The 24th Session of the UNWTO General Assembly, which met in Madrid (30 Novemer-3 December) unanimously approved Dr.  Mlambo-Ngcuka’s nomination for the position of Chairperson, World Committee on Tourism Ethics. She will serve as Chair for four years, starting on 3 December 2021, taking over from Pascal Lamy, former Director-General of the World Trade Organization (WTO) and President Emeritus of the Jacques Delors Institute.

V Vigneshwari IAS is the new Managing Director of Kerala Tourism Development Corporation (KTDC), taking charge from VR Krishna Teja IAS, Director of Tourism. Vigneswari, was earlier the Director of Collegiate Education, and is a Kerala Cadre IAS officer of 2015 batch. Shri Krishna Teja’s two-year tenure as KTDC’s executive head was marked by a string of initiatives that saw the state-owned hospitality major making major strides, despite the pandemic-induced challenges.

Rupinder Brar, ADG, Tourism, has said that MOT is ready with a campaign that would focus on India being a safe destination and is ready to welcome travellers, and it will be launched very soon. “The content is ready, and the messaging will be both direct and indirect. One promotion will focus on India being vaccinated and the other will feature our hotels, hotel staff, cab drivers, airports, roads, shopping malls, etc. communicating that the country is safe to travel. Discussions with channels is done and we will be doing a soft launch on digital mediums initially.

Rakesh Verma, Additional Secretary, Tourism has said MOT has come out with a draft National Tourism Policy in a bid to bring structural changes to the sector and lay down an ambitious framework for tourism growth. “It has 5 missions, which include National Green Tourism Mission, National Digital Tourism Mission, Tourism and Hospitality Sector Skill Mission, Destination Management, and Developing Tourism and Hospitality MSMEs. The policy is out for consultation and in around 5-6 weeks, we should be close to finalising the draft,” he said.

OTOAI held its General Meeting today in New Delhi, where they discussed about the work the association is doing with airlines and tourism board with the association members. Riaz Munshi, President, OTOAI, revealed that the association is focusing on building relationship with stakeholders and are extending their support in providing all the necessary information required. “This is the time of cooperation and building relationship so everybody can strengthen their business, said Munshi.

One Rep Global has been appointed as the India representative the iconic Caesars Palace Dubai. Caesars Palace Dubai recognises the importance of the Indian market and is excited to welcome travellers, business professionals, family and friends for the ultimate luxury experience. Speaking on this partnership, the Commercial Director, Paula Tannous, says “We are very excited to be working with One Rep Global, as a company driven by an experienced team of passionate professionals and seasoned luxury hoteliers. Together we will develop business opportunities and awareness of Caesars Palace Dubai across the Indian Market and those guests seeking a tailored and unique stays in Dubai.” Adding to this , the founder of One Rep Global, Hemant Mediratta, said “ We are absolutely delighted at this partnership with the iconic Caesars Palace Dubai that needs no introduction. The Indian luxury traveller is constantly seeking newer products and experiences – whether its cultural, culinary, wellness or just spending time with their loved ones. Caesars Palace Dubai is the perfect fit for all this and more. Not just for FITs, the hotel has a separate block of rooms designed for experiential destination weddings , MICE or Social Events. We have full faith in the resilience of the Indian market and our travel trade fraternity to support and accelerate demand for this beautiful jewel in Dubai. Located in the heart of the Bluewaters community, Caesars Palace Dubai is an immersive, luxury lifestyle resort. Offering a curated selection of unconventional, unforgettable experiences for all ages, the hotel is renowned for its contemporary, Roman-esque inspired design and uninterrupted views of the Arabian Gulf and Dubai’s skyline. Positioned at the western edge of Bluewaters Island, the resort has …

Rakesh Kumar Verma, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Tourism has been upgraded to the level of Additional Secretary, Ministry of Tourism by the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet. Verma is a 1993 batch IAS officer from Punjab Cadre. In a recent circular, ACC mentioned that they have approved the in-situ upgradation of many officers to the level of Additional Secretary to the Government of India, as a measure personal to them by temporarily upgrading the post held earlier.

The Singapore-India Vaccinated Travel Lane (VTL) had been launched on November 29th.  STB, SIA and CAG will conduct a second webinar to provide an update to the Indian trade partners on the VTL, SIA flight operations and the passenger experience at Changi Airport and Jewel. The session will be on Tuesday, December 7 at 11:30am IST. To register, contact jaspreet.kaur@ddppl.com or 9650196532 or click here https://event.webinarjam.com/register/345/6v7qri2o

Ministry of Tourism has recently tweeted that for strengthening tourism in Northeast, under the PRASHAD scheme, Rs 37.87 Crore have been sanctioned for the development Parshuram Kund in Arunachal Pradesh, which has been an iconic destination in the country.

Subhasish Panda (IAS), Principal Secretary– Tourism, Government of Himachal Pradesh, at a recent webinar informed that Himachal Pradesh is slowly recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic with around 45 lakh tourists visiting the state in 2021. “Tourism remains a key contributor to Himachal’s economy with its current share of approximately 7% to the state GDP. The state government is in the process of taking its second loan from the Asian Development Bank worth Rs. 2100 crores for developing infrastructure to create new destinations. He also informed that heliport services in Shimla district is likely to start in a week’s time which will give further impetus to the tourists.