Naveen Kundu, Managing Director, EBIXCASH Travel Services has been appointed as the Co-Chairman for the domestic tourism committee of FICCI. In the new role, Naveen will be involved with various government agencies & tourism committees to strengthen the footprints of domestic tourism in India. This committee will be working as a sub-committee under the aegis of FICCI Tourism Committee to address the various issues and roadblocks in terms of domestic travel and technology, which act as a hindrance for sustaining the rapid growth of this sector. “My vision has always been to enhance the domestic tourism demand of what is called the untouched India for which I already havew a couoke of national awards by the Government of India , build a core team at FICCI team who can help promote & push the fulfilment of the domestic tourism products across India such as hoteliers , Ground operators of various states , transport suppliers , individuals and companies from the artisan in-dustry  and local bodies .Domestic & Regional tourism is the key indicator for inclusive economic development & job creation,” said Naveen Kundu.

Sharing his immediate agenda if elected as the new President of IATO, Rajiv Mehra, MD, Uday Tours & Travel said he will get the membership fee waived off for members for 2021-2022 as soon as possible. Another priority he mentioned is a WhatsApp group within 7 days post results, where members can get all important information and communication from the association. He further  said that his team’s target is to get SEIS for the tour operators for the next 5 years by getting it included in Foreign Trade Policy 2021-25 and to remove the requirement of minimum Rs. 2 crores turnover of foreign exchange earnings in MDA Guidelines for overseas promotion

ADTOI, with support from MOT, is all set to kick-off its 10th Annual Convention today with support from Ministry of Tourism at Kevadia, Gujarat. The inauguration ceremony will start at 5pm today, and will be graced by the presence of Prahlad Singh Patel, Minister of State, Tourism & Culture. The business sessions will begin tomorrow, which will see Arvind Singh, Secretary, Tourism addressing a session on ‘Role of Aviation in Promotion of Tourism’. Rupinder Brar, ADG, Tourism will moderate a session on ‘Technology is Future-Travel Real from Virtual’.

TAAI, along with DDP Group has launched a new avenue and stream for women called Women in TAAI and Travel (WITT). Jyoti Mayal, President, TAAI, says that the reason behind this initiative is to empower the women in the industry, and make sure they are represented well. Mayal believes that travel and tourism can provide women with a plethora of opportunities. “We have already tied up with the MOT and FICCI FLO, to see how we can encourage more women to come in front, and at all levels,” she said.

Eros Hotel New Delhi Nehru Place has reopened its ‘Empress of China’ restaurant, which is known for its authentic Chinese flavours and old-world charm. The Fine Dining Chinese speciality restaurant boasts of an elegant and spacious private dining room with attached lawn that provides a stunning view of the famous Lotus Temple and makes the guests feel closer to the nature. Empress of China epitomises the magic of authentic Chinese delicacies and brings out distinctive and contrasting flavours of the three main provinces namely – Sichuan, Yunnan and Hunan. The restaurant’s Master Chef Tenzin Losel along with his team, has curated a gourmet menu offering ample options all for food connoisseurs. Empress of China’s specialities include Beijing Duck, Szechuan Red Snapper, Salt Baked Chicken, Empress Dim Sum Platter, Empress Corn Cake, Steamed Jasmine Chocolate among others. “In light of the current situation, we are following all protocols to keep the place hygienically clean and safe for all our guests and team members. We are taking all safety precautions and ensuring safe distancing so that our patrons feel the same warmth and comfort while enjoying their favourite food at Eros Hotel,” said Davinder Juj, General Manager, Eros Hotel New Delhi. Restaurant Timings: 1900 hrs – 0000 hrs Cost for two:  INR 3000 plus taxes

Ankur Bhatia, Executive Director, Bird Group, commented that India’s vaccination program may help in economic recovery. “However, the Indian economy is awaiting a return to normalcy in sectors such as travel and aviation. These sectors are now carrying most of the COVID-19 burden and have yet to start operating at anywhere near pre COVID-19 levels. They are also the sectors responsible for enormous job losses and consumption declines. We expect a full throttle vaccination programme to bring the long-awaited cheer to the sector,” he added.

JK Mohanty, CMD, Swosti Group, shared, “We are very disappointed with the Central Government’s budget, as nothing has been given to the hotel industry or the tourism fraternity, which employs almost 10% of the workforce and also to those living in the interiors of India, where no other industry can go and survive. Many hotels, restaurants and tour operators, have closed offices for good, and still nothing has been given to them.”

PP Khanna, President, ADTOI, said, “The tourism industry is really disappointed, especially after seeing over 30% unemployment. While the budget has proposals on railways, roads and ports, it is surprising how without any direct allocation of funds to MOT or state tourism boards, we would be able to follow the slogans like, Dekho Apna Desh, Incredible India and Ek Bharat , Shrestha Bharat? The industry was to be recognised post-COVID, which has not been done.”

Jyoti Mayal, President, TAAI, has commented, “Overall, the 2021 Budget is empowering people for greater economic freedom, sound infrastructure, metro, railways, airports, and highways. However, we are very disappointed that as travel and tourism has not got anything specifically, despite being a strong GDP contributor, as well as having a huge value chain going across all levels, which is going to be affected. We might see many shops closing down and people going out of business.” She added, “We expected much more than what was announced. However, we believe the Budget 2021 has focused more on spendings to enable economic growth through infrastructure roads and financial remedies. Travel, tourism and hospitality was completely neglected. As we await the fineprint, the direct taxes are not clear. “Further Dis-investment in AirIndia is still on the rocks and is expected to be completed this year. Clarity on the same is eagerly is awaited by us, the main stakeholder partner hereto. For Rail packages over the years this shall be a advantage since the Plan is to create a ‘future ready’ Railway system by 2030. Passenger Logistics shall have advantage in the circuits and infrastructure. “In Tourism we shall be able to attract for foreign tourist and give more opportunities to travellers. For passenger convenience and safety, the following measures are proposed—We will introduce the aesthetically designed Vista Dome LHB coach on tourist routes to give a better travel experience to passengers. The safety measures undertaken in the past few years have borne results. To further strengthen this effort, high density network and highly utilized network routes of Indian railways will be provided with an indigenously developed automatic train protection system that eliminates train …

Subhash Goyal, Secretary General, FAITH, has said that the tourism industry is totally disappointed from this Union Budget. “We had many expectations and it was a great opportunity lost for the government to revive this sector and save 30-40 million jobs which are at stake. Indirectly they have talked about increasing connectivity with road and railways infrastructure and ports. The 35,000 crores for vaccine and medical infrastructure enhancement could indirectly help medical tourism. Aim towards transparency in taxation is also good.”