In line with the Government of Thailand’s initiative to promote tourism, the Immigration Bureau of Thailand has partnered with VFS Global to offer the new eVisa On Arrival (eVOA) service that will enable a faster and more convenient arrival process for travellers from 21 countries like India, China, Saudi Arabia, Ukraine, to name a few. Travellers who are eligible to use the online eVOA service provided by VFS Global will receive their travel authorisation from the Immigration Bureau of Thailand prior to their departure from their country of origin. The eVOA service will be available as of February 14, 2019 on thailandevoa.vfsevisa.com. The new Thailand eVisa On Arrival offers travellers a whole new experience when applying for a travel pre-authorisation to Thailand and when entering the country at the Suvarnabhumi and Don Mueng airports in Bangkok, as well as at Phuket and Chiang Mai airports flying by Thai Airways and other airlines. In three simple steps, eligible travellers can apply online for eVOA for Thailand by visiting thailandevoa.vfsevisa.com anytime, anywhere or get assistance at VFS Global visa application centres across the globe. Travellers receive their pre-departure travel authorisation online before the trip within 24 to 72 hours. Pol Lt Gen Surachate Hakparn, Commissioner of Immigration Bureau, said, “With the eVOA service, we are proud to offer a new age digital solution which enhance the overall experience for the modern-day traveller who seeks to visit Thailand from 21 countries across the globe. In our cooperation with VFS Global, we aim to effectively meet the objective of increasing tourism to the country through this solution especially taking into consideration the all-important security aspect that allows pre-check of travellers prior the arrival, as …

The Ministry of Civil Aviation’s Ude Desh ka Aam Nagrik (UDAN) scheme is set to fly international. The results for UDAN 3 were announced recently, and Suresh Prabhu revealed that for the first time, international routes have been introduced under UDAN by launching flights from Guwahati to Bangkok and Dhaka. Both these routes will be served by SpiceJet. Prabhu said, “It’s going to be a major game changer as these connections would bring North East closer to the rest of the world. As a result, there will be a tremendous scope for tourism and economic development in the region.” Rajiv Nayan Choubey, Secretary, Civil Aviation, revealed, “The state government of Assam had asked us to conduct bids for connecting Guwahati to the neighbouring countries and we are happy to announce that Guwahati is now going to be connected with Bangkok and Dhaka, which are the international UDAN routes which have been awarded.” It was revealed that SpiceJet has taken a very competitive underwriting of the seats. The per annum VGF would be Rs 11 crore, which would be borne by the state. Having set the service frequency at seven-times-a-week, the government has given a flexible template of starting with thrice-a-week service, which will then be increased and finalised within six months.

The Department of Tourism, Kerala organised Kerala Tourism Partnership Meet 2019 in Delhi to brief the media and trade about developments and initiatives in the state besides highlighting its marketing and promotional plan for the year. The presentation was followed by a cultural programme that showcased Kerala’s dance, art and music forms. On the occasion, BS Biju, Tourist Information Officer, Kerala Tourism informed, “Delhi is one of the most promising markets for us. Business meetings are being organised by Kerala Tourism in both domestic and international markets annually as part of our marketing strategy. 32 tourism industry players and trade partners including tour operators, hotels and other service providers from Kerala held meetings with their counterparts in Delhi.” To further reach out to the domestic market, a series of Partnership Meets are planned in 10 cities. After Ludhiana, Chandigarh and Delhi, the Meets will be organised in Jaipur, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Visakhapatnam, Chennai and Madurai in February. According to the data released by Kerala Tourism, domestic arrivals in the state increased to 1,46,73,520 translating into an 11.39 per cent year-on -year growth in 2017 while international arrivals during the year was 10,91,870, an increase of 5.15 per cent over the 2016’s figures.

InterContinental Hotels Group has signed a management agreement with Tipping Point Hospitality for Holiday Inn Goa Candolim. Nestled amidst two of North Goa’s famed destinations – Candolim and Calangute, the hotel is expected to welcome guests in November 2019. Offering leisure and corporate travellers a perfect stay experience, the newly built , 110-room Holiday Inn Goa Candolim will be a 30-minute drive from the city centre and a 60-minute drive from Dabolim Airport. The hotel is also in close proximity to North Goa’s popular entertainment and nightlife destinations and is a 15-minute walk from Candolim beach and Sinquerim fort. In addition to featuring well-designed, fully-equipped guest rooms, Holiday Inn Goa Candolim will comprise expansive meeting spaces and a business centre to meet the rapidly growing MiCE demands in the city. Holiday Inn Goa Candolim will feature an all-day dining restaurant and a lobby bar, offering guests some great dining options at the hotel. The hotel will also feature leisure facilities such as an outdoor pool and a gymnasium for guests to enjoy their time during their stay.  

The Association of Buddhist Tour Operators (ABTO) has been appointed as Advisor in National Tourism Advisory Council (NTAC) after Ministry of Tourism nominated the association to the council for preserving heritage monuments and promoting Buddhist tourism in the country. Thanking the Minister of State (I/C) for Tourism, KJ Alphons for imparting the accolade, Dr Kaulesh Kumar, Secretary General, ABTO said, “ABTO is the platform for all tourism service providers and others stakeholders engaged in the promotion of Buddhist pilgrimage tourism in India, Nepal and other Asian countries. From the last four years, our association is working hard to promote, protect and preserve Buddhist monuments and pilgrimage sites around the Buddhist circuit on national and international level. We are trying to raise awareness among tourists about the importance of these heritage sites. We also organise heritage walks around these monuments so that people can get to know more about the cultural and historical significance of Buddhism in India.” “With all these initiatives, we are aiming to increase the tourist footfall in the Buddhist sector. I am happy that our work has been appreciated by the Ministry and we have been nominated to NTAC. We also organised the first-ever International Buddhist Travel Mart in Bodh Gaya for the travel trade. After receiving appreciation from the industry, ABTO is now going to organise roadshows in nine countries- Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, Sri Lanka and Japan starting from April 2019. It will provide a good platform to everyone, who is looking to promote Buddhist tourism on an international level.”

The Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) awarded 235 routes to different airlines, out of which 46 are tourism routes, and 189 are under Regional Connectivity Scheme. Suresh Prabhu, Union Minister, Civil Aviation, said, revealed, “We are working with Ministry of Tourism and Ministry of Commerce, as we have sanctioned a programme of 12 champion sectors of service development, under which Rs 5000 crores were allowed as sanctions. Part of that money is being given to MOT, which in turn is giving that money to aviation ministry for these routes.” Rajeev Nayan Choubey, Secretary, Civil Aviation, shared that for the first time MOT came on board for the UDAN scheme. “MOT asked us to conduct tourism route-wise bidding, for which they will be providing funds. The difference between MOT route and the conventional RCS UDAN route is that MOT wants tourist places should be connected among themselves. It may happen that the airport which they are wanting may have enough flights but between two tourist destinations, there may not be a flight. So the MOT’s intention was that we should conduct the bidding, not for individual airports, but for routes which are specified by them. MOT has in turn got it collated by interacting with the tourism professionals, both in the private sector as well as the government sector, including state governments and other stakeholders before giving it to us,” he said.

As part of its global strategy, Reunion Island Tourist Board has entered into an alliance with Atout France offices in China, India and South Africa for an effective promotion of Reunion Island. Nestled in the Indian Ocean, Reunion Island is an overseas French island that holds high appeal for adventure enthusiasts, family vacations as well as couples seeking a romantic escapade. Atout France has been given the mandate to lend its expertise towards a holistic promotion of the destination. Commenting on this significant development for the Indian market, Sheetal Munshaw, Director, Atout France India said, “We are very enthused to showcase another facet of France through Reunion Island’s aesthetic beauty and its versatile experiences that will find appeal to diverse Indian travellers. Its diaspora of Indians and strong Indian and French influence as well as its proximity and visa on arrival facility (for stays less than 15 days) are sure to resonate well with our market.” Sharing her thoughts, Lydie Sangarin, Market Manager, Reunion Island Tourist Board said, “We are happy to partner with Atout France in these three overseas markets. We believe that Atout France’s professional prowess and years of experience in these overseas markets will be instrumental in the successful positioning of Reunion Island to our potential overseas visitors.” Located in the Mascarene Archipelago, Reunion Island – a French overseas department – offers travellers the exoticism of a tropical island in the Indian Ocean.  

Occupancy rates for five-star hotels witnessed the sharpest growth of about 240 basis points y-o-y during FY18. This was followed by three-star hotels that registered a growth of about 200 basis points and four-star hotels that registered a growth of 180 basis points during FY18, while the five-star hotels witnessed lower growth of only 110 basis points y-o-y. Two-star hotels however, witnessed a decline of about 10 basis points in their occupancy rates during the year. Also, two-star hotels witnessed the maximum growth in the group in average room rates increasing by about 8.5 per cent y-o-y during FY18. This was followed by three-star hotels that registered a growth of about 5 per cent y-o-y in FY18. Four-star and five-star hotels recorded a growth of 3 per cent y-o-y each in average room rates. Apart from that, each star category witnessed a y-o-y increase in RevPAR in FY18, with the three-star category leading the pack, recording a 8.2 per cent growth during the year.

The air transport sector makes a significant contribution to the Indian economy. According to a recent ‘Project Rupee Raftaar’ report by the Ministry of Civil Aviation, an Oxford Economics analysis shows that the air transport sector directly contributes 390,000 jobs in India. This includes airlines, airport operators, airport on-site enterprises like restaurants and retail, aircraft manufacturers and air navigation service providers. In addition, by buying goods and services from local suppliers, the sector supported another 570,000 jobs across the supply chain.

Over the next two decades, the global commercial aircraft fleet size is expected to grow at a CAGR of around 4 per cent. Around 45,000 new aircraft are likely to be delivered globally between 2018 and 2040, suggests a report ‘Vision 2040 for the civil aviation industry in India’ by FICCI and KPMG. The growth will be driven by socioeconomic changes in emerging economies, especially in India, China, South East Asia and the Middle East. These factors include rising incomes and aspirations, lower oil prices, fierce competition between airlines and increasing value of ‘time’. For India, Boeing raised its long-term forecast for commercial airplanes to 2,300 new jets – valued at $320 billion – over the next 20 years. Nearly 84 per cent of those are expected to be narrow bodies. According to Boeing, with more than 5 per cent of the world’s fleet expected to operate in India by 2037, commercial services like flight training, engineering and maintenance and digital analytics etc., will be the key drivers of growth. In the South Asian market, including India, Boeing forecasts a commercial services market valued at USD 430 billion over the next 20 years.