Naveen Kundu, Managing Director, EBIXCASH Travel Services said, “A lot of Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities in India should be developed for MICE. I firmly believe, India has the potential to give the world 100 wonderful cities for MICE and the world should look forward to it.”    

The Insurance Regulator and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) has made KYC norms mandatory for buying health, auto, home, etc for the purchase of all new insurance policies. The rule applies to all types of insurance–life, general, and health insurance.  

Akasa Air, India’s youngest airline, today announced its entry into Telangana with the addition of Hyderabad as the 13th destination to join the airline’s fast-growing network. The airline will offer daily flights on the Hyderabad-Bengaluru and Hyderabad-Goa routes starting from January 25, 2023. In line with its phased but rapid approach to network expansion, in December 2022, the airline announced Goa as its 12th destination connecting Bengaluru and Mumbai. With this launch, Akasa Air will now offer six daily non-stop flights ex-Goa connecting three cities – Mumbai, Bengaluru, and Hyderabad. Commenting on the launch, Praveen Iyer, Co-Founder and Chief Commercial Officer, Akasa Air, said, “We are pleased to launch Hyderabad as the 13th destination on our network. The city is an important centre of Information Technology, Biotechnology and Pharmaceuticals and connecting it with Goa and Bengaluru will cater to the strong demand for both, business, and leisure travel. As India’s fastest growing airline we have now established a strong presence in South India, in our effort to boost the country’s economy by strengthening its important transportation linkages.” Akasa Air, which commenced operations in early August 2022, has been progressively scaling up its operations and has taken delivery of 13 aircraft, carrying over 5.5 lakh revenue passengers in less than six months from the start of its operations. By December 2022, the airline has crossed the milestone of operating over 500 weekly flights and has announced a total of 20 unique routes across 13 cities, namely Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Kochi, Chennai, Mumbai, Delhi, Guwahati, Agartala, Pune, Visakhapatnam, Lucknow, Goa, and Hyderabad. It will continue to grow its network to establish a strong pan-India presence with a focus on metro to tier 2 …

Naveen Kundu, MD, Ebixcash Travel & Holidays said, “With the G20 Presidency of India in 2023, there are a huge expectation. It’s a challenging time and G20 will test the tourism infrastructure and the tourism development of this country.”  

The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Transport, Tourism and Culture has suggested fast-tracking the creation of a National Tourism Council on the lines of the GST council. Merely drafting a National Tourism Policy is not enough for the development of the tourism sector in the country, a Parliamentary committee has said. 

Rajiv Mehra, President, IATO said, “In new Foreign Trade Policy, IATO recommended that the benefit of SEIS scheme should be continued for the tour operators and travel agencies for the next 5 years.”    

IATA said India’s decision to re-introduce coronavirus testing for international passengers is “disappointing and a step backwards” as the current situation is different from when the pandemic started around three years ago.

The second edition of the Sky Diving Festival in Madhya Pradesh is going to start from 05 January 2023 at Datana Airstrip in Ujjain. To promote adventure tourism in the state, The Sky Diving Festival is organised by the Madhya Pradesh Tourism Board. The delegations of PravasiBhartiya Sammelan, Global Investors Meet and G-20 conference will also be able to enjoy this adventure activity. The said activity is being conducted by the DGCA and USPA certified organization “Sky-High India”. Speaking about the festival Principal Secretary, Tourism and Culture Department, Madhya Pradesh and Managing Director, MP Tourism Board Mr. Sheo Shekhar Shukla said, ‘The first edition of skydiving festival received a positive response. All the booking slots were booked. In view of this, now the second edition is being organized. During this time, adventure lovers will be able to enjoy sky diving in Ujjain with the help of trained personnel with high standards. Participants will get the thrill of seeing the city of Mahakal from a height of 10,000 feet. Sky diving timings are from 8 am to 5 pm, which can be booked on www.skyhighindia.com

As Thailand gears up for its first full tourism high-season since 2020, Cross Hotels & Resorts is continuing to enhance its presence in Bangkok with the signing of a new hotel management agreement (HMA) for a stunning riverfront property with Kene Hotel Bangkok Co., Ltd., that is sure to reignite the desire for authentic, community-based travel experiences. The imminent opening of Away Bangkok Riverside Kene, a beautiful 169-key lifestyle property located just steps from the Chao Phraya River, bodes well for the Thai capital as it looks to welcome guests back after a hiatus. A key gateway city for Cross Hotels & Resorts, Bangkok has been consistently ranked among the world’s most popular cities. Colloquially known as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon, it was voted the leading capital in the Mastercard Global Destination Cities Index attracting more than 22 million visitors. “I am thrilled to partner with Kene Hotel Bangkok Co., Ltd., as Away Bangkok Riverside Kene is without a doubt a strong addition to Cross’ growing and diverse portfolio. By empowering a new generation of travellers, our promise to ‘Transform Hospitality for All’ extends not only to our owners, our business and our people, but also to Alpha Gen adventurers who are seeking stylish hotel choices that perfectly encapsulate Bangkok’s happening riverside communities. Furthermore, our chic and functional meeting spaces are an added attraction for businesspeople and MICE organizers planning their next event,” said Harry Thaliwal, CEO of Cross Hotels & Resorts. One of Asia’s 21st century mega-cities, Bangkok was founded in 1782 as the Thonburi Kingdom and today tourists can still see much of the city’s traditional architecture as well as experience deep-rooted ways of life on the waterfront …

With reference to the recent news on Covid-19 preventive measures stating that RT-PCR Test would be made mandatory for international arrival passengers from China, Japan, South Korea, Hong Kong and Thailand which has been circulated during the past weekend. Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) India Offices (New Delhi & Mumbai) have been closely monitoring this news and would like to inform that until now there has not be been any official announcement either from Ministry of Health and Family Welfare or from Ministry of Civil Aviation of India. The last measure of official announcement is based on “Guidelines for International Arrivals” issued by Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on 22nd December, 2022, which mentioned that 2% of the total passengers in flight shall undergo random post arrival testing at the airport on arrival. Kindly be informed that since 1st October, 2022, international travellers to Thailand no longer require to show any proof of vaccination or ATK test result. Tourism in Thailand is back to normal and has no restrictions of travel across the country. All businesses and tourism related products and services are opened and are geared up for the New Year celebrations with suitable measures. Thailand ensures top level of safety and health administration for all tourists and locals alike with the SHA certification and protocols. However, the Tourism Authority of Thailand encourages all travelers to follow suitable health safety precautions and be mindful of one self and people around them.