The government is planning to launch two mega adventure tourism trails in the Himalaya and the Ganga this year. Addressing a session at the G20 tourism working group meeting, Tourism Minister G. Kishan Reddy said, “The trails are expected to be launched this year. The ministry will work with states and industries for development of two adventure mega trails in 2023 — the Ganga trail and north-western Himalayan trails.”

Liam Findlay CEO Miral Destinations said M!CE was the first industry to recover from the pandemic, with India being the fastest-recovering market. “To tap the potential, our company has dedicated resources and a specialized team to attract M!CE companies and events to come Yas Island. We offer a very attractive incentive scheme”, he said. 

Ahead of the 2nd Tourism Working Group Meeting, Harsh Vardhan Shingla, Chief Coordinator of G20 India, highlighted the opportunity for India’s North Eastern region to showcase its cultural heritage and tourism potential. At a press conference in Darjeeling, Shingla announced that 10 ambassadors from G20 nations would visit the area and engage with local stakeholders to discuss the region’s potential. 

Airports Council International (ACI)-Asia Pacific has warned that the aviation industry’s recovery is threatened by rising airfares in the Middle East and Asia Pacific regions, despite stable airport charges. ACI-Asia Pacific’s latest industry outlook reveals that, despite airports’ substantial efforts to freeze or lower airport charges in 2022, airfares rose by an average of 53% compared to 2019. 

Fast-growing cruise tourism becomes a prominent segment of the global tourism industry Arvind Singh, Secretary, Ministry of Tourism said the upcoming Global Tourism Investors Summit 2023 will focus at promoting cruise tourism at a high scale as this is the space ready to make great giants. 

Nikhil Kumar, Commissioner-cum-Secretary, Andaman Tourism said, “Efforts and synergy between the private and public players is necessary to transform Andaman into a hub for island tourism. We propose to establish ourselves as a yacht destination and are also looking for approval that will allow us to have offshore casinos.” 

Ajay Bakaya Managing Director, Sarovar Hotels and Resorts said, “Our expansion will follow a two-pronged approach, and our expansion plans are not limited to India but extend globally which includes the opening of two hotels in 2023, one in Kampala, Uganda, and the other in Hargeisa, Somaliland.” 

Guillaume Fuary, CEO, Airbus said, “India is on the verge of an international air travel revolution and we are humbled at Airbus that our partnership with the Tata Group will contribute to this new chapter. The time is right for India to become an international hub.”

Suprio Banerjee, Vice President & Sector Head – Corporate Ratings, ICRA said, The pace of recovery in industry earnings will be gradual owing to the high fixed cost nature of the business. The industry is estimated to report a net loss of around INR 110-130 billion in FY2023 due to elevated ATF prices twined with the depreciation of the INR against the USD.” 

The Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) is set to organise PATA Travel Mart 2023 in New Delhi, India from October 4-6. The event will be hosted by the Ministry of Tourism, Government of India. India is proving to be an important market in the recovery of travel and tourism within the Asia Pacific region and with its many initiatives in sustainable and inclusive tourism activities, it has the potential to become a preferred tourism destination.