The IATA and Harvard ManageMentor course allows aviation professionals to quickly learn and apply new skills that are up-to-date and relevant in the industry. This programme, developed by aviation leaders and Harvard’s world-class experts, will not only foster leadership skills but will also prepare aspirants for real-world challenges as the industry restarts. The course is available at up to 40% discount on registration until June 7, 2021.

Absolute Hotel Services India has announced the signing of a Management Agreement with Rivergate Resort India Limited and has added to its portfolio, U Rivergate Karjat. The project encompasses 42 rooms and 100+ individual gated Villa Scheme. Sameer Dharkar, Managing Director, Absolute Hotel Services – South Asia & Middle East region said, “We are thrilled at the opportunity to partner with Mr. Chandan Parmar, Director – Rivergate Resort India Limited and bring to the fore another premium leisure property in Maharashtra. This partnership gives us an opportunity to leverage the State’s tourism treasure trove and offer discerning travelers a global brand which will cast indelible hospitality impressions.”

Lily Pandeya has been appointed as the Joint Secretary, Ministry of Culture. Pandeya is a 1998 batch Indian Railway Personnel Service (IRPS) officer. According to the order released by Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions, she will be assuming charge of the post for a tenure of five years or until further orders, whichever is earlier. Before this, Pandeya was appointed as the Executive Director, Railway Board, Ministry of Railways, Government of India.

Manoj Sinha, Lieutenant Governor, Jammu and Kashmir, has announced a Rs 3 crore relief package for people employed in the tourism industry, which has seen severe impact by the second wave of Covid-19. “In this package, Rs 2,000 financial assistance will be provided to 4,444 registered ‘shikara’ owners, 1,370 tourist guides, 6,663 ‘ponywalas’ and 2,150 others, including those who rent palanquins for yatris. The money will be paid for two months. The relief will be transferred to only those who are registered with the tourism department,” revealed an official of the tourism department.

Only 5% of all CEOs are female – even though half of the employees in the travel and tourism industry are women, revealed a new report by World Tourism Forum Lucerne and Aptamind Partners. The reports also highlighted that not even one fifth of all C-suite roles are filled by women. The figures reveal that despite an equal presence in the total workforce, female representation falls to 40% at mid-level management and 33% in senior management. In the Executive Committee/C-suite, 19% of roles are filled by women, with only five organisations led by a female CEO. This is echoed at board level, where 24% of board members are women and 8% of boards include no women at all. The report examined the top 100 listed companies in the travel and tourism industry worldwide.

The Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi) has appointed Buzz Travel Marketing as its new Indian representative. HE Ali Hassan Al Shaiba, Executive Director of Tourism and Marketing at DCT Abu Dhabi, said, “ As we repurpose our strategy on the road to recovery post-COVID-19, we look forward to working with Buzz to increase the number of visitors and drive growth for Abu Dhabi’s Indian operations across different target segments of Leisure and MICE.” The three-year partnership will support stakeholders and further enhance Abu Dhabi’s long-standing involvement with the Indian market and reinvigorate Abu Dhabi’s trade and marketing strategies with a brand-new outlook as part of the emirate’s upcoming plans for the tourism sector. Nikhil Jeet, Director, Buzz Travel Marketing said, “We are delighted to represent DCT Abu Dhabi in India and I am confident that together we will successfully strengthen the destination’s reach in the Indian market. With a widespread network and a team of dynamic professionals, Buzz Travel Marketing will ensure that Abu Dhabi’s wide range of tourism offerings reaches every travelling Indian. We eagerly look forward to working with DCT Abu Dhabi to implement their renewed strategy in the Indian market.”

PATA India has announced that its members in good standing, who are interested to participate in the virtual PATA Adventure Travel Conference and Mart being held from May 26-27, 2021 will enjoy a 33% discount on registration fee for the first delegate, which will be reimbursed to them by PATA India after the event. Members will be required to register directly with PATA with a payment of USD 300.00, which is the registration fee for Chapter Members, under intimation to the India Chapter. Upon completion of the event and the member’s fulfilment of participation in the event, PATA India will reimburse an equivalent of USD 100.00 to them. Please note this offer is available for the first ten participants, on a first come first serve basis, who complete their registration and pay the required fees to PATA. The deadline for registration is Saturday 10thApril, 2021. Use the reference code PIC while completing the registration. Upon completion of registration, please intimate confirmation to Poonam Rajput at manager@pataindia.org. The offer is available for members in good standing which implies that Members must have paid their membership fees for 2020-21.

Deltin Group is all set to launch a large integrated resort in Goa. The complex will have hotels, a theatre, a water park, a shopping arcade and a convention centre. Spread over 125 acres, this property will be situated close to the airport. Also, the group will be investing INR 150 crore to build a new casino vessel, which would replace Deltin Caravela. A statement provided by the company to investors, said, “We hereby inform you that the company has received an in-principle approval from the Goa Investment Promotion and Facilitation Board for setting up of an integrated resort consisting of hotels, convention center, multiplex cinema, retail area, electronic casino, waterpark, and other facilities at Pernem, Goa.”

Following the fresh lockdown measures introduced in Maharashtra from April 5, Kiran Dighavkar, Assistant Commissioner, BMC – Mumbai, clarified that passengers landing in Mumbai city during curfew hours – whether from out of state or internationally – will be allowed movement within the city. Their boarding pass and/or flight ticket will be enough for this. The night curfew is in place from 8pm to 7am and anyone breaking the rules will be fined Rs 500, said government officials.

IndiGo has joined hands with CarterPorter, to launch ‘6EBagport’, to provide door to door baggage delivery service starting April 1, 2021 in New Delhi and Hyderabad. The service, which starts at a nominal rate of INR 630 for one way, will subsequently be launched in Mumbai and Bengaluru as well. Passengers can book the service from the comfort of their homes. The facility will enable passengers to travel worry-free as CarterPorter will transfer their baggage contactless from one destination to another with added assistance inside the terminal. Sanjay Kumar, Chief Strategy and Revenue Officer, IndiGo said, “We are continuously striving to enhance our customer service and this collaboration is a step further towards providing a one-stop hassle-free experience. The service will bring relief to customers who may want to travel with additional baggage from home to airport or would like to go for a meeting directly from airport without carrying bags. Our partnership with CarterPorter will ensure that our customers have a seamless experience as their baggage gets transferred door to door while they fly onboard our lean, clean flying machine”.