Minister for Development of North-Eastern Region, G. Kishan Reddy said that the Government of India has taken the ‘Yuva Sangam’ initiative to strengthen people to people connect especially between youth belonging to NER and other States and provide an immersive experience under five broad areas – Paryatan (Tourism), Parampara (Traditions), Pragati (Development), Prodyogiki (Technology) and Paraspar Sampark (People-to-people connect).

As per Cvent Travel Managers Report, demand for sustainable travel has taken off among the corporates as 36% of travel managers say it is now a more important factor than it was pre-pandemic. Sustainability is also having a direct impact on choice of venue. In total, 92% of travel managers say this factor influences which hotels they book as part of programs – with almost 40% claiming sustainability concerns play a significant part in selection.

Sharing details about increase in air connectivity between India and Israel, Sammy Yahia, Consul, Tourism Affairs, Israel Ministry of Tourism, India & Philippines, says, “We are aiming to cross the 1,00,000 mark this year in terms of visitor arrivals from India. We will have two carriers flying directly from BOM-TLV which will be EL AL Airlines and Air India. it will be approx. a five-hour direct flight, three times a week. Moreover, Air India will be flying from BLR as well from October 2023. Arkia will also be resuming operations via Goa and Kochi directly to TLV and Israir announced they want to start operations in India too. With this increase in air connectivity, tourism from India is expected to multiply.”

Thomas Cook (India) inaugurated new Forex outlets at the new Manohar International Airport – at Mopa, Goa. The Company has won a 5 year contract for setting up and operating 4 foreign exchange counters at the new Goa Airport. This expands Thomas Cook India’s forex network/consumer access in Goa to 6 outlets: 2 branches and 4 airport outlets. In addition, the company operates 25 airport counters across India, Sri Lanka and Mauritius. In an initiative to ensure safe, seamless and convenient merchant payments, Thomas Cook’s Goa airport counters will empower foreign nationals from G20 nations and NRIs, with UPI enabled Indian Rupee transactions on arrival. Travellers can then access their INR wallet to ensure smooth and secure digital payments across millions of merchant establishments equipped with the UPI QR facility pan India. The prepaid payment product is issued by Pine Labs under the PPI authorisation obtained from RBI. Goa is a key and significant growth market for tourism – for both inbound and outbound, in addition to the domestic market. With strong pent-up demand and easing of restrictions driving positive consumer sentiment, consumers are displaying high travel desire. The new Mopa Airport is expected to serve approx. 4.3 Mn passengers in the first year with an increase to approx. 13.1 Mn passengers within 5 years. The new forex counters at the airport offers Thomas Cook significant opportunity to capitalize on the foreign exchange requirements of both inbound and outbound travellers. Thomas Cook’s new airport counters have been designed around the concepts of “Ethnicity – Luxury – Comfort”, creating a refreshing and vibrant appeal. The outlets prioritise passenger comfort with an open layout concept and high/low counters. An important factor is the focus …

Changi Airport Group (CAG), Singapore Airlines (SIA), and the Singapore Tourism Board (STB) re-launched the Free Singapore Tour today after a two-year hiatus due to Covid-19. Three of the existing tours available since pre-Covid-19 – the City Sights Tour, Heritage Tour, and Jewel Tour – have been refreshed to include new points of interest. A brand-new Changi Precinct Tour will introduce travellers to the interesting sights and sounds of the eastern region surrounding Singapore Changi Airport. Each tour lasts 2.5 hours and will be available daily, with plans to progressively increase to nine tours a day. With transit and transfer passengers accounting for about 30% of passenger traffic at Changi Airport pre-pandemic, the tour was first introduced in 1987 to enhance the airport’s attractiveness as a transfer hub and to entice transit and transfer passengers to visit Singapore as a holiday destination. In 2019, over 80,000 passengers went on the Free Singapore Tour. The top markets were India, Australia, and Indonesia, with Indian and Australian travellers making up more than one third of the total participants. New Changi Precinct Tour to showcase eastern Singapore The Changi Precinct Tour is a new itinerary that will bring participants to the eastern part of Singapore to visit local community spaces such as the Tampines heartland, and to admire the rustic charms of Changi Village and Changi Beach. It offers a glimpse of how local residents live, and tells the tale of Singapore’s history on this part of the island, away from the usual hustle and bustle of Singapore’s city centre.   Refreshed itineraries to offer travellers new experiences At the Jewel Tour, in addition to visiting popular attractions like the Shiseido Forest Valley …

Oman Air is passing a major milestone this month with the occasion of its 30th anniversary, a journey which began in March 1993 with a single flight between the cities of Muscat and Salalah. The route, operated by Boeing 737-300, marked the launch of the airline’s domestic network, which was followed shortly after with its first international flight between Muscat and Dubai. Over the past three decades, the airline has gone from strength to strength and now flies to over 45 destinations as far as Europe and the Far East, with a strong international presence and a reputation for providing high quality products and outstanding customer service. “Thirty years as Oman’s national airline is a milestone to be proud of,” said Eng. Abdulaziz Al Raisi, Chief Executive Officer of Oman Air. “In that time, Oman Air has grown from a small regional carrier connecting Omanis across the country to an award-winning airline connecting visitors from around the world to Oman’s diverse natural beauty and rich culture.  Despite the challenges of the last few years, our goal continues to be to serve our country   by enabling Oman’s Vision 2040 ambitions, whether through job creation, supporting the tourism and logistics industries, or increasing inward investment. With three decades of experience and expertise to build on, we’re looking to the future with renewed optimism.” A cornerstone of Oman’s socio-economic development, since its maiden flight, Oman Air has carried millions of passengers into the country, providing them with an authentic introduction to Omani hospitality and culture. It has laid the foundations for a tourism industry that has increased ten-fold over the last 30 years, contributing to the creation of hundreds of thousands of direct …

Sumi Yashshree Hotels, a leading hospitality company, based in North East India, is pleased to announce the appointment of Kall Trip as its GSA for the Western & Southern India regions, effective 16th April 2023. The partnership will enable Sumi Yashshree Hotels to increase brand presence & grow revenue in West/South India and offer its unique hospitality services to a broader audience. Kall Trip is a well-known travel technology marketing company that specialises in providing customized hotel marketing solutions to its hotel clients since 2011. With a strong travel agent network, its own bulk email solution, and extensive experience in the travel tech industry, Kall Trip is wellequipped to to represent Sumi Yashshree Hotels in the West & South Indian market.”We are excited to partner with Kall Trip as our General Sales Agent for West & South India,” said Sadip Lama, MD of Sumi Yashshree Hotels. “Their expertise in the travel industry and proven track record of delivering exceptional services to their clients make them an ideal partner for us. We are confident that this partnership will help us to reach new heights and strengthen our presence in the West & South Indian market. As the General Sales Agent for Sumi Yashshree Hotels, Kall Trip Pvt. Ltd will be responsible for promoting and marketing the hospitality services of Sumi Yashshree Hotels to the travel trade and consumers in West & South India. They will also provide assistance to travel agents and tour operators in booking Sumi Yashshree Hotels for their clients, along with ground transportation services. Read more…

Arvind Singh, Secretary, Ministry of Tourism, Government of India, has stated that the two-day Chintan Shivir offered a platform to all stakeholders to conduct fruitful interactions and share good practices followed across the country and a stage to share unique ideas involving technological solutions in travel sector, sustainability in tourism and responsible travel with the aim to take the benefits of tourism to the grassroot level.

Leading travel and tour operators are expected to witness 6-7 per cent growth in operating profit and recover 90% revenue in this financial year, mainly driven by efficient cost structure, Crisil Ratings said in a report. It said, ‘We expect operating margins to sustain at these levels next fiscal due to implementation of cost optimisation and automation initiatives undertaken by travel operators commencing from the pandemic period, even as revenues are expected to pass pre-pandemic levels next fiscal.’

Nilesh Shah, President, TTAG, has suggested a series of recommendations for Goa’s 2023-24 budget for the improvement and streamlining of the tourism sector in Goa few of them which were mentioned in budget. “One of them is no increase in fees and taxes in tourism-related activities. We also hope to see proper implementation and enforcement of all the measures announced so that all businesses are on a level playing field,” he said.