Naveen Kundu, MD, EbixCash Travel, said, “The size of the MICE market is about 30 million today, including domestic and international. Therefore, there is a huge potential for the organised M!CE industry to come together, collaborate, innovate, and then handle the entire mammoth business that is coming our way.”

Independent Hotels witnessed a 34.5 percent rise in bookings in 2023 compared to 2022 via the Global Distribution System (GDS), according to HotelREZ Hotels & Resorts’ Independent Accommodation Insights Report. Additionally, there was 4.2 per cent increase in reservations compared to pre-pandemic levels in 2019.

Moscow City Tourism Committee will host the BRICS+ Tourism Forum from 20 to 21 June this year, in Moscow. They expect to welcome 9 tourism ministers and 18 delegations from countries from the Middle East and South East Asia with over 300 delegates. It was revealed at the conference ‘Shaping the MICE Future,’ held recently.  

At ‘Tourism Beyond G-20 Revealing J& K’s Tourism Treasures’ organised by the J&K Committee of ICC, Jyoti Mayal, President, TAAI, said, “The significance of environment-friendly travel to Kashmir, is to guarantee the prosperity of the state, the necessity of preserving the environment and creating more equitable tourist initiatives.”

“Malaysia will host Visit Malaysia Year in 2026 with a target of 35.6 million foreign tourist and RM147.1 billion in expenditures,” revealed Manoharan Periasamy, Director General, Malaysia Tourism Promotion Board, during the announcement of the expansion of strategic destination marketing collaboration between Travelport and Tourism Malaysia.

Addressing TAFI members in Mumbai, Fernando Heredia Noguer, Consul General of Spain in Mumbai, said, “We have increased our visa processing capacity by 30 per cent in 2023 compared to 2022 and increased 40 per cent compared to the average of the four years before the pandemic! In 2023, we managed to issue almost 52K visas versus 40,000 visa applications in 2022.”

The Ministry of Heritage and Tourism of the Sultanate of Oman kicked off its 3-city India sales mission in Delhi with key trade partners. The next cities are Ahmedabad and Lucknow. The India sales mission will help the trade to gain insights into the new offerings of Oman, enabling them to better promote the destination.

Finnair, the national airline of Finland, is pleased to announce the appointment of Anupam Vig as the new General Manager for India, effective January 1, 2024. Anupam Vig is a dynamic professional with over two decades of experience in the airline industry. His expertise lies in developing and implementing innovative sales strategies that drive growth and expand market presence. Throughout his career, Anupam has demonstrated a deep understanding of industry dynamics and consumer behavior, consistently delivering results by identifying business opportunities. His leadership will help further Finnair’s goal of providing top-notch service and connectivity to customers traveling from India to Finland and Nordic destinations. “I am delighted to have Anupam Vig lead our team in India. India continues to be an important market for Finnair,” says Jenni Suomela, Vice President, Global Sales and Channel Management, Finnair. “I am honored and excited to take on the role of General Manager for Finnair in India. Finnair, as a 100-year-old airline, has a rich legacy of providing exceptional service, and I am committed to contributing to its continued success and strengthening Finnair’s position as a preferred choice for travellers across India”, says Anupam Vig. Finnair India’s outgoing General Manager, Sakari Romu, has been instrumental in Finnair’s success in the region. As he takes on the role of General Manager for Japan, Finnair expresses gratitude for his contributions and welcomes Anupam Vig to lead the airline in India.  

Seema Kadam, Regional Director, India, LA Tourism, says that despite the visa challenges, they have seen immense growth in the number of travellers. Besides leisure segment, they have seen substantial growth in the M!CE segment, LA has an impressive number of large venues and hotel inventory to support demand.

Recently, Rohan Khaunte, Minister for Tourism, Government of Goa, said that to boost the tourist numbers, “we are endeavouring to showcase Goa’s myriad offerings to foster a deeper understanding of the state’s cultural and natural wealth apart from coastline through green investments, and Goa beyond beaches.”