Bhubaneswar is set to get a second airport to reduce congestion at the existing one, according to the Civil Aviation Ministry. The airport registered a growth of 39.4 per cent in 2017-18 fiscal, making it one of the fastest growing airports in the country. “Identification of a suitable land to build a second airport near Khurda on the outskirts of Bhubaneswar has been initiated. The set-up process will be fast tracked. The new airport will traffic congestion while improving passenger convenience,” the ministry tweeted. Earlier this month, Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Dharmendra Pradhan had urged Civil Aviation Minister Suresh Prabhu to set up a new airport on the outskirts of the city as the existing airport was nearing saturation. “The airport, which was started in 1962, is near saturation and faces severe space and runway-related constraints. There is, thus, an urgent need to set up a new airport at Bhubaneswar given the tremendous growth potential of this smart city,” he had said in a letter to Prabhu. Source:PTI

Indian start-ups Sakha Consulting Wings: Women on Wheels and Global Himalayan Expedition were awarded this year’s highest grants of €325k and €400k respectively by Booking.com. The company has announced the 10 sustainable tourism start-ups receiving scaling grants as part of its 2018 Booking Booster accelerator programme. After three weeks of workshops and intensive coaching sessions, the programme culminated in a final pitch to receive grants of up to €500k from Booking.com’s €2 million fund to help support the next stage of the startups’ projected growth. The 10 teams of finalists pitched their scaling plans to a live audience and panel of expert judges in Amsterdam. “We are delighted that two startups from India with great ideas focused on sustainable tourism were a part of the grand finale and both have received a combined total grant of €7.25 lakhs. Our aim is to build a network of like-minded organisations and individuals that are leveraging technology to create a more sustainable future for destinations worldwide,” said Ritu Mehrotra, Country Manager – India, Booking.com on the sidelines of the Booking Booster finale held at Tobacco theatre, Amsterdam. All the startups that participated in the program will receive 12 months of ongoing mentoring and coaching from a strategic mix of Booking.com experts representing all parts of the business, as well as opportunities and access to collaborate with Booking.com on potential innovation initiatives and experiments to help accelerate their future growth.

Sterling Holidays plans to come out with a travel insurance scheme for its customers from June 4. The scheme will cover door-to-door holiday insurance from departure to arrival. “Companies in India do not offer comprehensive insurance to customers. So, this scheme will cover for mishap as also for lost or missed baggage. The aim is to cover the customer for the entire trip,” said Ramesh Ramanathan, Managing Director, Sterling Holidays. The launch got delayed due to backend work and testing, he said. Now, members as well as non-members can get the benefit of this plan. The firm has tied up with Digit Insurance, a part of the Fairfax group. The hospitality firm plans to expand to Rajasthan, Coorg, and Port Blair. The company is keen on Varanasi too. “One of the oldest cities in the world, it (Varanasi) has heritage, history and is also attracting lot of visitors both Indians as well as foreigners. Also, in the last three years, a lot of focus is being given on its cleaning up,” said Ramanathan. The company plans to double its inventory from 2,200 to 4,500 rooms in three-four years and aims to increase the number of resorts to over 50. Source: The Hindu Business Line

According to a recent research study by Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA), India is set to welcome increased international visitor arrivals over the next five years with an average annual growth rate of 14.5 per cent from South Asia between 2018 and 2022. Bangladesh is anticipated to top the chart (with a 17 per cent increase) of IVAs to India, followed by Afghanistan which is forecast to transcend Sri Lanka in the growth table with an average annual increase of 14.8 per cent over the same period. Nepal closely follows, expecting a rise of 11.5 per cent annually.

KJ Alphons, Minister of State (I/C), Tourism, Government of India, has launched the Indian Adventure Tourism Guidelines along with Rashmi Verma, Secretary, Tourism; Satyajeet Rajan, Director General, Tourism; Suman Billa, Joint Secretary, Tourism and Swadesh Kumar, President, Adventure Tourism Association of India (ATOAI). A total of 26 activities have been covered in the guidelines including land, air and water based activities. The guidelines have been put in place to make the unorganised sector to adopt them. These guidelines will be reviewed every three months. In an effort to make adventure sports safer, the set of guidelines lists out the basic minimum standards required for adventure tourism activities in India. Adventure tourism has grown rapidly over the past few years playing a vital role in the economic growth of India as well as attracting a large number of travellers from across the globe to the country. The sole aim is to help adventure tour operators understand and execute safety guidelines in a better manner. These guidelines cover activities like mountaineering, trekking, bungee jumping, paragliding, kayaking, scuba diving, snorkelling, river rafting and many other sports.

Treebo has announced its acquisition of Events High, a marketplace for experiential events and activities for an undisclosed amount. Events High’s acquisition is strategically aligned with Treebo’s mission to become India’s most loved travel network by delivering delightful experiences to every traveller. Events High offers customers information on, and ability to book activities like treks and hikes, cooking classes, dance classes, concerts, heritage walks, nightlife, etc. in eight cities – Bengaluru, Mumbai, Delhi, Chennai, Hyderabad, Pune, Kolkata and Goa. The move will effectively enable Treebo to enter the thriving events and activities segment in India. Post the acquisition, Treebo has absorbed the entire Events High team. Commenting on the acquisition, Sidharth Gupta, Co-founder, Treebo said, “We are on a mission to offer delightful experiences to travellers and build the most loved travel network by offering curated local events and activities to our customers through Events High. Experiencing these local activities is a core part of people’s travel plans. More so now than ever before, people are keen to buy ‘experiences’ not ‘things’.” Nikesh Garera, Co-founder and CEO, Events High said, “Customers value engagement and unique experiences, and Events High has always been committed to curate these experiences and make them discoverable. Stay is an integral part of the huge number of travellers who attend such experiences, and with Treebo we share the vision to offer delightful experiences to such travellers.”

ITC Hotels has announced the addition of ITC Kohenur in Hyderabad as the 12th hotel to join its luxury portfolio from today. Located in the heart of Hyderabad’s new business district overlooking the picturesque Durgam Cheruvu Lake, the hotel endeavours to create ‘rare and priceless’ experiences through its super-premium offerings – 271 high technology-enabled rooms, suites and service apartments, six culinary brands, meeting and convention spaces, and Kaya Kalp spa. Located in HITEC city, the architecture and design of the hotel mirror the facets of the feted jewel by bringing to life art, culture, cuisine and heritage of the region in a contemporary milieu. Inspirations range from the striking boulders of Hyderabad to the famous Bidri work, showcase of local arts and crafts to presenting the rich culinary legacy of the region. A stand-out in-room tech feature is the amalgamation of all services through the E-Butler iPad. The hotel also features nine versatile meeting, banquet and conference spaces. This includes the pillar-less Deccan State room, which can be divided into two separate halls, each with its own pre-function area. The hotel also boasts of two sprawling outdoor venues, the Pearl Deck & the Golconda greens that are perfect for a range of theme events, corporate functions, celebrations and parties.

In an effort to encourage more Indian travellers to visit Israel, the country has reduced its visa fee to INR 1,100 from its previous INR 1,700 charge for Indian citizens. VFS Global currently offers visa processing services for Israeli visas in the cities of Mumbai, Delhi and Bengaluru. Centres will soon open in Hyderabad and Kolkata to service the residents in these cities, who will not be required to send their documents to the Consulates in Mumbai and Bengaluru or the Embassy in New Delhi. The revised application fee is on the B2 visa category, where a visit to Israel is for purposes including business, meeting or conference or tourism. Commenting on the initiatives, Hassan Madah, Director, Israel Ministry of Tourism – India & Philippines said, “We are happy to announce the reduction in visa fees for Indian travellers with immediate effect. I am confident that this move will encourage more people to choose Israel as a holiday destination and boost inbound numbers from India. I am confident that the revised visa fees will help grow the numbers.” In September 2017, the Ministry introduced one-year multiple entry visas for business travellers to Israel. Steps are being taken towards bringing more changes to make the process faster and easier for Indian travellers to visit Israel.

Singapore Tourism Board invites tenderers for the appointment of a Marketing Representative agency for South India (with offices in Bengaluru and Chennai) The Singapore Tourism Board (STB) India Regional Office invites bids from professional and well-connected marketing representative agencies, with strong in-market knowledge and travel trade networks to promote Destination Singapore and help grow visitor-ship from South India to Singapore. The appointment will be for one year, commencing September/October 2018, with an option to extend for an additional year. To receive the tender documents, please email mumbai@stb.gov.sg and quote reference number: STB/MUMD/18-19/LT2. Quotations will be accepted by email only. Please read the instructions indicated in the tender documents carefully. Opening date of the tender is May 31, 2018 (Thursday). The tender closes on June 18 (Monday) at 15:00 hours (3.00 PM) India Standard Time. Any enquiries regarding the specifications are to be made by email to mumbai@stb.gov.sg or via phone at (+91-22) 6608 3200.

Ginger Hotels, operated by Roots Corporation, has signed a new hotel in Jhansi, Uttar Pradesh. This will be Ginger’s first hotel in Jhansi, a city that is amongst those selected for the ‘Smart City’ initiative by Government of India. Ginger Jhansi will have 76 rooms, an all-day diner, and a meeting room. Located exactly opposite the railway station, the proposed hotel is a convenient option for travellers visiting the historic city of Jhansi for business or leisure. The hotel is a greenfield development and is slated to open by late 2020. “We are delighted to partner with Khard Hotels for the new Ginger hotel and to set foot in the historic city of Jhansi in Uttar Pradesh. This will be the first branded hotel in the city,” says Deepika Rao, Managing Director & Chief Executive Officer, Ginger Hotels. The Ginger portfolio has 45 operating hotels across 32 cities, with another eight hotels in the pipeline. The Indian Hotels Company, of which Roots Corporation is a subsidiary, has five hotels in the state of Uttar Pradesh – The Gateway Hotel Fatehabad Road Agra; Vivanta and Ginger in Gomti Nagar, Lucknow; Taj Nadesar Palace Varanasi and The Gateway Ganges Varanasi.