India has a vibrant economy, a large young population and a rich cultural heritage which make it attractive for investors and visitors, according to the CEO of the world’s largest visa outsourcing company. Zubin Karkaria, founder and CEO of VFS Global, said India is undergoing a rapid economic and social transformation. “This creates new opportunities for business, trade, tourism, and culture. I truly believe this is India’s decade,” he said. “In VFS global, we are very optimistic about the prospects of India as a global destination, as a source, both for inbound tourism and outbound travellers. India has a vibrant and diverse economy, a large young population, and a rich cultural heritage. These factors make India attractive, both for investors and visitors,” he told PTI in a recent interview. Known for creating a new industry of visa and passport outsourcing, VFS Global in just 22 years of its inception operates in 149 countries through 3,353 application centers. So far it has processed 278 million applications and 130 million biometrics enrolments. Today VFS Global is the trusted partner of 67 governments, including the Five Eyes Intelligence Alliance (the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada and New Zealand), and 24 of the 27 Schengen countries. “VFS Global is a truly Indian success story that has gone global. I mean truly global. I conceptualised and launched VFS Global in India, one of the first made-in-India unicorns to become a global leader in its field,” Karkaria said. “We remain committed to supporting India’s growth story by providing seamless and tech-driven visa services to events, to secure cross-border mobility for people and trade. This is to and from India, thereby contributing to India’s economic …

Europamundo, a JTB Group company, introduces full board river cruises in Europe with a duration of 5-10 days. Find more than 100 departures, in 32 routes, distributed among more than 10 ships, to sail across rivers carrying history in their waters such as Rhine, Danube, and Moselle – the same rivers that will take us to 18 countries and 82 cities to discover. These cruises have the best price quality ratio in the market.   Grand Cruise Croatia This 8-day starts in Dubrovnik, the heart of the Dalmatian coast, with a guided tour of Dubrovnik. This is followed by an excursion to Mljet Island, one of the most beautiful islands in the Adriatic. The sailing also includes a visit to the Krka Falls National Park, and a guided tour of the Trogir city. Built on an island, Trogir is a gem of labyrinthine streets interspersed with staircases and vaulted passages. This is followed by a visit to Split, Hvar, and Vis, and then finally Kotor and back to Dubrovnik.   Landscapes of the Rhine Embarkation for this cruise starts in Frankfurt with a group transfer from Frankfurt airport to Mainz and an Overnight in Rüdesheim onboard the ship. In the morning we will enjoy the beautiful landscapes of the Moselle on a scenic navigation that will take us to the charming town of Cochem. One of the most picturesque and popular towns on the Moselle River, it stands out for its spectacular “Reichsburg” castle. The city is known for its tourist interest, its beauty and for its wines, as some of the best wines in Germany are produced in this area. The cruise then sails through Bernkastel, TRIER, ZELL, KOBLENZ …

Europamundo Vacations, the 30 years old B2B tour operator headquartered in Madrid and part of JTB Group, is the only coach tour operator company in the world affiliated to the UNWTO and WTTC. It offers tours to Japan and Mexico, as well exciting Iran itineraries and river cruises in Europe!   Guaranteed departures All departures for Europamundo tours are guaranteed; it never cancels! It also offers year-round departures. They have reliable prices with no exploitative supplements such as taxes, fuel, gratuities, etc. In fact, all trips include basic insurance which covers medical expenses in the event of illness or accidents, assistance, and early return. Safety, trust and reliability are essential cornerstones. It has been developing the market over the years to offer an even more complete and personalised experience to customers.   Great flexibility Flexibility is one of its biggest USPs which allows passengers to buy only sectors. This feature gives the clients a possibility of joining any tour, at any time and for any duration. As Europamundo has weekly departures, passengers can break their tour in any city and return later to continue the journey with its next departure. Complimentary arrival transfers, return evening transfers and additional discounts for honeymooner and senior citizens are some of its added advantages. Its versatile online system allows travel agents to quote and book its tours by following simple steps in few minutes.   Exciting routes Europamundo is majorly known as a European coach tour operator, but it also has popular coach tours to Turkey, Japan, Mexico, USA, Canada, all Egypt with Hurghada, Jordan and Saudi Arabia. It introduced Iran, the jewel of the Silk Road in 2024 along with many new routes …

As per the India State Ranking Survey by Hotelivate in collaboration with World Travel & Tourism Council, India Initiative (WTTCII), Gujarat experienced the most significant upward shift in rankings, moving up by 7 positions. Telangana demonstrated a remarkable shift, advancing from the 27th to 6th position, more than doubling its tourism spending. On the other hand, Punjab experienced a contrasting trend, dropping from the 9th to the last position.

To delve deeper into the dynamics of sustainable tourism, KPMG in India, in collaboration with HAI and FHRAI, has released a report titled ‘Sustainability in Tourism: Reimagining India’s Sustainable Tourism Evolution’. It stated that eco-tourism, one of the key segments of sustainability, in India is expected to grow at 15.7% between 2019 and 2027.

Deep Kalra, Chairman, WTTCII and Founder, MakeMyTrip, has said that there is a big pick up in religious tourism spurred on by Ayodhya. “A lot of people are looking at this, and not just seniors, we see a lot of younger people also looking at spiritual tourism in different parts of the country,” he added.

Sunny Sodhi, Managing Director of FCM Travel India suggestion to the corporate travel managers out there is to focus on content and user experience. “We are heavily investing in these two areas to ensure we have quality data and can use these insights to craft relevant business travel policies and programmes,” he says, adding, “With regards to corporate travel, we see a lot of inclination around consolidating the travel spends through use of technology where everything is available on a single platform.”

Los Angeles Tourism and Convention Board and Universal Studios Hollywood interacted with key trade agents in Mumbai to share product updates. Andrea Blackman, International Sales Manager at Universal Studios Hollywood and Ms. Seema Kadam, Regional Director, Los Angeles Tourism and Convention Board interacted with key trade partners and travel trade media in Mumbai. The event was designed to share key updates of Los Angeles as a destination and the crucial partnership with Universal Studios. The event highlighted new and upcoming developments in Los Angeles.  The biggest event of 2024 is IPW – The travel industry’s premier market place which will be taking place in LA. Universal Studios Hollywood has a major role and will be hosting the closing night.  2024 also marks the 60th anniversary of the Universal Studio Tour Los Angeles is the epicentre of entertainment, sports and art. LA is proud to be hosting the opening Men’s National team FIFA match in LA. Alongside, the city is gearing up for the Olympic and Paralympic games in 2028. Major art events like PST art, opening of Destination Crenshaw make it an exciting time to visit Los Angeles. “This year is truly special for LA as we gear up to welcome guests for IPW 2024. The city has so much to showcase with new museums, the opening of Destination Crenshaw – a $100mn outdoor art and culture experience and various sporting events in the pipeline including FIFA in 2026 and the Olympic and Paralympic games in 2028. Our partnership with Universal Studios is timeless as it offers an array of adventure, nostalgia and the true essence of cinema with one of  the oldest working studios!” says, Seema Kadam, Regional Director, …

To mark International Women’s Day, VFS Global Academy at Deoghar inaugurates its all-women batch for the Travel and Hospitality Certification Programme. This milestone event was launched by Dr. Nishikant Dubey, Honourable Member of Parliament from Godda, setting a new standard in empowering women through specialised education and career opportunities in the travel and hospitality sector. The opening batch was selected from among the students of the Rama Devi Bajla Mahila Mahavidyalaya in Deoghar. The three-month certificate programme comprises industry-aligned modules on basics of tourism, introduction to hospitality business, event management and communication skills. The initiative aims to increase employment opportunities for women in the travel and hospitality sector and encourage social inclusion. The programme will be offered at no cost to the students. “VFS Global has made a significant step in supporting women’s empowerment by starting an all-women batch. This move will surely motivate young women towards independence. Congratulations to VFS Global Academy for focusing on skilling the youth in Deoghar, especially for creating tailored programmes that empower young women”, said Dr Dubey “We are launching an all-women batch to encourage women to pursue careers in the hospitality industry, responding to their growing interest in this field. This initiative supports the Indian government’s ‘Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao’ campaign and aligns with the International Women’s Day 2024 theme of #InspireInclusion,” said Prabuddha Sen, Chief Operating Officer, South Asia, VFS Global. Opened in August 2023 on the Software Technology Park of India campus in Deoghar, VFS Global has become a beacon of hope and opportunity for the community. VFS Global Academy, a part of VFS Global, the world’s leading outsourcing and technology service specialist for governments and diplomatic missions, was established with …

Switzerland Tourism invites the Indian outbound travel trade to attend an exclusive webinar on Lucerne, on March 7 at 3 pm. Sited on Lake Lucerne and surrounded by gorgeous mountains, Lucerne provides travellers access to numerous excursions, activities and experiences. It is also the perfect gateway to exploring Central Switzerland. Attend all webinars for a chance to win a trip to Switzerland! For more information, write to jaspreet.kaur@ddppl.com or 9650196532.