Virtual Bharat Parv 2021 was inaugurated in New Delhi by Prahlad Singh Patel, Minister of State, Tourism and Culture. The event will continue till 31st January. “Every state apart from West Bengal has participated in the Virtual Bharat Parv. The aim behind the event is that we analyse the year-long activities done with our executives and also plan the activities of the coming year and how we will move forward,” he said.

Arvind Singh, Chairman of Airports Authority of India (AAI) and a 1988 IAS officer of Maharashtra Cadre, has been appointed as the new Secretary of Tourism, GOI, and will be taking charge on February 1, 2021.  He will be replacing Yogendra Tripathi, who, after more than 2 years as Tourism Secretary, will be joining as Secretary, Department of Chemicals and Petrochemicals. Singh, had also served as Additional Chief Secretary (Energy) in Government of Maharashtra.

The first Asia Travel show will be held on 15-16 March 2021. The two-day event, with its proprietary exhibition software, will allow travel professionals to rebuild relationships and recover their market. The virtual event will introduce the exhibitors to buyers, help grow their brand and build long-term profitable business connections. Get detailed analytics on buyers, offers a diverse portfolio of companies to meet, have dedicated Project Managers to guide you through the show and resolve issues, gives access to extensive thought leadership and panel discussions with worldwide experts, and allows you to network via easy one-on-one video calls.

The Adani Group signed concession agreements with the Airports Authority of India, for the management, operations and development of Guwahati, Jaipur and Thiruvananthapuram airports. The agreements were exchanged between N.V. Subbarayudu, Executive Director, Strategic Initiative Unit, AAI & Behnad Zandi, CEO Adani Airport in the presence of AAI Chairman, Arvind Singh, AAI Board Members & senior officials and Adani Enterprises.

Ministry of Tourism will organise Bharat Parva 2021 on a virtual platform. There will be a small physical event, and the main event will continue till 31st January, which will have state pavilions showcasing various handicrafts, culinary attractions, culture, activities, etc. Attendees can explore the event at bharatparv2021.com. There will also be cultural performances, which could be viewed online.

According to WTTC, more than 100 million jobs could return to the global tourism sector during 2021, as the world recovers from the crippling pandemic. “We are looking forward to a strong summer of travel, thanks to a combination of mask wearing, the global vaccination roll-out and testing on departure,” says Gloria Guevara, President & CEO, WTTC.

IndiGo has launched daily flights between Delhi-Leh, effective from today— 22nd February.  Sanjay Kumar, Chief Strategy and Revenue Officer, IndiGo said, “This will be our first destination amongst the seven regional stations we announced recently. We are working towards enhancing regional connectivity, which will not only increase access but also promote domestic trade and tourism in the country.”

Vistara has launched its daily services between Delhi and Sharjah, under the travel bubble agreement between India and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and from 24th January the airline will also fly daily between Mumbai and Sharjah. Vistara will deploy its A320neo aircraft with a three-class cabin configuration and enhanced features on the Delhi-Sharjah flight. Leslie Thng, Chief Executive Officer, Vistara, said, “These flights further strengthen our presence in the Middle East while offering travellers the choice of flying India’s best airline between India and the UAE.”

Sarovar Hotels recently organised the third edition of Sarovar Virtual Showcase, focusing on Kerala as a destination, which showcased their three resorts in Kerala located respectively in Poovar Island, Thekkady and Vayalar. The participating tour operators ranged from states like Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Karnataka and Kerala.

IndiGo has announced daily non-stop flights from Agra to Bengaluru, Bhopal an Lucknow respectively. The new flights will be effective from @8th March, 2021. The news was welcomed by the travel trade in Agra.