Southern Travels, one of the pioneer organizations in the travel and tourism industry, celebrated its journey of 5 decades. The Golden Jubilee celebrations and new brand logo was inaugurated by Tourism Minister G Kishan Reddy on 14 September 2022 at The Lalit, New Delhi. On this occasion, in his presence, Southern Travels announced that it is the first company to have been awarded 18 rooms and 36 dormitory beds facility at the Kashi Vishwanath temple premises. “Today, I am delighted to manifest and comprehend the contribution of Southern Travels to travel and tourism in South India. Indeed, both have a golden history, a history based on commitments made with people, culture, and time,” said Hon’ble Union Cabinet Minister of Tourism and Culture, Government of India, G Kishan Reddy, adding, “50 years of excellent services, recipient of National Award, 8 times in a row, and the privilege of representing the country at WTM, ITB Berlin, ICCA, ATM, TANA and other events of international repute. And, it is the company’s staunch leadership, guided by ethical values embedded in Indian culture, has made this possible.” Established in 1970, Southern Travels has been offering travelers a gamut of options – individual holidays, fixed departures, incentive holidays, special interest tours, visas and hotel bookings across the globe. The company is now heading for an expansion spree. By March 2023, it will register its presence also as a service provider with Travel Brand Stores in over 50 cities in India. “Southern Travels is the first company to be awarded an 18-room + 36 Dormitory Beds facility inside the Kashi Vishwanath Temple Premises/Corridor make Southern Travels a really distinguished player in India’s tourism industry. This will certainly …

Indian Association of Tour Operators (IATO) will be having their 37th Annual Convention in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, announced Rajiv Mehra, President, IATO. “The exact date and venue for the convention will be announced by the end of next week in consultation with UP Tourism. Uttar Pradesh is changing for the better and is being developed like never before. With new destinations, especially Ram Mandir in Ayodhya coming up in a few years, it will be a huge attraction for tourists. Just like we promoted Amritsar and Varanasi internationally, we will promote Ayodhya and UP as well,” he said.

Suprio Banerjee, Vice President & Sector Head – Corporate Ratings, ICRA Limited, has shared that the domestic passenger traffic for August 2022 is estimated at 102 lakh, 5% higher compared to 97 lakh in July 2022 and 52% higher in comparison to the domestic passenger traffic in August 2021, although it fell short by ~14%, compared to pre-Covid levels i.e. August 2019.

Sharing details of the business sessions during the upcoming TAFI convention in Kuching, Malaysia, Ajay Prakash, President, TAFI, says, “We will explore the theme – Build Back Better – in detail during our knowledge sessions. We have invited speakers who have built back brands after Covid and who have re-invented their businesses so they can share their experience with everyone.”

Arvind Singh, Secretary, Tourism, has said that they are considering many demands from the industry, including rationalisation of taxation and GST refund to foreign tourists. “There is news that the GoI is thinking of a pilot project for GST refund for foreign tourists in certain places,” he informed.

G Kishan Reddy, Minister of Tourism, Culture & DoNER has said that the Ministry of Tourism will release the new National Tourism Policy in two months, i.e. before the budget session of the parliament. He was speaking at the golden jubilee celebration of Southern Travels.

The Clarks Hotels & Resorts strengthens its footprints in Sri Lanka by opening The Albatross Golf Resort in Kandy. They are aiming to promote the country to the Indian travellers, and take advantage of the growing Sri Lankan business and leisure travel market. The brand is aggressively looking for expansion in the neighboring country by opening properties in different key locations in Sri Lanka. The Albatross Golf Resort Digana, Kandy by The Clarks, is perched on top of “The Coconut Hill” and has a backdrop of Pidurutalagala Peak. The property is in close proximity to a 18 hole Golf Course with breathtaking views of the hills and the Victoria reservoir. It is centrally located, and is in close proximity to temple of the Tooth Relic in Kandy and the Pallekelle International Cricket Stadium. The resort is frequented by many well-known international golfers, celebrities, business tycoons, entrepreneurs, and international test cricketers. This upscale property has 8 modern rooms divided into three categories – The Royal Albatross Suite, The Tee off Suite and Deluxe Rooms catering to guests from all over the globe. The Royal Albatross Suite provides a fascinating wide-span view of the famed Hunnasgiriya, Hanguranketha, Galaha and Piduruthalagala mountain ranges, with the Golf Course, Victoria Waterways and Dam. The magnificent suite boasts of a private balcony, jacuzzi, rain shower, butler service, and equipped with other modern amenities. They have an in-house bar serving strong and exotic mocktails and cocktails. The multi-cuisine restaurant located on the premises offers Indian, Sri Lankan and international cuisines. Further to meet the requirements of MICE and corporate, the property has an arrangement to cater to fifty persons. Rahul Deb Banerjee, Vice President, The Clarks Hotels …

Arvind Singh, Secretary, Tourism, has said that we need to ensure sustainable, responsible and inclusive development of tourism in the country. “Everyone needs to be on the same page and need to promote Ek Bharat, Shreshtha Bharat to provide a greater interaction between the states and Union Territories,” he added.

After having successfully completed 100+ sailings along both the east and the west coast of India, covering 7 ports in total, doing 300 plus shows and serving more than 100,000 guests in the last 12 months of operation, Cordelia Cruises has positioned itself as one of the most preferred cruises in the country. Commenting on the Indian cruising scenario and his experiences, Jurgen Bailom – President and CEO – Cordelia Cruises explains “Our goal with the Indian market was to create change and make cruising a top priority on every traveler’s wishlist and looking at the numbers, we can certainly confirm that we have been successful. We are overjoyed and humbled in equal measure with the response we have received since our launch. Families come in large numbers, weddings and important events are being hosted on board and guests are making memories of a lifetime through the stellar food, entertainment and destination experiences being offered by Cordelia Cruises. We’re onto a great journey in the Indian market and we will continue to work towards curating top notch experiences for our guests.”

Sharing an update on Advantage Abu Dhabi (AAD) Meetings & Incentives (M&I) 2.0 programme, Mubarak Al Shamisi, Director Abu Dhabi Convention and Exhibition Bureau said, “The program, is an incentive scheme to help our partners, clients to push more business events toward the destination. India is one of the most important source markets that we are pushing from a MICE perspective to the destination.”