Ravi Gosain, Vice President, IATO said, “We are actively working to select a venue for next year’s convention. We are in discussions with Goa and Madhya Pradesh, and we are optimistic about a favourable outcome from Madhya Pradesh.”

José María Ridao, Ambassador, Embassy of Spain, New Delhi said, “To facilitate visa, we are trying to open a new consulate general in Bangalore and we are waiting for a green light from the Indian ministry. Through the new consulate in Bangalore, the pressure in Mumbai and Delhi would be less.”

The Commission for the Promotion of Peruvian Exports and Tourism (PROMPERU), the official tourism promotion board of Peru, is thrilled to announce a groundbreaking initiative – the inaugural roadshow bringing 15 esteemed Peruvian companies to India. To bolster tourism promotion endeavors in the vibrant Indian market, PROMPERU is organizing a compelling roadshow across two major outbound cities – New Delhi and Mumbai. The event will take place on October 13 and 16 in New Delhi and Mumbai respectively. This exclusive roadshow signifies a significant step forward in fostering business relations between Peru and India. The event will have the presence of the Honorable H.E. Mr. Javier Paulinich Velarde, Ambassador of Peru to India. With a focus on promoting cultural exchange, business collaborations, and tourism contracting, the event will host 14 prominent Peruvian companies and aim to interact with a minimum of 50+ potential Indian Travel companies in each city. Attendees can look forward to engaging in workshops, to foster meaningful partnerships, enhance lead generation, facilitate the exchange of products and ideas, and enlighten Indian travelers about the incredible opportunities awaiting them in Peru. Luis Cabello, Commercial Counsellor of PROMPERÚ in India, expressed excitement about this endeavor, stating, “We are delighted to bring the essence of Peru to India through this unique roadshow. Our goal is to create a platform where the Indian and Peruvian tourism sectors can thrive together. This event offers a structured format for fruitful discussions,exploring meaningful possibilities, and establish partnerships. We are committed to empowering Indian travelers with the knowledge they need to make Peru their next dream destination.” Luis Cabello added, “India’s vibrant spirit and diverse culture make it an ideal canvas for showcasing Peru’s rich …

Acknowledging India as one of the top key markets, Neil Shah, Account Director – International Leisure Sales, Atlantis Dubai, was in India recently to meet with trade partners in multiple cities to intensify knowledge about Atlantis, The Royal. Neil briefed the partners in Delhi, Ahmedabad and Mumbai on the resort’s luxurious accommodations and extensive array of amenities and offerings. “Based on our research, we noticed that behaviour of Indian travellers is changing, they look for more experience-based and memorable holidays than simple itineraries. Keeping this in mind we are investing a lot of time in educating the trade partners on how they can maximize from the offerings available at Atlantis. We have received encouraging response from our recent visit to the three cities which is indicative of the travellers’ high interest in visiting Atlantis. “says Neil Shah. The event’s focus revolved around the comprehensive product presentation of Atlantis The Royal, followed by one-on-one meetings with trade partners and stakeholders. Opened to guests in February 2023, the 43-storeyed ultra-luxury resort offers a collection of 795 elegant Rooms, Suites, and Signature Penthouses with stunning views of the Dubai skyline and the Arabian Sea. Atlantis The Royal offers all its guests’ complimentary access to Aquaventure, the world’s largest waterpark, for the duration of their stay at the resort. For the leisure seeking guests, AWAKEN Wellness provides a serene oasis with a blend of indoor and outdoor facilities, encompassing 15 therapy suites, VIP suites, and two specialty suites. Furthermore, AWAKEN Fitness offers a diverse range of indoor and outdoor options, including group exercise classes, a versatile movement studio, a 25-meter lap pool tailored for aquatic training, and invigorating beach-camp HIIT sessions along the resort’s …

Travel is often a high-touch emotional experience, be it a holiday they have been saving up for months or a business trip with meetings and deadlines adding to the stress. Losing luggage or delays in travel can make the experience extremely unpleasant for travellers, which is why travel businesses that focus on delivering great customer experiences — both physical and digital — stand to gain big. A recent PwC study revealed that 73% of travellers say that customer experience is the most important factor in their spending decisions and they are willing to pay 16% more if the travel experience is “great”. And for many travellers in India, the journey begins online, making CX a pivotal aspect that can make or break businesses. For those keen on moving past the challenges the industry currently faces, delivering great customer experiences is key to success. Headwinds the travel industry in India faces The current macroeconomic conditions have given rise to many challenges impeding travel businesses from focusing on CX. The primary reasons for this are labour shortage, rising costs and digital transformation. In India, the travel industry had to lay off 21.5 million people between 2020 and 2022 to cope with the effects of the pandemic, making it hard to cater to the surge with the return of travel. In 2023, this translated to short-staffed businesses with tight budgets seeking ways to deliver memorable travel experiences, or risk revenue loss. Adopting the right technologies to ease the process is the logical next step. With the absence of a complete rip-and-replace approach across existing IT infrastructures, travel businesses are trying to figure out how to modernise their services while maintaining some level of …

The Ministry of Heritage and Tourism, Sultanate of Oman, recently organized a highly successful familiarization (FAM) trip for wedding planners from India. This tour encompassed visits to cities such as Muscat, Jabal Akhdar, and Salalah, with the aim of showcasing Oman as an ideal wedding destination and highlighting its diverse offerings. The FAM tour was graciously hosted by esteemed hotels, including Kempinski Muscat, DusitD2 Naseem Resort, Anantara, and Alila Salalah. The wedding planners thoroughly enjoyed their stays at these properties. They also had the opportunity to explore various venues within the hotels that were well-suited for wedding ceremonies and pre-wedding events. Furthermore, renowned properties such as Crown Plaza Muscat, W Muscat, Jumeirah, Al Bustan Palace, Shangri-La, Sheraton, Alila, and Anantara Jabal Akhdar showcased their respective venues suitable for weddings. Anantara Al Baleed Resort Salalah went above and beyond by arranging a picturesque wedding dinner setup on the beach for the wedding planners, leaving them pleasantly surprised and thoroughly delighted with the beachside dining experience. These experiences led the wedding planners to perceive Oman as an ideal destination for Indian weddings, owing to its luxurious offerings, hassle-free visa procedures, and excellent accessibility. In addition to hotel site inspections, the wedding planners embarked on sightseeing excursions in cities such as Muscat, Jabal Akhdar, and Salalah. They also enjoyed shopping for dates at Jabal Akhdar and exploring the vibrant Nizwa Souq. The culinary experiences at all the properties were greatly appreciated by them. Notably, Oman readily accommodated vegetarian dietary preferences, and special food requests for significant events could be easily arranged. This remarkable tour was organized by the Ministry in collaboration with Sama Travels, known for its top-notch services. Additionally, Oman Air provided …

With the view to reinforce its presence in the India market, visit.brussels has successfully concluded roadshows in Delhi and Mumbai on 5th September and 8th September respectively with the attendance of over 150 key partners, luxury agentsand media. In the midst of beers, waffles, fries and delicious chocolates, the partners from Belgium and representatives from Visit Brussels opened their pandora boxes to reveal the latest offerings of the country. The program in Mumbai also focused on the student program for Belgium, which was attended by guests from schools and universities in India. The roadshow in Delhi was organized at the residence of H.E. Mr. Didier Vanderhasselt, the Belgium Ambassador to India. Whereas, the workshop in Mumbai was held at a leading prominent hotel in Lower Parel and was graced by our Chief Guest H.E. Frank Geerkens, Consul General of Belgium in Mumbai accompanied by Trade Commissioner, Emmanuelle Timmermans (AWEX) and Mr. Fatih Karakoc, the General Manager Turkish Airlines for Western and Southern India. The delegation was led by Pieter Callebaut, International Business Developer, visit.brussels, in both the cities. The key delegates present were the spokesperson for visit.brussels, Pieter Callebaut, Philippe Steenbergen (Mini-Europe), Peggy Van Lierde (Choco Story Brussels), Tania Ter-Ossepiantz & Maarten Evenepoel (Brussels Airport), Eric Bruyninckx (Atomium), Jean-Marcel Thomas& Xhandros Molho (Euro Space Centre) and Ratna Rai (Amigo Hotel). While presenting the City of Brussels’ reimagined offerings, Pieter Callebaut, said, “India is a very important market for us because of the potential it holds. Though the tourism from India to Brussels is still in the recovery phase, we are actively implementing strategies to increase the city’s appeal amongst Indian travellers. The roadshows were great opportunities for visit.brussels to reconnect …

Atlys has raised USD 12 million in a Series A round led by Peak XV Partners (formerly Sequoia Capital India) and Elevation Capital. The round also saw participation from existing investors Andreessen Horowitz (a16z), Musical Duo Chainsmokers, South Park Commons, Pinterest Founders and other investors. The funds raised will be used to expand the platform’s product offerings for travellers, attract customers, and further strengthen the team through talent acquisition. Atlys had previously raised a USD 5 million seed round in 2021. The world is rapidly moving towards e-visas. Over 60% of countries have already adopted e-visas, and more have announced their plans to move to e-visas in the near future. Atlys is at the forefront of this shift and offers a world-class experience for travellers across the globe. With Atlys, travellers can easily apply for visas through the digital platform from anywhere in the world and get their visas on time. As an avid traveller himself, Mohak Nahta, founder of Atlys, found the visa process to be tedious, uncertain and not at all traveller-friendly. He realised that the solution had to be digital and set out to build an app, which led to the launch of Atlys. “Our USP is to transform a process riddled with anxiety into one with certainty. By leveraging over a million data points, we’re able to predict when you’re going to get a visa, reduce visa rejection rates, and we have built the tech to make that happen.” Mohak Nahta, founder, Atlys He added, “We believe every Indian should have the opportunity to travel anywhere without the burden of complex visa processes. Atlys can help Indians get visas on time to over 100 countries and …

Rajnish Kaistha, Senior Vice President and Chairman of the convention said that we have overwhelming response from the members and we  expect about 900-1000 delegates from all over the country to participate which will include senior officials from the Ministry of Tourism, Government of India and States, industry leaders, tourism and hospitality professionals, travel trade media. 

Tourism Minister P.A. Mohamed Riyas informed that Kerala attracted 1,06,83,643 visitors from within the country in the first six months of this calendar year as compared to 88,95,593 in the corresponding period last year, clocking a robust 20.1 per cent increase, setting a record in domestic tourist footfall.