 lakh travellers have used the facility since its introduction to visit the country.

The Korea Tourism Organization (KTO) will conduct a destination presentation today at 11am that will have a special focus on Busan. Along with KTO, the webinar will also have representatives from Busan Tourism Organization and a DMC joining in from Korea for product updates. Young Geul Choi, Deputy Director, Korea Tourism Organization, New Delhi office, says, “Each region of South Korea has its own unique feature and characteristic. To bring a better understanding of each special region, we decided to conduct a destination presentation with a special focus on Busan – South Korea’s second-most populous city. The local charm paired with attractions and shops are what draw people back to Busan. It is the perfect destination for slow travel, filled with hidden attractions in its side streets. It is also a food haven with its streets lined with restaurants and food vendors. The city is home to landmark attractions like the Oryukdo Skywalk, Haeundae Beach and the Haedong Yonggungsa Temple among others. With this webinar, travel agents can add more value to their South Korea itineraries and recommend it as the first choice once travel between India and South Korea resumes.” To sign up, contact Jaspreet Kaur on 9650196532 or jaspreet.kaur@ddppl.com.  

The Korea Tourism Organization (KTO) will conduct a destination presentation on Friday, September 25 at 11am that will have a special focus on Busan. Along with KTO, the webinar will also have representatives from Busan Tourism Organization and a DMC joining in from Korea for product updates. Young Geul Choi, Deputy Director, Korea Tourism Organization, New Delhi office, says, “Each region of South Korea has its own unique feature and characteristic. To bring a better understanding of each special region, we decided to conduct a destination presentation with a special focus on Busan – South Korea’s second-most populous city. The local charm paired with attractions and shops are what draw people back to Busan. It is the perfect destination for slow travel, filled with hidden attractions in its side streets. It is also a food haven with its streets lined with restaurants and food vendors. The city is home to landmark attractions like the Yongdusan Park escalator and the popular Busan Tower among others. With this webinar, travel agents can add more value to their South Korea itineraries and recommend it as the first choice once travel between India and South Korea resumes.” To sign up, contact Jaspreet Kaur on 9650196532 or jaspreet.kaur@ddppl.com.

Tourism New Zealand virtually launched its new campaign ‘Messages from New Zealand’ today in presence of Steven Dixon, Regional Trade Marketing Manager, Asia, Tourism New Zealand and His Excellency, David Pine, New Zealand’s High Commissioner to India. ‘Messages from New Zealand’ features everyday New Zealanders sharing video messages of hope and care with their international whānau (family), presenting a unique Kiwi perspective about what is important to them. The campaign showcases locals who embody the values of manaakitanga (hospitality) and kaitiakitanga (care for the land) through positivity and encouragement. This beautifully captures their wholesome messages of kindness and compassion to family, friends and loved ones all around the world. The campaign will be released through social and digital channels. Each of these ‘Messages’ will show that New Zealand is a country which is driven by what matters in life, underpinned by the purity of its values such as Manaakitanga and Kaitiakitanga. And to build on the success of these webinars, and further engage and educate agents, Tourism New Zealand will launch a ‘Virtual Road Trip’ campaign later this week. The ‘Virtual Road Trip’ will showcase a different region of the country each month. This campaign will be shared on Tourism New Zealand’s travel trade website. To bring to life the campaign in India, Tourism New Zealand will be partnering with its Indian whānau, including influencers – who have a strong affinity with New Zealand – highlighting their own personal experiences and connections with the country. Commenting on the campaign, Dixon says, “The travel industry has been impacted by the Covid-19 crisis tremendously in the past few months and it is important now more than ever, that we stay connected to visitors and our travel …

Korea Tourism Organization (KTO) brought together representatives from Jeju Tourism Organizations, wedding planners, Korea DMCs as well as KTO in an in-depth virtual discussion on possibilities on weddings, honeymoons and celebratory events in South Korea. Sandeep Datta, Marketing Manager, KTO New Delhi office says, “Only island in the world which is among the seven natural wonders of the world. It is a volcanic island.”

In line with the safe and gradual resumption of economic activities in Singapore, Singapore Tourism Board (STB) will start accepting applications for organisers to pilot MICE events of up to 250 attendees from October 1, 2020. It will review all proposals and organisers may proceed only upon obtaining the Ministry of Trade & Industry’s approval. There will be pilot events taking place under this arrangement, such as the Singapore International Energy Week (SIEW) Conference, in October 2020.

In order to build the Utah brand in India, Utah Office of Tourism has appointed IndiJo Consulting as its official representative in India. Led by Joseph Fernandes, IndiJo will carry out sales, marketing, and PR activities on behalf of the tourism board. These include webinars, B2B training, co-op promotions, social media initiatives, support product development, trade and media relations.  

Nagsri Prasad Sashidhar, Chief Happiness Officer, NAGSRI- Creating Special Memories, shares that as soon as Thailand is ready to open, they will be looking forward to send a whole lot of clients to the Land of Smiles. “With TAT India offices doing their job phenomenally, our clients are waiting to explore the lovely region and have wonderful experiences. Thailand is a wholesome holiday getaway for Indian travellers.”

Korea Tourism Organization will conduct a destination presentation today at 11am with a special focus on Gyeonggi region. Along with KTO, the webinar will also have representatives from Gyeonggi Tourism Organization and a DMC joining from Korea for product updates. To sign up, contact Jaspreet Kaur on 9650196532 or jaspreet.kaur@ddppl.com