Category Archives: States

Vishal Suri, Managing Director & CEO, SOTC Travel, said, “We are targeting double-digit growth for FY25-26. Regional India is a key focus area for us. We are not only widening our reach across India but also deepening our presence in existing markets. We are investing in ties, tech integrations, and service enhancements to enhance customer engagement in high-growth markets.”

Skål Delhi has become the world’s largest Skål club. Sanjeev Mehra, President, Skål International India, announced plans to expand from 19 to 36 clubs, covering every Indian state and union territory. With India now ranked second globally in Skål membership, just 15 members behind the USA, the goal is to strengthen tourism industry collaboration.

India’s hospitality sector is likely to remain immune to the impact of artificial intelligence. In its latest projections, the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) said that the Indian travel and tourism sector is expected to employ more than 63.9 million by 2035, up from 46.3 million in 2024. “This is the only industry which may be immune to the impact of AI,” said Julia Simpson, Chief Executive, WTTC.

The two-day Tourism Secretaries’ Conference of all States and Union Territories, organised by the Union MOT, is underway at SKICC, Srinagar. The conference will focus on key national-level policy areas, including tourism-related budget announcements for 2025-26, destination development and infrastructure initiatives, a review of sanctioned projects, and promotion and marketing strategies.

In a major boost to Andhra Pradesh’s adventure tourism sector, the Andhra Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation (APTDC) has received over 130 applications from companies eager to launch operations. In response, the government has issued detailed guidelines covering operator registration, safety standards, security protocols, environmental protection and local employment, aiming at regulating the sector and ensuring tourist safety.

Expressing concern on the recent proposal to increase excise duty on liquor in Maharashtra, HRAWI in a letter to Ajit Pawar, Deputy CM & Minister of Finance & Excise, Maharashtra, said the proposed hike is expected to cause a sharp rise in the retail prices of alcoholic beverages reportedly between 14% to 60% across various categories, with the steepest increase in IMFL.

Ajay Jain, Special Chief Secretary for Tourism, Visakhapatnam, has called for positioning the city as a global-standard tourism destination. He urged officials to create awareness campaigns promoting adventure, water sports, and cruise tourism. Highlighting the potential to host major national and international events, he said that the city should have 10,000 star-rated hotels.

With the support of its members in Bihar, ADTOI has launched its fifteenth state chapter at a ceremony on 28th June 2025 in Patna. It was attended by state govt. officials, stakeholders of the industry from the state, ADTOI MC Team led by Ved Khanna, President, and members from Bihar. Nand Kishore, MD Bihar State Tourism Development Corporation of Patna was the Chief Guest. This initiative of ADTOI shall make the Chapter Office Bearers to work closely with the State Tourism authorities and stakeholders in the State to bring more domestic tourists to the state. The Chapter Chairman is Prabhat Kumar, Visit Bihar Destination Management, Secretary is Rajesh Kumar, Indian Tourist Bureau, the Treasurer is Sachin Sharma, Shyam Forex Tours & Travels. Khanna in his address emphasised the necessity of having State Chapter for coordination with State Tourism authorities and the stakeholders in the State to bring winds of change in the progressive growth of tourism that will bring economic benefits to the state in many ways. Members are requested to extend their full support to our Bihar Chapter in promoting the destinations in the State among the domestic tourists to increase the tourist traffic in the State. The association has also signed an MoU with Andhra Pradesh Tourism Authority to jointly organise ‘ANDHRA PRADESH – ADTOI NATIONAL TOURISM MART-2025 from 17-19 September 2025 in Visakhapatnam. This initiative aims to position Andhra Pradesh as a leading destination for domestic tourism and will serve as a unique platform for industry stakeholders, tour operators and travel professionals to collaborate and showcase the diverse tourism offerings of the region.

Nikhil Sharma, MD & COO, South Asia, Radisson Hotel Group, said, “With the opening of D Square Statue of Unity Kevadia, a member of Radisson Individuals, we further strengthen our footprint in Gujarat. This hotel offers a distinct blend of local character and modern hospitality, in line with our strategy to grow our portfolio in emerging leisure destinations across the country. We are proud to contribute to this transformation by offering high-quality hospitality that complements the area’s cultural richness and sustainable development focus.”

Underscoring that MSMEs, including boutique hotels and local catering services, are crucial to the MICE segment in India, Barun Gupta, General Manager, ExpoInn Suites & Convention, said, “Boutique is the new big. These enterprises make India event-ready, but to grow, they need low-interest infrastructure loans, policy stability and public-private partnerships.”