The TAAI UP and UK chapter visited UPSTDC and met Director General Ravi Kumar to discuss promoting UP as a wholesome tourist destination for domestic as well as international passengers.

Hotel Association of India (HAI) has launched its State Chapter for Punjab and appealed to the State Government to accord ‘industry’ status to the hospitality sector, thus enabling hotels across the state to avail the benefits towards lower electricity and water tariff, lower property tax, rationalisation of taxes & licence fees, and simplified approval process for hotel projects and hotel operations.

Tourism Ireland will conduct a webinar today at 4.30 pm with an interesting line-up of suppliers. Siobhán Naughton, its Marketing & Trade Executive (ME & Asia), says, “We will showcase fantastic accommodation offerings, amazing landscapes, and activities that are waiting to be enjoyed. To sign up, contact Jaspreet Kaur at jaspreet.kaur@ddppl.com or 9650196532.

Rupinder Brar, ADG, Tourism, has said that they are in touch with insurance providers and Ministry of Finance to look at possibilities of providing insurance to travellers coming into India. “We are studying international models to see how we can incentivise travellers to come to our country and offer a certain sense of security to aid the process,” she said.

Thomas Cook India has on offer unbeatable flight-inclusive deals for domestic and international holidays, which ends today. The 72-hour Holiday Flash Sale extends across India, Maldives, Dubai, Kenya, Egypt and South Africa. Agents get 10% off on select holidays, and 25% off on visa and COVID-negative certification. To book, call 8828890311.

Russian Expo Days (RED) starts today with live sessions on e-visa and St. Petersburg. The grand opening is at 12:30 pm (IST). Those who watch all live sessions stand a chance to win a Fam trip to Krasnaya Polyana Resort in Sochi. To register for the five-day event, log on to russiadays.travel.

With technology being essential to meet new traveller needs, Indian airports are undergoing massive digitalisation. “We are now seeing that future digital transformation initiatives are being accelerated,” says Sunil Ankalgi, Head of Sales & Account Management, Airport IT, APAC, Amadeus.

Veena World has recently opened a sales office in Bengaluru. The Mumbai-based tour operator has more than 19 sales offices across India with presence in Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Gujarat, Telangana, Assam, Odisha, Madhya Pradesh, Goa, Karnataka and now Bengaluru. It was established in 2013 with 35-odd people and has now grown to a 1,000-member team pan-India.

Pradeep S Kharola, Secretary, MoCA, has said that the government will now focus on promoting Indian carriers. Speaking at a webinar organised by FAITH, he said, “We have realised the importance of tourism and aviation as an industry. Hence, as a matter of policy, the government would be giving more thrust on promoting Indian carriers.”

Raul de la Rosa Machado, Counsellor, Embassy of Spain, New Delhi, says that at this time of involuntary inaction in the tourism sector, it is the right time to get educated about Spain. Talking about the upcoming Virtual Spanish Travel Show, he said, “This is the time to prepare ourselves for the so-called new normal, to gather all information possible.”