About 75 per cent of travellers make local and authentic experiences a priority for their trips, according to Hilton’s 2024 trends report, quoted by Revinate. Of these, 42 per cent of Gen Z and 44 per cent of millenials are interested in learning more about the local culture when they are travelling globally.

Ahead of festivals, Prakhar Mishra, Director Tourism, Uttar Pradesh, pointed out that the state is expecting a significant surge in pilgrim arrivals to Ram Lalla Temple, Kashi Vishwanath corridor, and Mathura-Vrindavan corridor. Varanasi alone saw a record-breaking influx of 95.63 lakh pilgrims in March.

Air India partners with Bangalore International Airport (BIAL) to develop Bengaluru as a premier aviation hub for Southern India. The MoU will generate over 1,200 new job opportunities for highly skilled individuals in the state. Bengaluru is highly attractive as a destination market as well as a connecting hub.

MakeMyTrip expands its operations to over 150 countries including major travel markets like the UK, Germany, Japan, Italy, and France. The travel platform is all set to adhere to multiple international compliances, including the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA).

“NIMA Members and other M!CE operators sitting in tier II, III cities are contributing a lot to the M!CE business. Business from these cities has increased by 15 – 20 per cent as compared to 2022 – 2023,” says Gajesh Girdhar, Founder & National Coordinator, NIMA (Network of Indian M!CE Agents).

The Gujarat tourism department has set aside ₹200 crore to develop special tourism zones (STZ) in the state. These projects will include Dholavira, Shivrajpur, Sir Creek and border areas of Banaskantha, which will be developed as greenfield and brownfield projects in collaboration with private sector.

The ‘Hotels & Hospitality Overview,’ a report by HVS Anarock states that the hotel occupancy rate in India is nearing pre-pandemic levels, with key markets like Delhi, Mumbai, and Chennai reporting occupancy rates of more than 80% in February. The average hotel rates grew by 17-18% in Delhi and Hyderabad, in February 2024.

Recently, Nishant Kashikar, Country Manager – India & Gulf, Tourism Australia, shared, “We have 3 times more direct aviation capacity on India-Australia route as compared to pre-COVID. So, from 8 flights per week from 2019 we have almost 28 flights per week between India and Australia with Qantas, Air India and Singapore Airlines.”

Goa partners with Yoska Event Solutions LLP to position the state as a premier destination for sports tourism. On this occasion, Suneel Anchipaka, IAS, Director Tourism and Managing Director, GTDC, stated, “Yoska Event Solutions brings valuable resources to the table, enabling Goa to promote sporting events.

Switzerland Tourism invites the Indian outbound travel trade to attend an exclusive webinar on the hub of adventure – Interlaken, Chaplin’s World – a journey into the life and work of Charlie Chaplin, and Geneva – the home of watchmaking, today at 3pm. Attend all webinars for a chance to win a trip to Switzerland in 2025! For more information, write to jaspreet.kaur@ddppl.com or 9650196532.