Join an exclusive Festivals #InAbuDhabi webinar on Thursday, 26 September 2024 at 3 PM IST. Explore the vibrant festivals and cultural events happening in Abu Dhabi, offering insights into the region’s rich traditions. For more details, contact Jaspreet Kaur at +91 9650196532 or jaspreet.kaur@ddppl.com. 

The Phocuswright Global Travel Market Report 2024 highlights the increasing dominance of online travel, which is expected to grow at a CAGR of 9.8% between 2023 and 2026. By 2026, online bookings are forecasted to account for 65% of all travel bookings globally, up from 61% in 2023. 

During his visit to India, Martin Nydegger, CEO, Switzerland Tourism, stated, “While traveling less is not possible, our strategy is to aim for travel better. This is our strategy for long-haul markets like India. We aim to keep the market growing by steering the traction towards longer stays, extension of seasons, and sustainable travel.” 

The Ministry of Heritage and Tourism, Sultanate of Oman, in partnership with Ritz Carlton Al-Bustan Palace, Mark Tours, and Oman Air, invites the Indian travel trade to an exclusive webinar on Oman’s destinations and product offerings. Gain valuable insights and updates for your clients on 18th September at 3 PM IST. Don’t miss the opportunity to win exciting prizes! For more information, contact jaspreet.kaur@ddppl.com or call 9650196532. 

Resigning from his post as MD of Global Panorama Showcase (GPS), Harmandeep Singh Anand, MD, Jagsons Travels, said, “Due to pre-occupation and other commitments, I resign as MD of GPS. Rishiraj Singh Anand takes over as the show’s MD. Sharing updates for GPS, Rishiraj says, “We have the roadmap for GPS till 2026 ready with 14-city shows. We will have 8 cities every year with 4 key cities of Nagpur, Ahmedabad, Kolkata and Kochi, as constant. We also have our EDWIN planned, including Spain in November, Turkiye in December, Bali in March, etc and Ladakh and South Africa will continue year-on-year.” 

VFS Global was honoured with the ‘Process Excellence in Visa Outsourcing’ award at the India Travel Awards. Ragini Abichandani, General Manager, Operations & SPOC, IRCC South Asia, and Kersi Dastoor, GM, Operations, received the award. VFS Global operates over 3,400 centers in 153 countries, processing 292 million applications since 2001.   

Padraic Gilligan, Chief Marketing Officer, Society for Incentive Travel Excellence (SITE), recently unveiled the results of SITE’s Incentive Travel and Motivational Events Global Survey. One of the major takeaways from the survey is the dominance of the finance and insurance sectors in using incentive travel programmes. According to Gilligan, “Finance and insurance have consistently been the largest users of incentive travel, and this year is no different.” These two sectors accounted for 35% of all responses, underscoring their ongoing reliance on incentive travel to drive performance and engagement. 

People are increasingly seeking out lesser-known destinations and more meaningful travel experiences. In response, Viacation is positioning itself at the forefront of these trends. Jatinder Paul Singh, Co-Founder & Global CEO, Viacation, said, “We’re expanding our offerings to include eco-conscious and wellness-focused travel packages, and using AI to offer personalised itineraries.” 

BS Prashanth, President, Mysuru Travel Association, appeals to the state government for support for local travel agents. He points out that online platforms can be misleading and lack personalized service, whereas local agents provide expertise and direct interaction. To level the playing field, he requests the creation of a common online platform for agents, an extra tax on online platforms, and a reduction in GST and interstate taxes for local agents. These measures would help them offer competitive prices and effectively promote Mysuru tourism. 

Predicting growth patterns in India’s tourism story at the ongoing ITB India show, Vishal Suri, Managing Director, SOTC India, says, “From a sixth-largest global spender on tourism, India will be the fourth-largest, to be among the top five in the list in the next four to five years. The question is whether we can manage that kind of growth, and are the stakeholders ready for it. Almost two-thirds of our spends will be on domestic travel, which is a very large chunk.”