The government of Goa has set an aim to have 1,000 certified tourist guides in the state within the next two years after Goa tourism department adopted the ‘Incredible India Tourist Facilitator (IITF) (basic) certification programme of Ministry of Tourism. The plan is to enhance the travel experience of tourists in Goa through guided tours, and hence the state government has planned to train Goan youth and provide tourist guide certification.

G Kishan Reddy, Union Minister of Tourism, Culture and DoNER, along with State Tourism Ministers Ajay Bhatt and Shripad Yesso Naik, held a meeting to review various upcoming & ongoing projects of Ministry of Tourism, New Delhi. Senior officials of the ministry were present.

Effective 1 June 2022, IATA Commission on all tickets issued using South African Airways paper for international, regional and domestic travel, will change from 3 per cent to 0 per cent for the Indian Market, revealed the airline. The same will apply on for all codeshare flight tickets issued on South African Airlines paper. It has been communicated by South African Airways to IATA and all GDS’ to update all systems accordingly.

Hotel Association of India (HAI) has urged Manoj Sinha, Lieutenant Governor, Jammu & Kashmir and highlighted the recent unfair and adhoc raids, imposition of fines and threat of legal action on member hotels in the State. HAI pointed out that these impromptu actions by the state government were motivated by complaints of exorbitant prices and service deficiencies from tourists.

G Kamala Vardhan Rao, Director General, Ministry of Tourism, has said that the 3 Ts, as far as Tourism is concerned – Trade, Technology & Tourism, the mantra for the 5 Trillion economy. Speaking at the International Cruise Conference 2022, also said, “The promotion of coastal tourism through beach tourism, lighthouse tourism, and cruise tourism will help communities.”

Rohan Khaunte, Minister of Tourism, Goa, said the state is trying to position itself as a tech-tourism state by attempting to sell sun, sand and software. “Goa has all the potential in port, air, road; we will look at more infrastructure support through the Sagarmala projects”, he said.

Speaking at the International Cruise Conference 2022 in Mumbai, G Kishan Reddy, Union Minister, Tourism, said, “Our aim is to promote domestic and international cruise terminals at selected ports by 2023. Since many Indians visit foreign destinations for cruises we are making efforts to promote it within India”.

Consolidating the business post the pandemic, Kishan Biyani, Managing Director of the erstwhile Ark Travels announces a complete rehaul and rebranding of the company. Sharing details, he says, “We have rebranded ourselves. The new company is called Ark Travel Group and will expand its focus from not just cruising but also tour packages and representation. So we have four main arms: Ark Journeys, Ark Representation, Ark Tech and Ark Cruises that will be led by different people from the company.”

Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL), the innovator in global cruise travel, celebrated the completion of its Great Cruise Comeback with the sailing of Norwegian Spirit, the 17th and final ship in its fleet to return to service. NCL’s return to service after a 500-day pause began with Norwegian Jade’s July 25, 2021 sailing from Athens (Piraeus), Greece. Since then, the Brand has systematically relaunched its ships around the world, welcoming guests and crew members aboard its award-winning vessels. “This is an incredibly important day in our history and a defining moment for our future,” said Harry Sommer, president and CEO of Norwegian Cruise Line. “We are moving full speed ahead, having already welcomed more than half a million guests for an exceptional vacation at sea.” Norwegian Spirit, which is sporting an extensive bow-to-stern, over $100 million revitalization, will be sailing through the deep blue South Pacific, visiting eight ports in 12 days, with departures from the beautiful Island of Tahiti. Itinerary highlights include a journey to Bora Bora, where guests can enjoy snorkeling and discover why the elegantly calm waters are world-famous. They also can venture to Raiatea, which is considered the most sacred island in the South Pacific, where visitors can spend the afternoon exploring lush rainforests and the extinct volcano, Mount Temehani. The itinerary also features other destinations for guests to experience, such as Nāwiliwili, Kaua’i, where nature is truly the star. Nicknamed “The Garden Island,” guests can admire scenic views of the Kokee Mountains and stop at the geological wonder, Fern Grotto, a lava-rock cave covered with tropical flora. This cruise departs from Papeete, Tahiti, French Polynesia Saturday, May 7, 2022, and disembarks on Thursday, May 19, 2022, …

Further to the lifting of the Air Bubble Agreement in India and to the necessary governmental approval, Air France-KLM and IndiGo, India’s leading carrier, have implemented the extensive codeshare agreement announced in December 2021. With this partnership, Air France and KLM will ultimately offer their customers access to 30 new Indian destinations and a large number of round-trip combinations for both business and leisure purposes. Customers will be able to fly to the destination of their choice with one single booking. Flying Blue members will also be able to earn miles on all routes covered by this agreement. On departure from their respective hubs in Paris and Amsterdam, Air France and KLM already serve four destinations in India: Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai and Bengaluru. On departure from the multiple points in India, Air France and KLM will open up their global network of over 300 destinations to IndiGo customers, with more than 120 destinations in Europe and about 50 in the Americas. Henri de Peyrelongue, EVP Commercial Sales Air France-KLM stated: “We are very proud at Air France-KLM to be the first major European airline group to initiate cooperation with IndiGo. This codeshare agreement will allow us to increase our local footprint and to improve connectivity between India – one of the fastest growing markets – and the rest of the world, via our Paris-Charles de Gaulle and Amsterdam-Schiphol hubs. For our customers this means an enhanced network with as many as 30 new destinations in India, as well as increased roundtrip possibilities for both business and leisure travel.” Sanjay Kumar, Chief Strategy & Revenue Officer, IndiGo said, “We are pleased to commence the partnership with one of the strongest European …