KTO will conduct a big roadshow in Delhi this August bringing in local agents and DMCs from Korea. Myongkil Yun, Director of KTO India office, says, “This year, South Korea is seeing a surge in visitors from India, and we are keen to further boost that with the launch of the K-incentive scheme. The Korea wave is very big in India today and we are ready to support travel agents who promote our destination.”

Cordelia Cruises recently started sailings to Sri Lanka from India for the first time ever, touching the ports of Hambantota, Trincomalee and Jaffna from Chennai. Present at the debut sailing were Sarbananda Sonowal, Minister of Ports, Shipping & Waterways. Jurgen Bailom, President & CEO of Waterways Leisure, Cordelia Cruises, says, “In the year 2023, we hope to host over 50,000 passengers for our Sri Lanka sailings alone between June 2023-September 2023.”

Thomas Cook (India) has unveiled a new campaign to capitalise on the significant demand shift towards customized holidays. The campaign positions the brand as India ka Holiday Specialist, with the Company’s long history of fulfilling holiday dreams for millions of customers over the years. The Company’s accelerated digital focus has resulted in building and strengthening its hybrid model – combining state of the art technology with human expertise and personal touch. This has resulted in a significant drop of approx. ten years in the average age of the Company’s holiday customers. With Young Indians willing to increase spends for that once in a lifetime experience – there is a noteworthy shift from a saving to spending mindset. Additionally, there is a growing sense of ‘YOLO – You Only Live Once’ amongst consumers, with an increased desire to strike off all their bucket-list experiences. This has resulted in a 40-50% increase in Thomas Cook’s customized holidays business compared to pre pandemic, with a noteworthy demand for unique, once in a lifetime experiences over exploring popular tourist locales and regular sightseeing tours. The strategic intent behind the campaign is to take a long term and leadership position in the customized holidays space by owning noteworthy differentiators such as the most experienced holiday experts (itinerary curators), who now serve customers at their doorstep as a personal holiday maker to help them create itineraries as per their preferences. The Company has also created a dynamic package building tool, wherein travellers can build their itinerary instantly across popular destinations on the website. Additionally, a 24 x 7 on-tour assistance is now being extended to all customers – experienced and empowered tour managers and experts (via call / WhatsApp) are available to offer guidance to …

Arvind Singh, Secretary, Tourism, has superannuated and has moved on from Ministry of Tourism. He took up the role in February 2021. V Vidyavathi, who joined as Officer on Special Duty will be taking charge as Secretary today. She was DG, ASI before this.

The All-India Association of Authorized Money Changers & Money Transfer Agents has demanded the inclusion of foreign currency cash, wire transfers through banks, pre-paid forex cards and other international payments into the TCS exemption ambit offered to overseas transactions using debit and credit cards under the Liberalized Remittance Scheme (LRS).

A report by Economist Impact exploring the recovery of tourism in Asia-Pacific region finds that more than half of all travellers plan to spend either the same or more on their next holiday compared to what they would have spent pre-pandemic. About 64.1% of Indian respondents say they would travel more locally as would a majority of millennials (60.3%) and parents with young children.

Amritsar in Punjab has been selected for a holistic mission to develop a sustainable and responsible destination under Swadesh Darshan 2.0. Another city in Punjab, Kapurthala, has also been chosen for the same.

Speaking at the Thailand Travel Mart Plus, Chattan Kunjara Na Ayudhya Deputy Governor for Marketing Communications, TAT, said that India is now at number five in terms of international source market for Thailand with 583,319 arrivals from Jan to May 2023.

The transportation and logistics arm of the Hayleys Group, Advantis announced a partnership with India’s cruise line, Cordelia Cruises to usher in a new wave of in-bound luxury tourists to Sri Lanka. Advantis Travel and Aviation will serve as the General Sales Agent, while Advantis Group subsidiary Clarion Shipping will serve as Port Agent for Cordelia Cruises in Sri Lanka. Cordelia Cruises aims to revolutionise the tourism market in the region by offering an extraordinary cruise experience that exudes style and luxury through its crown jewel – “The Empress”, an iconic vessel with 796 cabins in 5 distinct categories filled with state-of-the-art amenities, the ship is capable of accommodating 1,800 passengers. The luxury cruise line will embark on its inaugural sailing to the island, in June 2023. The collaboration marks a milestone in Sri Lanka’s efforts to revitalise inbound tourism and capitalise on the island’s significant untapped potential as an international hotspot for cruise tourism. Embarking on a cruise journey to Sri Lanka opens up a world of thrilling shore excursions for travellers, with Jaffna, Hambantota, and Trincomalee serving as bases. These exceptional locations offer an opportunity to embark on unforgettable adventures that showcase the very best of Sri Lanka’s rich heritage, breathtaking natural beauty, and vibrant cultural diversity. A significant boost to the Sri Lankan tourism industry is anticipated, attracting an estimated 80,000 tourists within the first four months alone. This surge is set to unlock significant commercial opportunities for the tourism value chain, drive economic growth and position Sri Lanka as a premier destination for discerning travellers, providing a timely impetus to the country’s travel and tourism industry. Cordelia Cruises President and CEO, Jurgen Bailom stated: “Sri Lanka …

Union Minister for Tourism, G Kishan Reddy said that Jammu & Kashmir expects to see 20 million tourist arrivals and that the government is mulling 100% FDI to create tourism infrastructure across the country with special focus on J&K. “In year 2022, 1.84 crore tourists visited J&K and this year, we expect 20 million tourist arrivals including foreign guests. Without private investment we cannot become a world tourist destination that is why we want investment globally and locally,” he said.