Korea Tourism Organization (KTO) India launches K-incentive scheme to boost sales of Korea travel packages in 2023. Aimed at travel agents in India, the scheme celebrates the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between India and Korea. 

Asserting that India deserves to have international non-stop connectivity to more destinations, Campbell Wilson, CEO, Air India has said the country has in some respect not been able to control its own destiny as a consequence of not having a healthy domestic airline industry.

DCT Abu Dhabi is organizing exclusive webinar with theme Summer in Abu Dhabi for the travel trade today at 3pm. It will educate agents about fun-filled new attractions, adventures and traditional Emirati hospitality. Contact jaspeet.kaur@ddppl.com, +919650196532.

Sachin Jadhav, Director Tourism, Odisha, said the Odisha government aims to double international tourist arrivals in the state to 2.5 lakh by 2025 from 1.2 lakh in 2019, with the launch of direct flights connecting Bhubaneswar to Dubai, Bangkok, and Singapore under the Viability Gap Funding scheme.  

The Saudi Tourism Authority (STA) partnership with the TATA Indian Premier League (IPL) has deepened ties between Saudi and India, helping to harness the extraordinary potential of sport and tourism to bring people together and enrich lives. Saudi is set to welcome two million visitors from India this year and India is expected to become its largest tourism source market by 2030.  Saudi support for India’s sports sector is a strong example of market collaboration delivering results. Cricket is the most popular sport in India and the IPL has an immense global audience, third to only the English Premier League and the National Football League. STA is tapping into this fanbase to boost awareness of Saudi as an exciting new year-round destination for Indian travelers, especially young people. The strategic partnership is broadening how India and Saudi are engaging with similarly overwhelmingly young demographics – with more than half of both populations below the age of 30.  Alongside the IPL partnership, Saudi is easing access for millions of visitors across India, inspiring Indian travelers to explore the authentic home of Arabia. Saudi has opened nine VFS Tasheel offices in different locations across India such as Hyderabad, Mumbai, Chennai, Kochi, Ahmedabad, and Bangalore providing practical support to Indian travelers interested in a trip to Saudi. Indian visitors are eligible for the new Stopover Visa, introduced earlier this year, which will allow passengers traveling to a final destination on SAUDIA or Flynas to visit Saudi for up to 96 hours, which includes a complimentary hotel night for Saudia passengers.  These developments follow the rapid advancements in air connectivity between India and the Kingdom with seven direct carriers in operation – SAUDIA, Flynas, Air …

The Global Tourism Film Festival concluded four days of worldwide destination discovery through enigmatic cinema screenings and in-depth seminars, facilitating destination film appreciation, in–depth tourism insight and professional development. GTFF 2023 hosted by the city of North Bay, Ontario had been produced to engage proactive filmgoers, travel consumers, and travel and film industry professionals. GTFF 2023 held this year in Canada, shone a spotlight on the country with‘Cinema Canada’; a segment of Canadian produced film promoting the destination’s heritage. Highlights of GTFF 2023 included presentations from domestic and international Tourism Boards, professional development workshops, film production by Film Boards, and special event programming on indigenous culture, including an indigenous medicine bag workshop. The event was enhanced with unique elements including an opening gala featuring gastronomy of countries presented at the festival. Professionals attending received firsthand introductions to North Bay touristic landmarks such as the Heritage Railway and Carousel Company, featured in numerous films; the Canadian Forces Museum of Aerospace, showcasing Canada’s air defense history from the First World War to modern day operations, and the Dionne Quints Museum that tells the story of the famous quintuplets that brought global attention to Canada and Ontario in the 1930’s. Included in the program was a tour of the North Bay Museum which allows for the discovery of the people and places of the city that is regarded as the Gateway to the North.The program also included tours of the Canadore College’s postproductionfacilities, local film studio visits, and a North Bay animation production seminar, that touts the city as an emerging film production hub of Canada.   GTFF saw the world premiere of ‘Closer to Heaven’ by director Zara Janjua, attending with cast members, that went …

Findings from the Agoda Travel Trend Survey revealed that travellers are more inclined to spend consciously while on vacation this year. The respondents, predominantly selected an annual spending range of INR 16,000 – INR 41,500, when considering travel budgets.

Arshdeep Anand, Co-founder and CEO, Holiday Moods Adventures said that manpower shortages at embassies and limited appointment slots at visa processing centers like VFS have dampened the outbound travel boom. Countries that offer visa-free entry, e-visas, or visa-on-arrival facilities are attracting more Indian travellers.

Arvind Singh, Secretary Tourism, stated that convention centers in India were previously limited to big cities, but now they are emerging in various major centers across the country. With G20 meetings happening in 59 locations, it shows India’s capability to host excellent conferences, showcasing India’s potential as a M!CE destination.

The association for Arab Tour Operators (AATO) was promoting destination India at Riyadh Travel Fair. The show had an India pavilion and showcased the country’s varied products including hotels and tour operators from various states.