Mauritius is known worldwide as one of the finest holiday retreats. This paradise island in the Indian Ocean is primarily perceived as a luxury and beyond-the-beach destination in India. The AKM team will deliver all trade, marketing and communication activities on behalf of the MTPA throughout the year to reaffirm this positioning by highlighting our diverse offerings, including our mosaic of cultures, traditions, religions and culinary delights. Commenting on this appointment, Arvind Bundhun, Director of the MTPA, says, “We welcome AKM on board and are confident that with the support of our local stakeholders, there is room for further achievement. Our strategy is focused on innovative trade, PR and digital campaigns which will give Indian travellers the true essence of the destination. Mauritius is a year-round destination, and we invite you to feel our island energy.” Sunil Mathapati, Country Manager, adds, “It gives us immense pride to represent the MTPA in India and work closely with the team to curate unparalleled travel experiences for the Indian market. Mauritius as a destination has bountiful offerings and hence has an immense potential to entice new-age travellers across all segments. We are working towards aligning our activities with MTPA’s strategy and charting out an extensive calendar to grow the brand’s presence in India.”

The 18th edition of Australia Marketplace India 2023 held in Bengaluru recently witnessed record participation from both Australian delegates as well as Indian buyers. It saw 86 Australian delegates meet with 94 buyers from 8 cities in India. India has been the fastest recovering market for Australia and ranks as the fourth inbound market in terms of visits, which is 375500 for year ending May 2023. The three-day event saw the highest attendance this year which reiterates the demand for Australia among the Indian travellers.

Costa Cruise and TripJack, have partnered to offer cruising experiences during season time. From November 2023 to January 2024, Costa Serena will offer a total of 23 sailings and a dual homeport of Mumbai and Cochin. It will sail to Mumbai, Cochin, Goa and, for the first time ever, the beautiful Lakshadweep islands with a 2, 3 and 5 nights itineraries. Abdul Thingna, VP, Hotels & Holidays at TripJack said, “We are excited to partner with Costa Cruise, a renowned name in the global cruise industry. This collaboration aligns with our mission of providing unique and remarkable travel experiences. The cruise dates in November and December 2023 offer an incredible opportunity for Indian travelers to experience international cruising, and we are confident that our partnership will deliver exceptional value and unforgettable memories.” “We are delighted to collaborate with Tripjack in bringing the incredible world of Costa Cruise to Indian travellers,” said Nalini Gupta of Costa Cruise. “This partnership will allow us to cater to the specific preferences of the Indian market, ensuring that our guests have an exceptional cruising experience.”

Outward remittances under the Reserve Bank of India’s liberalised remittance scheme (LRS) rose in May 2023 to $2.88 billion as compared to $2.33 billion in April, mainly due to an uptick in travel spend. People in India spent close to $1.5 billion on international travel in May, against $1.10 billion in April.

Encouraging travel agents to sell adventure tourism as well, Ajeet Bajaj, President of ATOAI, said, “Almost 80% of the market today is soft adventure travel and we want to network with travel agents and tour operators in Mumbai and other cities to discuss responsible adventure tourism, best practices as well as how to select and start working with good adventure tour operators across the country.”

Inaugurating the new terminal in Port Blair, Minister of Civil Aviation, Jyotiraditya Scindia revealed, “Apart from this airport, three additional airports in Shibpur, Car Nicobar, and Campbell, as well as four water aerodromes in Shaheed Dweep, Swaraj Dweep, and Port Blair, will be established by the government with an investment of Rs. 150 crores.”

ICRA estimates pan-India premium hotel occupancy at ~70-72% in FY2024, after recovering to 68-70% in FY2023. Pan-India premium hotel average room rates (ARRs) are expected to be at ~Rs. 6,000-6,200 in FY2024. While the occupancy is expected to be at decadal highs, the RevPAR is expected to remain at a 20-25% discount to the FY2008 peak. Consistent improvement in consumer sentiments despite the inflationary environment, stable corporate performance, and domestic air passenger traffic inching above pre-Covid levels augur well for travel and hotel demand. The demand recovery has been strong in the last one year, and ICRA anticipates it to continue in FY2024 as well. Sustenance of domestic leisure travel, higher bookings from meetings, incentives, conferences, and exhibitions (MICE), and business travel, along with an increase in foreign tourist arrivals (FTAs), would support demand. The industry is also likely to benefit from specific events like the G20 summit and the ICC World Cup 2023. Vinutaa S, Vice President and Sector Head – Corporate Ratings, ICRA , said: “Gateway cities like Delhi and Mumbai are likely to top the occupancy chart at 75%+ in FY2024. Demand is expected to remain healthy across markets, although Bengaluru and Pune are likely to be laggards compared to other key cities. While the G20 summit would support occupancy across cities in FY2024, improved economic activity and business associations stemming from these meetings are likely to translate into incremental demand for hotels over the medium term. ICRA expects an improving trend in ARRs as well across markets in FY2024, driven by healthy occupancy. Further, mid-scale hotels have also witnessed traction across cities and are likely to continue reporting healthy ARRs and occupancy in FY2024.” ICRA estimates …

The Tour Operators Association of Assam has launched a quarterly in-house newsletter titled ‘Tea Break: Sip, Savor and Soak in Assam’s Travel Delights. The newsletter was unveiled by the Secretary to the Govt of Assam, Tourism Department,  Kumar Padmapani Bora in Kolkata in the presence of Ranuj Kumar Borkotoky, Director, Tourism and Samprity Goswami, Deputy Secretary, Tourism. The newsletter will contain activities, industry news and other curated contents related to the industry in Assam. TOAA Advisor and Editor of the newsletter, Ranjeet Das mentioned, “Our endevour will be to make this newsletter a highly informative, upbeat series, containing inspirational articles for our readers.” Arijit Purkayastha, one of the editorial board members further informed, ” The newsletter is also embedded in TOAA website www.toaa.in for our online readers. We wish to reach out to the worldwide platform to promote Assam’s tourism avenues.”  

Rajiv Jalota, Chairman, Mumbai Port Trust, has announced that the second edition of the Incredible India International Cruise Conference will be held in November 2023 in Mumbai. The first edition was held in May 2022. The two-day conference showcased business opportunities in the country’s cruise sector. A dedicated task force was also formulated on cruise tourism jointly by the Ministry of Tourism and the Ministry of Shipping.

The Malaysian government has now outsourced visa processing to some companies in Malaysia in a bit to privatise visa processing. Sharing details is Sanjeev Gosain, CEO, Yorker Holidays, said, “Borneo Brothers is one them and they have appointed us as their partner in India to process visas. Yorker Holidays will be starting with tourist visas and other categories will be added later.”