Welcoming 106,200 Indian visitors between January- July 2019, Japan has registered a 14.3 per cent year-on-year growth in terms of arrivals from India. The East Asian country also witnessed a 6.2 per cent month-on-month growth in 2019 when it witnessed 13,200 Indian tourist arrival in July. The Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO) is eyeing to receive 2 lakh visitors from India in 2019. Yusuke Yamamoto, Executive Director for India, JNTO said, “I am hopeful for reaching the 2-lakh-visitor-arrival-mark from India this year. As of July 2019, we have already seen 106,200 Indian visitors to Japan since January in comparison to 92,937 during the same period in 2018. India is a huge market and therefore we are focusing on Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Bengaluru and Ahmedabad,” JNTO conducted its annual ‘Visit Japan Roadshow 2019’ in Mumbai and Ahmedabad last month.

International tourist arrivals grew 4% from January to June 2019, compared to the same period last year, according to the latest UNWTO World Tourism Barometer published ahead of the 23rd World Tourism Organization General Assembly. Growth was led by the Middle East (+8%) and Asia and the Pacific (+6%). International arrivals in Europe grew 4%, while Africa (+3%) and the Americas (+2%) enjoyed more moderate growth. Destinations worldwide received 671 million international tourist arrivals between January and June 2019, almost 30 million more than in the same period of 2018 and a continuation of the growth recorded last year. Growth in arrivals is returning to its historic trend and is in line with UNWTO’s forecast of 3% to 4% growth in international tourist arrivals for the full year 2019, as reported in the January Barometer. So far, the drivers of these results have been a strong economy, affordable air travel, increased air connectivity and enhanced visa facilitation. However, weaker economic indicators, prolonged uncertainty about Brexit, trade and technological tensions and rising geopolitical challenges, have started to take a toll on business and consumer confidence, as reflected in a more cautious UNWTO Confidence Index.

The Madhya Pradesh government is formulating a new tourism policy to ensure better air connectivity to visitors and to provide jobs to local youth, said Surendra Singh Baghel, Tourism Minister of Madhya Pradesh. He also said the new policy will help promote scenic locations and heritage hotels in the state as wedding destinations. “We are framing a new tourism policy which is more employment-oriented, especially for local youths. We will also provide better air connectivity and chopper facilities to domestic travellers for visiting different tourist destinations in the state. MP Tourism will also organise activities with tour operators for promoting tourism in the state,” said the minister. Faiz Ahmed Kidwai, Secretary & Commissioner (Tourism) and MD, MP Tourism Development Board & MPTDC said that the government is also working on schemes to promote tourism in forest areas and to provide better medical facilities to visitors.

Aviation firms offering helicopter services at places identified under the UDAN scheme will get additional subsidy from the Uttarakhand government, Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat said recently. Rawat also said that the state has great potential for expansion of heli services. He says, “Companies which offer heli services in areas identified under the UDAN Yojana will get subsidy from the state government in addition to the subsidy given by the Centre.” The first-of-its-kind summit based on the theme of expanding connectivity through helicopters was organised here jointly by the Civil Aviation Ministry, the state government and the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industries (FICCI).

NIMA has recently launched its Southern Region office in Vizag. K Vijay Mohan was nominated as the co-ordinator for the Southern Region. The Commissioner of Police, Vizag, Rajeev Kumar Meena graced the occasion. Former MLA Malla Vijay Prasad, Entrepreneur Pyda Krishan Prasad, Raja Babu of Sunray Resorts and Naresh Kumar were other dignitaries present during the launch.  NIMA’s National Coordinator Gajesh Girdhar, Rakesh Arora and Jagdeep Bhagat were present too. The State Chapters for Telangana with Siraj Ansari as it’s State Coordinator and Andhra Pradesh with Dheeraj Praharaju as it’s State Coordinator were also installed during the recent visit of NIMA’s National team to the region.

The Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport has started a three-month trial of bio-metric facial recognition entry system for domestic Vistara flyers out of Terminal 3. The participation in the trials is purely voluntary and at the discretion of the passengers, said the spokesperson of the Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL). With the facial recognition technology, passengers’ entry would be automatically processed based on facial recognition system at all checkpoints, including airport entry, entry into security checks, and aircraft boarding. “A suitable consent form will be signed by passengers. This trial will run for three months. Subsequent roll-out plans will be made. The enrolment process for passengers with valid flight tickets and government ID proofs will start at the registration kiosk. After this, their facial details will be captured by a camera.” he added. After successful completion of the trial, the facial recognition facility would be officially launched at Terminal 3, and subsequently at other terminals at the Delhi airport.

Prahlad Singh Patel, Union Minister of State for Culture & Tourism (IC), has suggested to start battery operated cars inside the Red Fort, Delhi for the convenience of elderly people, women and children. The Minister made the suggestion while on a visit to the Red fort to review ongoing conservation work & development of public amenities at the Monument. He was accompanied by officers of Archaeological Survey of India and Ministry of Tourism. He also said that it is a responsibility of the Givernment to provide good public facilities at Red Fort. “We are ensuring that world class amenities are provided at the Monument. However, it is important that general public is sensitised to be responsible towards their culture and maintain the beauty of their heritage monuments,” he added. In a massive exercise in over the last 1 year, Archaeological Survey of India has completely restored and revived the Red Fort. Three- hundred- and-seventy years after it was built to presage Delhi as the new Mughal capital, the historic Lal Qila is now glooming with its full glory. The sheer scale of Mughal imagination – entry through historic Lahori Gate, the majestic redsand stone walls, the glory of Chhatta Bazar and hidden artworks on the ceiling –has all been restored and preserved by ASI, for all to see now. Also, the timing for Red Fort has also been increased till 9pm for general public. The monument was the first to be LED illuminated along with others monuments Safdarjung Tomb, Qutub Minar, Humayun’s Tomb and Purana Qila recently.

MAYFAIR Hotels and Resorts has opened its 11th Resort- MAYFAIR Lake Resort in Raipur. The Group now runs 11 properties across 9 destinations- Bhubaneswar, Darjeeling, Gangtok, Goa, Gopalpur-on-Sea, Puri, Rourkela, Kalimpong & Raipur. The resort is a 124-room property offering Executive Rooms, Deluxe Suites and a Presidential Suite. MAYFAIR Group widely acknowledged and admired for its architectural concept of low rise properties that highlights plush greenery, was founded by Dilip Ray in 1982, with its first property at Rourkela.  Over these years, the Group has earned a unique niche for itself in the Hospitality industry for its personalised services, luxurious accommodation, designer properties and eco-friendly environment that welcomes guests to a truly unforgettable experience. The property is designed to cater to the requirements of the growing MICE Segment and will be a key player in the development of a new Central Indian Travel Circuit. It has a number of indoor and open air venues with capacities of hosting 15 to 2000 guests. The hall with elegant decors and exotic wedding venues, that exude regal charm, makes it an ultimate address for Destination-wedding and MICE events, promising a flawless picture-perfect event experience. Conveniently located the property is just a 15 minutes’ drive   from Swami Vivekananda airport and is well connected by Road and Railways also.  

Lords Hotels and Resorts has opened SK Lords Eco Inn on Ahmedabad marking its 23rd property in Gujarat. The 30-key hotel offers a multi-cuisine restaurant and pillar-less banquet hall of 5000 sqft. It is located near Navrangpura, the commercial district of the city. Pushpendra Bansal, Managing Director, Lords Hotels and Resorts, says, “Gujarat is India’s most exciting destination and an ideal stage for our continued expansion. We are expecting SK Lords Eco Inn to capture significant part of business tourist visiting Gujarat.”

The SKÅL Club of Bombay recently held its Annual General Meeting in Mumbai. The aim of the AGM was to review the performance of their board and elect new managing committee members for a term of two years. Sushil Bhatt, CEO, Forvol Travels, has been elected as the associations’ President, supported by Sunil Chopra, Director Industry Relations, TAFI, standing in as Interim President for the term 2018-19. Other members of the team include: Sunil V.A, Regional Vice President – ISC, Oman Air, as Vice President 1; Vinayakk Laud, CEO, Vinaayak Travels, as Vice President 2; Kunal Sampat, Country Manager, Sales, Visa Lounge, as Secretary; Jyot Jhaveri, Director, Sunday Pure Holidays, as Treasurer; Rosita Haribal, Director, Travel Forte Tours, who will look after MembershipDevelopment; andAletta Dias, Senior Director Corporate Affairs, BCD Travel, as the Auditor.