The hospitality sector is a critical part of the tourism industry. COVID-19 has had a detrimental impact on Maharashtra, and the state government has been taking concrete steps to revive the tourism industry. In this regard, the Maharashtra government had announced that from 1 April 2021, hotels in the state registered with the Union Ministry of Tourism to be charged an industrial rate for electricity, seed fee, water tax, property tax, development tax, increased carpet area index, and non-agricultural tax. Hotels that are not registered with the Union Ministry of Tourism will be charged tax at the industrial rate only after meeting the stipulated criteria for attaining basic minimum standards. The state government also established an expert committee for this cause and also ensured that the process of meeting the criteria is completed within the duration of two months. Following that, hotels that meet the conditions for the online application process are levied taxes and fees at the industrial rate. The state government issued this decision in compliance with the approval given at the cabinet meeting on 5 November 2020. The mechanism in place is assisting in the growth of hospitality businesses by providing industry status in a fast and effective manner, as well as promoting sustainable practices.

Singapore is ready to welcome fully-vaccinated Indian visitors back to cruise from its shore. To update the trade about Singapore’s latest cruise offerings, Singapore Tourism Board (STB), Resorts World Cruises (RWC) and Royal Caribbean International (RCI) are organising the ‘Reimagine Cruising from Singapore’ on Thursday, 9 June 2022 at 11:30 am IST. Register on https://event.webinarjam.com/register/405/5v7qwi1w or contact jaspreet.kaur@ddppl.com or 9650196532. 

India-focused Cordelia Cruises is planning to pump in $1 billion by 2025 for acquiring at least three cruise ships as it aims to target the domestic market. Waterways Leisure Tourism CEO Jurgen Bailom said with government’s focus and support, the investment from this Indian venture could rise to $1.5-2 billion to meet the growing appetite for cruising by Indians over the next few years. 

Research conducted by the WTTC has revealed the Travel & Tourism sector’s contribution to the Indian economy could surpass pre-pandemic levels this year, with a year-on-year growth of 20.7%. The forecast from the WTTC’s latest Economic Impact Report (EIR), shows the sector’s contribution to the nation’s economy could reach almost ₹15.9 trillion (U.S. $215 billion) in 2022, 1% above 2019 levels. 

Tanes Petsuwan, Deputy Governor for International Marketing – Asia and the South Pacific, Tourism Authority of Thailand, revealed that the duration of Indian stays has increased post-pandemic. Pre pandemic the average stay of Indian traveller used to be five and a half days per trip which rose to six and a half days per trip after easing the travel restrictions. 

A new Asia Pacific survey by Marriott International revealed that over 81% of customers believe that in-person engagements with clients are vital for business recovery. The findings also revealed that 53% of customers felt face-to-face activities were important to motivating and establishing bonding among teams and building company culture. 

Findings from a study by GlobalData reveals that as luxury travellers resume travelling both domestically and abroad post-pandemic, they may begin to seek experiences that are more immersive and exceptional than in previous years. With travellers determined to make up for lost time, 2022 could see an increase in holiday budgets for luxury travellers, with an uptick in demand for ‘once in a lifetime’ adventures. 

India was ranked 54th place in a global travel and tourism development index by World Economic Forum, down from 46th in 2019, but still remained on the top within South Asia. Japan has topped the global charts, followed by the US, Spain, France, Germany, Switzerland, Australia, UK, Singapore and Italy in the top ten.  

Findings of a report on the aviation from Infomerics suggested that in India, single-aisle airplanes such as the 737 family will continue to drive growth in domestic and regional markets, such as short-haul flights from India to the Middle East and Asia-Pacific regions. Indian operators will need 1,960 new single-aisle airplanes over the next 20 years. Single-aisle airplanes cover 64 percent of the global passenger jet fleet, which is likely to rise to 68 percent in the next 8-10 years 

The International tourism fair is planning its next edition with a very positive outlook, backed by the acceleration of tourism activity and by the resilience developed in recent editions, and with the significant government and industry support received. The major global event for tourism professionals, organised by IFEMA MADRID, will hold its 43rd consecutive edition from 18 to 22 January 2023.