Meenakshi Sharma, DG, Ministry of Tourism, has said that their campaign for the international market highlighting they are COVID-proof and geared to work with them is ready. “Representatives from the industry have seen some drafts, and it should be finalised in a month or so. The campaign says what India is trying to do,” Sharma says.

Aaditya Thackeray, Cabinet Minister, Tourism & Environment, Government of Maharashtra, has said that they want to make tourism a priority sector. “I have been personally available to remove any hurdles that might come in the way because we want to develop this sector across the state and not just Mumbai,” he said.

Nepal Airlines will resume its Delhi-Kathmandu-Delhi daily flights from December 17, 2020. This was confirmed by Narayan Podayal, Delhi Manager, Nepal Airlines, who says, “The flight will depart Kathmandu at 11:20 hrs and take off from Delhi at 14:00 hrs local time. Passengers transiting via Nepal will not be allowed to board. All travellers will be required to submit and carry negative PCR test report not older than 72 hours at time of boarding.”

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.