The Ministry of Tourism announced at the G20 Leaders’ Summit in Delhi that it envisions transforming and promoting the host cities of the G20 Meetings in India into global MICE destinations for national and international meetings. Our commitment is unwavering, and our resolve is strong. We are poised to lead the way in fostering sustainable tourism practices that will echo across the world for years to come.

The overall acceptability of online companies and customers who believe can book via companies like us has only increased in India, says Jaal Shah, Founder of Rezlive.com. “India has become a very competitive and crowded market in terms of the B2B online portals. What is really good about this is that most of them are home-grown Indian companies. There have been some new entrants in the market and the existing players have strengthened their position. India as a market has also evolved where in people want to book online more,” he adds.

Announcing the 9th edition of its travel trade training session ‘Learn South Africa 2023’, Neliswa Nkani, Hub Head – Middle East, India & South-East Asia, South African Tourism, says, “We recognise the immense potential that lies within the Indian market. This year’s Learn SA will have a special focus on tier 1 and tier 2 cities of India.”    

The Travel Trade Association of Uttar Pradesh (TTAUP) will hold its flagship B2B show titled TTAUP Travel Mart (TTM) in Lucknow on September 27, 2023 at Holiday Inn Lucknow from 10 am. The association has organised its TTM B2B networking event since its inception.

Great Plains, the iconic eco-tourism company, has opened Sitatunga Private Island, a water-based Réserve-Collection Safari Camp in the upper reaches of Botswana’s Okavango Delta. Built on a raised, wrap-around railway sleeper private deck, Sitatunga Private Island can accommodate a maximum of four adults in two separate and stunning private suites. The spacious double-bedroom Sitatunga Private Island Suite hosts four adults or a family of two adults and up to three children, offering a total footprint of approximately 607m2. Sitatunga Private Island can host up to eight guests in total sharing the two suites and the two-bedroom Sitatunga Private Island Suite. Constructed almost entirely of recycled materials, breathing new life into old treasures, the new camp offers discerning explorers a ‘slow safari’ experience that is as sustainable as it is luxurious. Each of the two guest suites, as well as the 2-bedroomed Sitatunga Private Island Suite comes complete with an indoor lounge, gorgeously appointed bathrooms with baths and separate showers, a private deck with outdoor lounging and seating areas as well as a private pool with expansive views over the lagoon that stretches in front of the camp itself. Sitatunga Private Island will provide guests with the most authentic ‘Robinson Crusoe’-inspired experience and a refuge for the soul in the Okavango Delta. Dereck Joubert, CEO of Great Plains, says, “Sitatunga Private Island is unlike any other Great Plains property, pushing the eco-design boundary in a remote region in Botswana whilst also offering the highest level of hospitality and accommodation. It is also one of the few locations in the world where one can still see sitatunga, the rare aquatic antelope, from camp and by boat, which is the main activity here in …

Ajay Prakash, has been re-elected as the TAFI President for the new term in an online election held in Mumbai today. While Anil Kalsi takes over from Kamal Jadhwani as Vice President, Abbas Moiz and Hitank Shah maintain their old position as Secretary and Treasurer, respectively. The new team have also co-opted four members for an extended team.

Speaking about airlines offering discounts direct to consumers, Ajay Prakash, President, TAFI, says “This is one of the issues we need to seriously tackle. We want to initiate a system whereby all the non-IATA airlines or LCCs should have an agreement with agents before starting to do business. I strongly recommend members to have a formal legal agreement with the airline they are doing business.”

An Air Services Agreement was signed between New Zealand and India in Auckland which is expected to boost bilateral ties in civil aviation between the two countries. According to the MoU, designated airline(s) of New Zealand may operate any number of services with any type of aircraft, with third and fourth freedom traffic rights to/from six points: New Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Chennai, Hyderabad, and Kolkata.  

Sharing data on India as a cruise source market, Joel Katz, MD (Australasia), CLIA, says, “India ranks much higher among its Asian counterparts. In 2019, India contributed around 313,000 pax to cruise operations internationally, an increase over the previous year of more than 40%. India’s source market had grown at double-digit rates for consecutive years, putting India behind only Mainland China, Taiwan and Singapore in the Asia region, and ahead of Japan and Hong Kong.”

Mani Ganeshan, Global Head of Engineering, Travel Distribution & Centre Head, Amadeus Labs, says, “Personalisation has become the key to success in the industry, and with the integration of IoT, Virtual Reality, Robotics, and AI/ML, we can facilitate this transition seamlessly. The use of data analytics and artificial intelligence allows us to gain insights into guests’ preferences, enabling us to tailor services accordingly and provide recommendations that lead to higher guest satisfaction and loyalty.”