Manisha Saxena, DG, Tourism, has said that India just hosted the G20 summit, and offered a plethora of experiences to foreign delegates and ministers. “It is the right time to make use of that infrastructure and experiences, to attract tourists and organise MICE conferences in many cities of the country,” she added. 

According to consumer travel spend priorities research by Outpayce, travellers expect to spend significantly more on international travel during the coming year with average expected spend of US$3,422, an increase of US$753 per consumer, or 28%, compared to last year.   

The Travel Agents Federation of India (TAFI) will hold its national AGM as well as elections for the new term on September 2, 2023 in Mumbai. This will take place after all regional and chapter elections are over and new teams have been appointed. 

Kazin DMC announce its 3rd destination, Belarus, along with its inaugural luxury Fam trip to Minsk for key agents from September 23-27, 2023. The national airline, Belavia, and Hilton/Marriott hotels are proud partners. Belarus offers exceptional opportunities for family groups and high-end MICE events, providing an abundance of unique experiences and activities. With two weekly flights from Delhi, Belarus is more accessible than ever before. 

V Vidyavathi, Secretary Tourism said that the vibrant villages hold immense potential for adventure tourism. The Ministry of Tourism will soon arrange a meeting with the defence authorities to engage the youth from these vibrant villages in training them as adventure tourist guides. She also informed that the expenses associated with this training be fully covered by the ministry. 

According to Statista India market insights, the largest segment in Travel & Tourism is package holidays with a projected market volume of US$8bn in 2023. The revenue in this market segment is projected to reach US$19bn in 2023.

Natalie Kidd, Managing Director, Asia, Intrepid Travel shared, “This year when India has reopened, and we are back to operating at more or less at normal circumstances. India has been slow to recover than much of Asia and visas has been part of the reason.”

KB Kachru, Chairman Emeritus & Principal Advisor, South Asia, Radisson Hotel Group shared that Radisson Group is setting its sights on growth and have a remarkable number of properties in the pipeline. “Our goal is to build a hotel every four hours both from north to south and from west to east,” he said.

Switzerland Tourism invites the travel trade to attend an exclusive webinar highlighting the Interlaken Holiday Region on August 17 at 3pm. Nestled between the lakes Thun and Brienz, and surrounded by the iconic Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau mountains, this popular holiday destination is a starting point for numerous excursions and adventure activities. Attend all webinars for a chance to win a trip to Switzerland in 2024! For more information, write to jaspreet.kaur@ddppl.com or 9650196532.

According to World Travel & Tourism Council’s (WTTC) 2023 Economic Impact Research forecast, the travel and tourism sector will create more than 65,000 jobs this year, recovering almost all of the jobs lost due to the pandemic to reach almost 2.8 million.