HRAWI has offered waiver of annual membership fees for 2021-22. The offer is a one-time relief measure for members who can choose to opt for a part, i.e. 50% or full waiver of the annual fees. Members who have already paid their fees for the current year 2021-22 but would like to receive the waiver can request their fees to be carried forward for the next year.

Eco-tourism has been identified as one of the niche tourism areas by Ministry of Tourism for development in the country. Recognising the potential for the development of eco-tourism in the country, the Ministry of Tourism has identified ‘Eco Circuit’ as one of the 15 thematic circuits under the Swadesh Darshan scheme. MOT has been laying stress on maintenance of environmental integrity, considering the importance of developing tourism in an ecologically sustainable manner.

While taking stock of ongoing airport development projects during his Review Meeting with officials of the Ministry of Civil Aviation, cabinet minister Jyotiraditya Scindia said that stress must be laid on the use of AirSewa for grievance redressal. He also added that new airport terminals must embody local art and culture so they become the face of the region they represent.

Federation of Hotel & Restaurant Associations of India (FHRAI) has submitted a representation to the CEO of NITI Aayog – Amitabh Kant – highlighting hospitality industry’s plight with reference to Oyo’s business model. The Association has specifically pointed out that certain recent activities conducted by Oyo to earn goodwill have actually come at the expense of partner hotels.

Aimed at reducing waste and pollution across the sector, the Global Tourism Plastics Initiative (GTPI) is welcoming 32 new signatories, with every global region represented behind the shared goal. Organisations such as TUI Group and Palladium Hotel Group are among them. These new additions bring the total number of signatories up to 93 companies and organisations.

A new Collinson and Centre for Aviation (CAPA) survey of C-Suite travel industry insiders says a return to ‘normal’ is unlikely before 2023. Over half of travel experts surveyed (51%) expect that robust testing protocols will remain key to reopening global borders until end of 2022. They also believe that a widespread fear of fraudulent tests and vaccine passports may undermine use.

To maximise on the opportunity of available space at attractive commercial considerations, Team SOTC moved into its new owned premises at Marathon Futurex building (13th floor) in Lower Parel. A special puja arranged on June 14th marked an auspicious beginning for Team SOTC. Vishal Suri, Managing Director, SOTC, said, “We have seamlessly shifted to our spacious new office premises and have hit the ground running as we leverage on India’s pent-up travel demand. The location is property owned by our Group and comes with significant advantages: a valuable cost savings for us and with easy access – to collaborate and interact with our common resource pool of product-contracting-operations at Thomas Cook India – in the same building!”

Louvre Abu Dhabi and Swiss watchmaking brand Richard Mille have launched a new annual exhibition – Louvre Abu Dhabi Art Here – and the creation of The Richard Mille Art Prize, with the aim of promoting the best of contemporary art. For its inaugural year, the exhibition and prize will shine a spotlight on Emirati and UAE-based artists as part of the UAE’s wider 50-year Jubilee celebrations.

The Israel Ministry of Tourism, India Office will conduct a virtual presentation for the Indian travel trade on Tuesday, 13 July at 3pm IST. The session will highlight various offerings on leisure and MICE. To sign up, contact Jaspreet Kaur on 9650196532 or jaspreet.kaur@ddppl.com. Highlighting the importance of the India market for Israel, Sammy Yahia, Director of Tourism (India & Philippines), Israel Tourism, says, “In the last year, the travel industry around the world has experienced significant challenges, especially in the Indian trade. With new travel relaxations being introduced every day I believe that in the next few years, India will lead the international travel boom with many Indian travellers itching to experience new international destinations.  Before the pandemic, Israel welcomed over 65,000 tourists from India, setting a new record for us. I feel that in the coming months and year, when things normalise, we will double the number of arrivals from India to Israel.”

The Travel Agents Federation of India (TAFI) will finally hold its much-delayed national elections on July 24, 2021 via e-voting conducted on the National Securities Depository Limited (NSDL) platform. The following nine posts are open for election: President, Vice President, National General Secretary, Treasurer and five posts for Managing Committee Members.