FHRAI has clarified that service charge, like any other charge collected by an establishment, is a part of the invitation offered by the restaurant to the potential customers. It is for the customers to decide whether they wish to patronise the said restaurant or not. To discuss and seek clarity on the matter, the Department of Consumer Affairs (DoCA) has called FHRAI for a meeting on June 02.

Rajasthan government has accorded industry status to the tourism and hospitality sector in the state. The notification came through an official statement by Shanti Dhariwal, Minister of Urban Housing Development and Local Self Department. The announcement for the same was made in the budget announcement in February by Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot.

Malaysia announces Visa on Arrival (VOA) effective 1st June 2022 for Indian travellers arriving in Malaysia through selected entry points via Singapore, Thailand, Brunei, or Indonesia, with a valid visa from either country.   According to the Immigration Department of Malaysia (Mumbai Attaché), the VOA fee is MYR200 (USD 46) and travellers must show that they have at least USD 500 cash/ credit card/ debit card/ traveller’s cheque or any electronic money which is certified by the Central Bank of Malaysia (Bank Negara Malaysia). Travellers are allowed to stay up to 15 days with a confirmed return air ticket.   Malaysia has opened its shores for quarantine-free travel and welcomes fully-vaccinated international travellers starting 1st May 2022.  Fully-vaccinated inbound travellers are no longer required to undergo pre-departure and on-arrival COVID-19 tests, including children aged 17 and below. Currently, Malaysia’s eVISA can also be applied online and more than 18,000 seats are offered weekly between India and Malaysia through Malaysia Airlines, Malindo Air, AirAsia, IndiGo, and Air India Express. India has been and remains one of the top market sources for Malaysia, contributing 735,309 arrivals (+22%) in 2019.  

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Jaal Kalpesh Shah, Group Managing Director, Travel Designer Group, has said that going forward, the traditional family travel agent could play a huge role. “This is because there is more trust factor, customisation and flexibility along with local knowledge. Technology will also play a part.”

Jaipur has become India’s first city to get two leopard reserves – Jhalana Leopard Reserve and the newly-added Amagarh Leopard Reserve. The reserve forest of Amagarh is an important leopard habitat and is spread across a total of 1,524 ha. It is home to 15 leopards.

Arif Patel, Regional Vice President, Sales & Marketing, Hyatt India, has said, “With over 24 executed deals for hotels, we plan to expand our brand footprint in India by eyeing more than 70 per cent growth, adding over 3,800 keys with more than 50 hotels in our portfolio in India by 2023.”

Deepak Rawat, Senior Vice President, MakeMyTrip, has said that their internal team survey revealed, “75 per cent of Indians are willing to spend more than what they were doing pre-pandemic on their travel and 52 per cent are willing to take a loan to travel. He was speaking at a panel discussion on India tourism recovery at ATM.

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Buddha Air has started twice-a-week direct operations between Kathmandu and Varanasi. The flights have been resumed post-COVID and will be flying on Monday and Friday every week. On arrival of the first flight, Ministry of Tourism’s India Tourism Varanasi office welcomed the tourists with rose and anagavastra.