The union government plans to develop 75 sites along the banks of River Ganga and its tributaries as eco-tourism hubs. This initiative is aimed at promoting sustainable tourism and will boost the National Mission for Clean Ganga. Launched by Union Jal Shakti Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, the move aims to promote sustainable tourism. Under this initiative, the government will promote activities like village tours, river walks, jungle safaris, and biodiversity watches. The government will also help homestays, and health and wellness centres at the chosen sites.

KB Kachru, Chairman Emeritus & Principal Advisor, South Asia, Radisson Hotel Group (RHG) and Vice President, HAI, spoke at the 2nd International Conference on Hospitality and Tourism – Revival Strategies, and said that the industry needs to appreciate and boost the domestic tourism that has revived the sector after the pandemic. He also spoke about the need to be in touch with the market trends like staycation as it emerged with the onset of work from home.

Goa Tourism Development Corporation planning road shows and exhibitions in four major cities in October and November, which will be held in Paris (France) around October 26, Zurich (Switzerland) around October 28, Frankfurt (Germany) around November 1, and Vienna (Austria) around November 3. A delegation of 75  people will include politicians, bureaucrats, representatives from travel and tour operators and other stakeholders in the tourism industry. GTDC is organising the road show and has floated a Request For Proposal (RFP) from an agency who can organise and manage the Goa Tourism side at these roadshows.

From traditional souqs to high-street shopping, natural wonders, and thrilling adventure sports – discover all that this Peninsular Gulf country has to offer during the ‘Curated in Qatar’ webinar hosted exclusively for the travel trade on Wednesday, August 24, 2022 at 3pm IST. Write to jaspreet.kaur@ddppl.com or 9650196532 to register.

Tourism sector in UP will get industry status as CM Adityanath has approved the proposal, reveals official sources. This change will be effective in the tourism policy being drafted. This would make investment in the sector easier and more sustainable. Power charges and taxes will come down. Land allotment will be easier too.

To cater to the growing number of tourists looking for unique destinations in Oman, the Ministry of Heritage and Tourism announced a special promotional roadshow in five major source cities in India from 22 to 29 August, 2022. The roadshow, comprising a delegation from the Ministry of Heritage and Tourism, Omani tour operators, hotels and airlines, will kick off from New Delhi and Ahmedabad and progress through Mumbai and Chennai to conclude in Bangalore. The roadshow aims to showcase outstanding experiences in Oman’s unique destinations and promote unique travel experiences for leisure, weddings, conferences and exhibitions.

Oman received a total of 36,087 Indian visitors in July 2022 as compared to 22057 visitors from the country in June 2022. In fact, this increase is more than 2019 levels of 30,718 visitors in July. Last year July there were only 332 visitors from India to Oman.

Domestic passenger traffic was around 7% lower in July 2022 compared to around 10.5 million in June 2022, given some impact of the cyclicality in passenger travel, mainly arising from the lean period during monsoon coupled with impact on leisure travel due to hardening of air travel fares, revealed ICRA.

The US embassy has revealed that due to a backlog of applications, Indians will have to wait until 2024 to successfully book a visitor visa appointment. The US State Department website reveals the average waiting for a visa appointment in the US consulate at New Delhi is 522 days for visitor visas and 471 days for student visas. In Mumbai, it is 517 days and 10 days respectively.

Goa government and TTAG have urged the Centre to extend e-visas facility to UK travellers. If e-visas are not issued to Britishers in the coming tourist season, the trade fears fewer British visitors will visit Goa. The UK has been excluded from the list of nations that are eligible for e-visas. “We are expecting some positive news in the next 15 to 20 days,” Nilesh Shah, President Travel and Tourism Association of Goa (TTAG).