Ministry of Home Affairs has said that they will review the decision on the effective date of resumption of scheduled commercial international flight service amid the fear of the new Omicron variant of Covid-19. MHA, in a high-level review meeting chaired by Ajay Kumar Bhalla, Union Home secretary, has also decided to review the SOPs on testing and surveillance of the arriving international passengers, especially those coming from countries listed in the ‘at risk’ category.

9th International Tourism Mart for the North East Region was held at Kohima, Nagaland recently, where Ajay Bhatt, Minister of State for Tourism & Defence inaugurated the event on Day 1 and addressed at the opening session of Day 2. The event was attended by over 300 delegates including government officials, industry stakeholders and local participants. H Khehovi Yeputhomi, MLA & Advisor Tourism, Government of Nagaland; Arvind Singh, Secretary, Tourism; Rupinder Brar, ADG Tourism, and other dignitaries of Central government and North Eastern States were also present on the occasion.

Accor has renewed its ongoing partnership with IndiGo to offer accelerated 6E Rewards, enhanced benefits and discounts on spends on stays and dining experiences across properties in India, Sri Lanka and selected hotels in Maldives. Through this partnership, IndiGo’s 6E Rewards members can now avail an exhilarating 15% discount, when they book directly with Accor and  earn up to 6% 6E Rewards as feature partner on any spends across Accor properties in India, Sri Lanka & participating hotels in Maldives with brands such as Raffles, Fairmont, Sofitel, Pullman, Mövenpick, Grand Mercure, Novotel, Mercure ibis and ibis Styles. These offers are also valid at the newly launched Accor properties – Raffles Udaipur, Novotel Chandigarh Tribune Chowk and most recently launched ibis Mumbai Vikhroli. Special Welcome benefit vouchers for 6E Rewards members at Accor hotels in India & Srilanka hotels only: Flat 30% discount on room nights when booked through Accor and IndiGo booking page INR 1000 discount voucher for spends on Food & Beverages across Accor Hotels, Restaurants & Bar Through this partnership, Accor and 6E Rewards will be putting forward exclusive offers to members in addition to the other benefits across hotel stays, dining and events. 6E Rewards members can also earn additional Reward points on hotel stays and dining by signing up on to Accor’s ALL – Accor Live Limitless – loyalty program. Jad Doumet, VP Partnerships, India, Middle East & Africa and Turkey adds, “We are thrilled to renew Accor’s partnership with IndiGo as it relays our intentions of providing the best hospitality service to guests across the nation. Accor operates an extensive portfolio of properties across the country- ranging from the economy to midscale, further to the …

Poona Hoteliers Association, a body representing 60+ Star Hotels of Pune, 11 Hotel Management Institutes, and 10 Hospitality Vendor Members, elects Mr Sharan Shetty as President for 2021-22 at the Annual General Meeting held on 30th September, 2021 at Amanora The Fern Hotel. He continues his 3rd Year as President.

Radisson Blu Hotel & Spa, Nashik, has opened the doors to guests. Nestled at the foothills of the two-millennia old Pandav Caves, just off Nashik Mumbai highway, this idyllic hotel is conveniently accessible through air, rail and road from Mumbai and Pune and is the apt choice for business and leisure travellers alike. The hotel is spread over 42,000 sqm and boasts over 5,000 sqm of event space to host large-scale meetings and events. “We are delighted to introduce our flagship brand to Nashik. Radisson Blu Hotel & Spa, Nashik’s unparalleled location and state-of-the-art MICE facilities make it a key asset in our portfolio. The opening further strengthens the Group’s presence in high-visibility leisure destinations that complements our overarching strategic growth plans for West India,” said Zubin Saxena, Managing Director and Vice President Operations, South Asia, Radisson Hotel Group.

In a new research commissioned by Airbnb, it has emerged that around 79% of Indian travellers want to travel in ways that positively benefit local communities both economically and socially. It was also found that 68 percent of respondents are prepared to forego comforts and luxuries on a holiday if their actions can support a sustainable tourism outcome. More than 60 percent of people in India are conscious that communities need economic recovery and will factor this into where they travel and how they spend their money. Almost two-thirds of Indians place importance on using travel to meaningfully connect with communities and culture, with 60 percent believing it important that they immerse themselves in local communities. Over 50 percent of Indian travelers say that technology-driven solutions can make the tourism industry more inclusive, by enabling a wider range of local stakeholders to benefit economically

According to the third Tourism Satellite Account, tourism sector contributes around 15% in total employment of the country as per 3rd Tourism Satellite Account (TSA) for the years 2017-18, 2018-19 and 2019-20. This will be around 228 million jobs (both direct and indirect) due to tourism. This information was given by Minister of Tourism Shri G. Kishan Reddy in reply to a question in Lok Sabha.

G Kishan Reddy, Union Minister of Tourism, Culture and DoNER, has said that MOT started the destination-based skill development training programme at 7 iconic sites in FY 2019-20 to train, upgrade and sensitise the local people residing near the tourism sites and destinations. This programme continued in Financial Year (FY) 2020-21 and upscaled to more than 150 new destinations. However, due to COVID-19 pandemic, this programme took place at 44 destinations. This programme is continued during the current FY 2021-22 and has taken place at 24 destinations.v

Under the Bharat Gaurav scheme, private tour operators can now take trains on lease from the railways and run them on any circuit of their choice. They will have the freedom to decide routes, fares and quality of services under the scheme. The railways has earmarked 3,033 ICF coaches for this purpose, roughly translating to 150 trains. Anyone, from societies, trusts, consortia and even state governments can apply to take these trains and run them on special tourism circuits based on a theme.

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) called on governments to adopt simple, predictable and practical measures to safely and efficiently facilitate the ramping-up of international travel as borders re-open. Specifically, IATA urged governments to focus on three key areas, simplified health protocol, digital solutions to process health credentials, and COVID-19 measures proportionate to risk levels with a continuous review process.