The recently-held AGM of the Tour Operators Association of Assam (TOAA) in Guwahati was marked by the formation of the new Executive Committee where Debajit Borah was selected as the new President, Rajkumar Das, Mukul Medhi and Dipak Sarma as Vice Presidents, Kundol Roy as Secretary, Nipan Sarmah as Treasurer, Pranjal Bora and Sushmita Hazarika as Joint Secretary along with 10 new EC members. The outgoing President is Ranjeet Das.

Abhishek Narang, a 2008 IRS-IT officer, was has been appointed as Deputy Secretary in the Ministry of Culture for a period of four years. He is currently on ‘compulsory wait’ in the Department of Personnel & Training. Narang will relieve his duties immediately as per instructions to take up his new assignment in the Ministry of Culture office.

Virtual networking hub, GPS Connect 2021-22, a year-long platform for tourism industry is now open for registrations and will be held virtually from 1 May, 2021. Harmandeep Singh Anand, Managing Director, Global Panorama Showcase (GPS) said, “Exhibitor participation starts from as low as Rs 1,500 and gives an opportunity to businesses of all sizes located anywhere in the world and interested in developing business from India to exhibit and optimise their returns and stay connected year long.”

In a virtual address at the inauguration of the mega tourism promotion event in Srinagar titled, ‘Tapping the Potential of Kashmir: Another Day in Paradise’ Prahlad Singh Patel, Minister of State, Tourism & Culture, said, “The country has seen a five-time hike in tourists in January 2021 compared to January 2020 in Jammu and Kashmir. This initiative will further help to revive tourism in the UT.” He added that tourists started visiting J&K after the abolition of Section 370.

The government has directed airlines to serve or sell in-flight meals from April 15 only on those domestic flights that have a duration of over two hours, in wake of the sharp surge in Covid-19 cases. However, there are no restrictions on inflight meals on international flights as of now. The move is aimed at preventing the passengers from taking off their masks while on the aircraft.

As part of its #UnitedWeStand trade engagement initiatives, Singapore Tourism Board (STB) has launched a Whatsapp channel that offers the latest updates on Destination Singapore and STB’s various initiatives in a real-time fashion. STB India had recently organised its first Virtual Trade-show series, under the theme “Charting Our Pathways to Tourism Recovery”, over four days in January for South, North, West and East India regions. Over 45 Singapore tourism stakeholders (comprising airlines, attractions, cruise, DMCs and hotels) attended the event. More than 2,500 buyers logged in from all over India and each booth had an average of 400 unique visitors.   The Virtual Trade-show was aimed to update the Trade fraternity about refreshed tourism offerings and experiences as well as new norms adopted by Singapore as part of Safety Management Measures to manage the COVID-19 pandemic and prepare for re-start of tourism.   GB Srithar, Regional Director, India, Middle East & South Asia, Singapore Tourism Board , says, “There is much work that lies ahead. Our theme ‘Charting our Pathway to Tourism Recovery’ is an invitation and request for all of us to come together, share and exchange ideas and jointly configure the tourism journey ahead from India to Singapore. It is a rallying call to prepare and be ready, whenever the restart comes. My team and I will continue engaging and working with the trade.”   To subscribe to STB’s WhatApp Channel, click this link: http://bit.ly/stbindia            

Atout France organised the first virtual edition of its B2B alpine showcase Grand Ski in its new avatar ‘Destination Montagnes – Grand Ski’ in the last week of March for buyers worldwide. A total of 150 French suppliers met 465 tour operators from 59 source markets including 15 agents from India. Sheetal Munshaw, Director, Atout France India says, “Over the years, we have proactively tried to develop winter tourism through various initiatives and we are pleased to see that the concept of travelling to France in the winter has found favour with the discerning Indian traveller. The event was perfectly in sync with our strategy to showcase France as a year-round destination to Indian travellers.”

Essar Bulk Terminal Ltd (EBTL), part of ports business of Essar, today said that it a new cruise route from Hazira to Diu was launched from its passenger ferry terminal at Hazira Port, thus revolutionizing coastal transportation across the western coast of India and giving a boost to coastal tourism for the people of Gujarat. Mansukh Mandaviya, Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Ports, Shipping and Waterways & Minister of State for Chemicals & Fertilizers, Government of India flagged off the Ferry service at passenger terminal in Hazira through virtual presence. Under the Maritime Vision 2030, we are aiming for more than 350 cruise ships, 3000 plus cruise calls per annum, more than 3 cruise training academies and 5 million cruise passengers by 2030.  We are taking all-round steps to create perfect ecosystem for cruise industry.  The passenger ferry service has seen a giant leap with the development Hazira as a cruise tourism hub. This will also open up many opportunities for the tourism sector of Gujarat.” Jai Sofia, a cruise cum passenger ferry vessel with a capacity of 300 passengers will now sail in the inaugural route from Hazira to Diu. The vessel has all the facilities on board and provides a bouquet of services on board. The ferry services are being operated by SSR Marine Services Private Ltd Rajiv Agarwal, Managing Director – Essar Ports said, “This is a big milestone for us.  The Ferry Terminal was commissioned in record time and the ferry services through it are a significant addition to air, road, and rail-based connectivity along Indian coastline. It is part of our strategic plan to reduce congestion on roads, cut fuel consumption and limit air pollution. …

Wildlife conservationist Julian Matthews, Chairman of TOFTigers, underlines the need for sustainable tribal community based tourism and says, “We encourage tour operators to work with local people on the ground who really know what they are doing. They must do some research, make sure what they are offering is good and fair to village communities. The reality is that there are very few people who are doing this tribal format well. If we can do that, we will have an immersive and more sustainable travel itineraries, with local communities being the direct beneficiaries. Tribal cultures is a very underrated part of India’s present travel offerings. It is not done very well, and we need to get much better at it as a travel trade community.”

After a year-long hiatus, the Indian travel industry which was one of the hardest-hit sectors due to the pandemic is preparing for a big comeback as it takes the ‘Blue Route’. Cordelia Cruises by Waterways Leisure Tourism, a Dream Hotel Group venture will begin its cruise operations in India from May 2021. Cordelia Cruises will be India’s premium cruise liner cruising along the west and east coast of India to domestic destinations like Goa, Diu, and Lakshadweep and international destinations like Colombo, Galle, Trincomalee, Jaffna, and the Maldives. The group plans to invest approx. USD 300 million in the next 3 to 5 years for the development of the cruise sector in India. Waterways Leisure Tourism has forayed into the Indian cruise industry under the maiden brand, Cordelia Cruises, and is affiliated with the Dream Hotel Group which is a hotel and brand management company with more than 30 years of experience in managing properties around the world.  Asserting his belief in the potential of the Indian cruise market, Founder and Chairman of the Dream Hotel Group, Padma Bhushan Shri Sant Singh Chatwal, says, “Success through innovation has been the foundation for all our brands over the last three decades. We have seen the growth and evolution of cruise tourism around the world. With 7500 km of coastline and recent initiatives by the Indian government for coastal development, India is ready for cruising. There’s tremendous potential in the cruise market and we are confident that Cordelia Cruises will lead this new era of travel through experience and innovation. Incredible India will soon be an Incredible cruise destination as well for travellers around the world.”