Underlining Jammu & Kashmir’s new offerings, Omar Abdullah, CM, J&K, says, “Jammu & Kashmir is beyond Gulmarg and Pahalgam. The UT is increasingly becoming a destination for wellness. The destination is not only known for winter tourism and adventure tourism but also for film shoots and videos as well. With better air and road connectivity, we are looking forward to connecting Kashmir to the rest of Indian cities by rail connectivity.”

Speaking about tourism’s role in economic growth, Kandula Durgesh, Tourism Minister, Andhra Pradesh, said, “By the end of 2025, our tourism contribution will be at least 15% of the total employment generation.” The government is focused on infrastructure development, youth empowerment, and sustainability to achieve this ambitious target.

VisitBritain CEO Patricia Yates, says, “We want more regional destinations across Britain to feel tourism’s economic benefits. Our recently launched global ‘Starring GREAT Britain’ campaign is using the powerful draw of screen tourism to showcase our vibrant cities, contemporary culture and beautiful coast and countryside, alongside our welcome, encouraging visitors to broaden their itineraries, stay longer and to come now.”

Underlining the state’s strong focus, Goa Tourism Minister Rohan Khaunte says, “We are pioneering regenerative tourism, going beyond sustainability to focus on culture, environment, and society. By integrating responsible tourism practices, we are creating a model that benefits both travellers and local communities while preserving our heritage.”

Björn Bender, CEO & Executive Chairman, RailEurope, says, “India is now proving what we have promised and expected for a while—Indian travellers love Europe. They are no longer just visiting the classics—they are venturing into new regions, discovering hidden gems, and making the most of Europe’s extensive rail network. With train travel being hassle-free and often even hands-free (luggage service), they are unlocking Europe in a way that feels natural and effortless.”

South Africa’s Department of Home Affairs’ ground-breaking digital platform for the Trusted Tour Operator Scheme (TTOS) has gone live. This platform will drive increased tourism from the major source markets of India and China by enabling vetted and approved tour operators to submit group applications for large tour groups from these two countries. This addresses a long-standing obstacle to tourism growth, whereby long queues, red tape and the inability to process group applications timeously led to inefficiency in the issuing of visas for tourists from these countries. To illustrate the scale of the change: before TTOS was created, there were only two South African missions in China, and only two missions in India, to serve the 2.8 billion people living in those two countries who wanted to come as tourists to South Africa. But under the new TTOS digital-first system, tourists from India and China who use approved tour operators will no longer have to visit a mission, will no longer fill in a single form, will not need to stand in a single queue, and will receive their visas digitally within three days. In 2023, South Africa only received 37 000 tourists from China and only 79 000 from India. By enhancing visa efficiency and security through TTOS, Home Affairs looks forward to enabling much faster tourism growth from these two burgeoning source markets. The Minister of Home Affairs, Dr Leon Schreiber, said: “The fact that Home Affairs took the TTOS from conceptualisation to implementation in less than six months demonstrates our commitment to embracing digital transformation and to playing our role as an economic enabler to create jobs. Research has shown that for every twelve new tourists attracted by TTOS, we …

DreamSetGo has been appointed as an Official Travel Agent for the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, bringing cricket fans closer to the action with personalised, high-end travel and hospitality experiences. As one of the select authorised travel agents for the tournament, DreamSetGo will provide seamless, customised travel solutions for cricket enthusiasts worldwide. These premium packages will feature official match tickets, luxury accommodations, VIP hospitality, exclusive fan interactions and meet-and-greet sessions with cricketing icons, ensuring a once-in-a-lifetime sporting adventure tailored to each fan’s passion. “At DreamSetGo, we believe sports travel should go beyond just attending matches. It should be a gateway to immersive, unforgettable experiences,” said Daniel D’Souza, Co-founder, DreamSetGo. “As an Official Travel Agent for the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, we are elevating fan engagement through bespoke offerings that provide top-tier hospitality and exclusive access beyond the stadium. Whether it’s soaking in the electrifying atmosphere of a marquee match or getting up close with cricketing legends, we are committed to curating extraordinary journeys for fans. With personalisation at its core, DreamSetGo’s offerings blend sport, luxury, and exclusivity, ensuring fans don’t just watch history unfold, but become part of it.”  

WTTC’s latest report ‘Bridging the Say-Do Gap: How to Create an Effective Sustainability Strategy by Knowing Your Customers’ focuses the gap between travellers’ desire for sustainable options and their actual behaviour. Julia Simpson, WTTC President & CEO, said: “Travellers care about sustainability but when buying travel, cost and quality are king. Customers expect businesses to create affordable sustainable options.”

While growth in foreign tourist arrivals is on the lower side at 3%, it is better than industry average, said Goa’s tourism minister Rohan Khaunte. Addressing the controversy of losing popularity among tourists, he added, “All is well. Posts by many influencers of deserted beaches, empty hotels in Goa flooded the internet last December. We didn’t want to respond to every social media influencer who took Goa for a ride in the last quarter. We will address the issues raised. However, the way they took it up was something, which we need to condemn.”

Tourism minister of Andhra Pradesh, Kandula Durgesh, has requested Tourism Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat for fast-track approvals for Detailed Project Reports (DPRs) for proposed Swadesh Darshan projects. He informed the minister that tourism development in AP would proceed through central government schemes like PRASAD, Swadesh Darshan 2.0 and the special assistance to states for capital investment Scheme. “Development work at the Simhachalam temple in Visakhapatnam is complete by 60 per cent and the tendering process for the Annavaram temple development in Kakinada district has been finalised,” he said.