Patricia de Lille, Minister of Tourism, South Africa met Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, Minister of Tourism, India, to explore opportunities for enhancing tourism between the two nations. Lille announced that the country has launched a new digital Entry Travel Agreement (ETA) system to simplify the visa process for Indians.

At 54th FHRAI Annual Convention, Pradeep Shetty, President, FHRAI, highlighted the need for long-term financing in the hospitality sector, with current funds only available for 7-8 years. He urged for regulatory reforms, including streamlined licensing and single-window systems, to unlock the industry’s full potential.

Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, Union Minister of Culture and Tourism, speaking at PHDCC’s 1st Wedding Tourism Summit & Expo said, “India’s wedding industry is poised to drive the economic growth. About 54 per cent of India’s population is under 30 years and a large part of household income is spent on weddings.”

During the inauguration of Saharanpur, Rewa, and Ambikapur airports, PM Modi highlighted that RCS-UDAN’s success has escalated demand for new aircraft. The heightened demand for aircraft is substantiated by Indian carriers’ orders, which exceed 1,000 aircraft slated for delivery over the next 10-15 years, representing a significant augmentation of India’s existing fleet, which currently comprises approximately 800 planes.

Mementos by ITC Hotels, Ekaaya Udaipur won ‘Luxury Resort of the Year’ at ITA 2024. From shimmering lakeside to vast realms of the Magical Forest, this property is surrounded by the Aravalli hills, and has 64 suites. Responsible luxury is the bedrock of belief and commitment for ITC Hotels.

KB Kachru, President, HAI and Chairman Emeritus & Principal Advisor, South Asia, Radisson Hotel Group, said at a recent event, “Investment in training and resources that empower hotels to progress on their journeys of sustainability is a key factor that will drive India to its goals of Netzero.”

Speaking at the 21st ASEAN-India Summit at Vientiane, Lao PDR, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said, “To promote tourism, we could declare 2025 as the ‘ASEAN-India Year of Tourism.’ For this initiative, India will commit US $5 million.” He added, “To commemorate a decade of India’s Act East Policy, we could organise a variety of events between India and ASEAN countries. By connecting our artists, youth, entrepreneurs, and think tanks etc., we can include initiatives such as a Music Festival, Youth Summit, Hackathon, and Start-up Festival as part of this celebration.”

According to the 2nd edition of Booking.com report, ‘How India Travels 2024 – The Inbound Edit,’ prepared in collaboration with Accenture, 52 per cent of inbound travellers seek India as a standalone destination, while 22 per cent intend to combine their visit with other Asian countries.

South African Tourism Board won the Best African Tourism Board award at the India Travel Awards 2024. Deepika Nair, Acting Trade Manager, South African Tourism Board received the award. South African Tourism markets the country’s scenic beauty, diverse wildlife, culture and heritage, the great outdoors, sport and adventure opportunities, eco-tourism, and conference facilities. Its goal is to make South Africa a preferred tourist destination in the world to maximise the economic potential of tourism for the country and its people.

Sharing updates on visas at Explore France 2024 workshop in Goa, Sami Boukaze, Deputy Consul – Consulate General of France in Mumbai, said, “The approval rate of visa applications is almost 85-90% of the total applications received in Mum- bai.” The workshop was attended by travel agents as well.