The AAI’s draft of National Airports Development Plan has scribed its agenda to expand the airport count to 300 by 2047. As per the plan, around 70 airstrips can be developed into full-fledged airports that can handle narrow-body aircraft such as A320 or B737, and nearly 40 airstrips can be developed to handle smaller aircraft.

Sofitel Mumbai BKC was delighted to commemorate the Sofitel brand’s Diamond Jubilee in June 2024, celebrating 60 years of the global hotel brand. The elegant hotel situated in the heart of BKC hosted a delightful Moulin Rouge-themed celebratory soiree. The event brought together loyal guests, prominent media figures, and leading influencers. In collaboration with Travel + Leisure India and Lifestyle Asia India, the evening welcomed notable personalities including Kritika Kamra, Kusha Kapila, Miss Malini, Gurfateh Pirzada, Pallavi Singh, and Tanuj Garg. Manish Dayya, General Manager, Sofitel Mumbai BKC commenced the evening with a heartfelt speech, acknowledging the brand’s 60-year milestone and reflecting on Sofitel’s presence in India through its flagship Mumbai hotel over the past 12 years. Jean-Marc Séré-Charlet, Consul General of France in Mumbai, graced the event as the Chief Guest, adding to the evening’s significance. Rahul Gangwani, Editor, Lifestyle Asia, and Simon Clays, Editorial Director, Travel + Leisure, also shared their thoughts, highlighting the longstanding partnership between the publications and Sofitel Mumbai BKC. The intimate yet captivating event transformed Sofitel Mumbai BKC with vibrant red décor, adorned with pearls, feathers, and crystal accents, complemented by glamorous red lighting. Guests enjoyed live music by a violinist, saxophonist, and cello player performing instrumental renditions of popular tunes, along with captivating Cabaret dance performances evoking the true spirit of the Moulin Rouge. Enhancing the sensory experience, a perfume bar by Scentido offered guests a unique olfactory journey. The evening’s culinary highlight featured a selection of exquisite French cuisine, showcasing the culinary expertise of the Sofitel Mumbai BKC team. This spectacular celebration marks the conclusion of a successful first half of the year for Sofitel Mumbai BKC, with anticipation building for an …

The 10th Travel MICE & Corporate Show concluded at the Hyderabad Marriott Convention Centre from 6-7 July in the City of Pearls. Around 2300 B2B meetings were held across two days with around 33 exhibitors and 72 buyers. The theme of this year’s event was sustainability, with dignitaries sharing insights on how to develop sustainable travel programmes.

Expressing their dismay against the proposal of 2 per cent sustainability fee, TTAG wrote to Goa’s Tourism Department stating, “Imposition of 2 per cent levy on every invoice will adversely affect our competitiveness and the compliance burden will increase. No other tourism destination in India’s inbound market levies such a fee.”

Underpinning the increased fund allocation for tourism in the Interim Budget 2024, Kanwarjit Singh Sawhney, Honorary Secretary, ITTA, expects, “More fund allocation in Union Budget 2024 for upgrading road transport. Tourist transport operators should be allowed to import vehicles on zero or subsidised import duty and reduced GST.”

Singapore Tourism’s multi-city roadshow ‘Holidays Made in Singapore’ launches today in Chennai, aiming to bolster ties with the Indian travel trade community. Featuring 50 exhibitors from diverse sectors, the event will proceed to Hyderabad, Kolkata, and Ahmedabad. The roadshow seeks to attract more Indians to Singapore.

Advocating for promoting domestic tourism during her maiden speech in the Rajya Sabha, Sudha Murty, philanthropist highlighted India’s cultural richness, noting that while the country boasts 42 World Heritage sites, an additional 57 are awaiting recognition. She emphasised the need for well-packaged tourism initiatives, with adequate infra.

According to WTTC 2024 report, India’s travel and tourism sector has recovered significantly but international travel spend in India continues to remain below pre-Covid levels. Consulting firm McKinsey & Company had earlier projected that India will become the fourth-largest domestic travel market in terms of spending by 2030.

Bidisha Mukherjee, Additional Managing Director, Madhya Pradesh Toursim Board (MPTB), shared, “MP Tourism aims to position the state as a premier multi-speciality destination. There has been a three-fold increase in footfall numbers, from 32.1 million visitors in 2022 to 112 million in 2023. Inbound tourism is also on the rise.”

Rajiv Mehra, President, IATO said, “We requested the Prime Minister for financial support to be provided to tour operators based on their foreign exchange earnings. Additionally, we urged the Ministry of Commerce, Government of India, to allocate a budget of rupees ₹1,000 crore or more for the revival of incoming tourism.”