The Philippines Tourism organized another runaway roadshow in Kolkata, which earned an exceptional response from the industry. The roadshow showcased the commitment of the Philippines Tourism to promoting their charming destinations and cultural allures.  The event provided a platform for stakeholders, industry professionals, and enthusiasts to come together and engage in meaningful discussions about the diverse offerings of the Philippines as a tourist destination. The roadshow saw the participation of 14 prominent entities from the private sector of the Philippines. Among them were important players such as Ark Travel Express, bai Hotel Cebu, Department of Tourism Central Visayas, Dusit Hotels & Resorts, Gi Philippines, Lalaguna Villas Luxury Dive Resort and Spa, Okada Manila, Philippine Airlines, Plantation Bay Resort and Spa, Scoot, Shangrila, Shroff International Travel Care, The Farm at San Benito, and Uni Orient Travel.  The Philippines Tourism presented an array of captivating tourist encounters, encompassing exhilarating off-road escapades, exploration of historical landmarks, and the opportunity to engage in the genuine village life of the Philippines. Participants also indulged in the enchanting narrative of the nation’s history and cultural legacy.   Nerissa Jean B. Cruz, Market Specialist, Tourism Promotions Board, expressed, “We are overtly pleased with the positive reaction received from our trade partners. Our interactions with agents have showcased an exciting and enthusiastic dedication to positioning the Philippines as a foremost selection for their clientele.” “Kolkata holds a special corner in our hearts as a treasured market. The promising potential that reverberates this city fills us with boundless optimism, and we stand assured that a significant surge of travellers from Kolkata to the Philippines is imminent,” said SanJeet, Managing Director, Buzz Travel Marketing. 

Espire Hospitality Group announced the opening of its second property under their upscale brand ‘Country Inn Premier’ in Uttarakhand, ‘Country Inn Premier – The Prominence, Dehradun’. Nestled in the foothills of majestic Himalayas, this upscale hotel offers a perfect blend of contemporary aesthetics and enriching experiences, coupled with the brand’s signature heartfelt hospitality. Strategically located on the Dehradun – Mussoorie road, overlooking the serene Malsi Forest and the awe-inspiring Himalayan range, ‘Country Inn Premier – The Prominence, Dehradun’ enjoys excellent connectivity to major Indian cities including Delhi NCR, Punjab, Lucknow, Mumbai, Gujarat and Bangalore. The hotel features 42 well-appointed modern rooms and suites, thoughtfully categorized into Classic Rooms, Club Premier Rooms, and Premier Suites. Guests opting for Club Premier rooms and Suites can enjoy exclusive Club Premier privileges, including early check-in and late check-out, ironing facility, complimentary minibar once during their stay, discount on food and beverages, and much more. Akhil Arora, Chief Executive Officer, Espire Hospitality Group commented on this important opening, “We are thrilled to open our second ‘Country Inn Premier’ hotel in the state capital of Uttarakhand. Dehradun has significantly evolved with modern times while maintaining its vintage charm. The place is the hotspot of many activities, hidden attractions and ardent foodies which makes it a perfect destination for our new launch. We eagerly await the opportunity to welcome guests to enjoy our offerings and experience the heartfelt hospitality we are renowned for.”

TGI Hotels & Resorts has expanded its portfolio by adding six more hotels to its brand. They have moved one step closer to achieving its development goals for 2023 with adding 6 new properties across brands in India during the months of March and July. Locations include Sakleshpura, Bangalore, Mandu, and Haridwar. It is scheduled to open in September 2023. Amit Kumar, Chief Marketing Officer said, “This addition will strengthen the group’s position in India, where it already has 20 operational hotels, across 15 locations.” Bangalore: They have a strong presence throughout the city with seven hotels. As the demand for hotel rooms along the Outer Ring Road grew, they decided to seize the opportunity and actively expand their services in this area. In order to position themselves for future growth they are adding three hotels totalling 210 keys as a cluster on the Outer Ring Road. Haridwar: They chose to start operations in Haridwar since it is the gateway to all of Uttarakhand’s tourism locations, as well as a major pilgrimage centre. The hotel is scheduled to open on September 1st with 32 rooms, a restaurant, and a banquet hall. Mandu: This lovely city is now known for being a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Mandu’s history can be traced back to the Paramar era in the eighth century A.D. The resort is scheduled to open after renovation, by 1st of Oct with 23 rooms, a restaurant, banquet hall and a lawn for weddings. He also shared, “We also have future plans to launch TGI Hotels in other destinations like: Chennai l Coimbatore l Trichy l Madurai l Wayanad l Munnar l Alleppey l Mysore l Jaisalmer l Jodhpur.”

Highlighting about future plans of Summit Hotels, Sumit Mitruka, CEO & Founder, “Our plans are focused on extending our presence beyond hill stations. We are expanding ourselves to major leisure destinations. We are delighted to bring our properties to diverse destinations, combining luxury with authentic local experiences.”   

Bain & Company in their latest report on the Air Travel Forecast to 2030 titled The Recovery and the Carbon Challenge highlights that Asia intraregional air travel is anticipated to rise by 61% as compared to 2019.  It stated inflationary pressures are dampening aviation outlook.   

Sharing details about upcoming educational tours, Harmandeep Singh Anand, MD, GPS, says, “Within India, we have been doing tours in Ladakh. This year, after a gap of almost 3 years, we are looking at conducting it in South Africa, which is scheduled on 1st-15th Dec, 2023 for about 60-odd buyers

The current International Air Transport Association (IATA) report announced that the domestic demand for Indian airlines increased 14.8% in June and was 1.3% higher than in June 2019. Post-COVID recovery momentum continued in June for passenger markets.

Air India launched a new logo on Thursday as a part of their rebranding step after being acquired by Tata Group. The new logo and colour scheme were unveiled at an event in Delhi. N Chandrasekaran, Chairman, Tata Sons, launching the new logo during the event said, “signifies limitless possibilities.” The new colour scheme retains the bold red lettering of Air India but in a different font. The colour scheme also features a patch of red on the underbelly of planes with Air India written in white. The new look also re-imagines the iconic Indian window shape, historically used by Air India, into a gold window frame that becomes central to the new brand design system. It symbolises a ‘Window of Possibilities’. Subsequently, it was announced that Air India and Vistara, another subsidiary of Tata Sons, would be merged to create a more unified entity. This merger is projected to be completed by March 2024.

Government of India’s e-Medical Visa and e-Medical Attendant Visa is permitting triple entry and extension up to 6 months on case to case basis on merits of each case by the Foreigners Regional Registration Officers/Foreigners Registration Officer concerned. 

ADTOI celebrated its 27th Founders Day on 7th August 2023 at the Metropolitian, New Delhi. Association was constituted on 7th August, 1996 with a purpose of uniting and merging the efforts of all domestic tour operators actively trying to promote different regions of India. PP Khanna, President, ADTOI launched the ADTOI mobile app during the occasion. The mobile app in Android and IOS have been developed, the android version is already available and the IOS will be available within a week. Ved Khanna, Treasurer, ADTOI shared the reason behind the app, “The major reason was smooth functionality as domestic tour operators complained that they did not recieve mails or was unable to communicate or get in touch with the office bearers.” At the event, the ADTOI Founder Members and the past Presidents were honoured and facilitated for their vision and contributions to building the association. Also, on the occasion, the criteria for nomination for the AKR Awards were announced. The AKR AwardS was instituted by ADTOI, in memory of Anil Kumar Rajput, the travel Industry veteran who did groundbreaking work in researching and promoting new destinations.