Jyotiraditya Scindia, Union Civil Aviation Minister, met with airline and airport operators to deliberate on a roadmap for infra and processes to cater to record growth projections for air passenger numbers. “With a whole of govt approach, we are committed to facilitate better processing.”

The recently released report by Visa and EY has revealed that India is expected to receive 30.5 million international travelers for spiritual purposes by 2028. It also says that there will be a huge surge in international spiritual tourism into India to complement domestic spiritual travel, which is estimated to be 60 percent of the total domestic travel in India.

The Lok Sabha passed additional amendments to Finance Bill, which mentions that any payment made with a credit card to foreign vendors (such as for hotel and airline bookings, gaming, subscriptions to software/magazines/memberships, etc.), will be subjected to TCS at 20% irrespective of the amount paid. Credit card payments for foreign travel can be now brought under RBI’s Liberalised Remittance Scheme, announced Nirmala Sitharaman in the Lok Sabha.  

The latest ICRA report has mentioned that for FY2022-23, domestic air passenger traffic was around 1360 lakh, a YoY growth of roughly 60%, and marginally lower by 4% compared to 1416 lakh in FY2019-20. It was up than ICRA’s estimate of 1300-1350 lakh.

Visa EY tourism report titled “Charting the Course for India – Tourism Megatrends Unpacked” released by Alfred F. Kelly Jr., Executive Chairman, Visa, and Amitabh Kant, G20 Sherpa at ASSOCHAM’s India Tourism Conference 2023. (Left to right: Deepak Sood, Secretary General, ASSOCHAM; Alfred F. Kelly Jr., Executive Chairman, Visa; Amitabh Kant, G20 Sherpa; and, Ajay Singh, President, ASSOCHAM & CMD, SpiceJet).

The availability of direct flights is a game-changer for the travel agents in Odisha. Debjit Dutta, Director & CEO, of Impression Tourism Services, said, “With improved connectivity, the state is more accessible to visitors. It will also open new markets and business opportunities.

Riaz Munshi, President, OTOAI said, “The merger of Air India and Vistara, is a positive development. Air India has struggled to compete in the aviation market for years, and the merger will make it one of the biggest airlines globally and a national carrier for India.

Festivals and events are a significant driver of tourism. Ministry of Tourism aims to promote and develop our numerous festivals across the regions and seasons as tourism products and experiences drawing Indian and foreign tourists to these festivals, the ministry said.

Travel is returning with a vengeance-as people look forward to reconnecting, exploring new destinations, and revisiting reliable favorites. Many people simply want to get away from the confines of their homes. Take in the crisp mountain air at this boutique luxury property in Uttarakhand.  The estate offers many places for you to relax, eat home-cooked meals, or just read your favorite book under the shade of the decks and gardens around it. Each of these three villas features warm wooden interiors that contrast with a cool blue view. Sizeable windows look out to fruit trees, flowers, and snow-capped Himalayas. Guests are given access to entire 4800sq ft villas, which consist of three bedrooms with en-suite bathrooms, an attic room, a living room, a fully-functional private kitchen, a dining room, and private balconies. But the real showstopper here is the solarium, where you can dine under the stars or simply soak in the sun’s warmth while enjoying the feeling of being outdoors. During the day, the team can also set up local treks for you, plan a forest lunch or drive you to a nearby sunset point for an evening of soaking in great Himalayan views.  You can reach here within six hours, either by driving from Delhi NCR or Chandigarh tri-city, or by driving two hours from Rishikesh and the Dehradun airport.  The Kaudia Estate offers all the amenities that a luxury boutique property can give. A stunning setting of mountains and Kaudia Forest surrounds Kanatal Tehri, offering breathtaking views and scenery. This region extends from the Kaudia range to the Saklana range, which is still unexplored and therefore intact with nature’s beauty.      Arvind Srivastava, Co-founder  With over 30 years of …

Café Akasa, Akasa Air’s onboard meal service, has added a special festive meal to celebrate Mother’s Day. This exclusive meal is available until 31 May across the network. All Café Akasa meals are a unique blend of traditional and contemporary flavors specially curated by culinary experts. This curation includes a flavourful Methi Thepla with Sweet Mango Pickle, served with unique and indulgent gourmet French-inspired Dhokla filled with Green Chutney, accompanied by a seasonal Mango Shrikhand and a choice of beverage. The delectable meal has been created to reminisce the memories of moments spent around the family table and offers the airline’s customers the same comforting flavors of a mom-cooked meal, in the skies. Since the launch of operations in August 2021, Akasa Air has introduced specially curated meal options that are inspired by regional specialties associated with celebrations during popular festivals and special occasions like Ganesh Chaturthi, Dussehra, Diwali, Christmas, Makar Sankranti, Valentine’s Day, Holi, and Eid al-Fitr. The airline also offers a pre-selection of cakes on its regular menu for flyers who want to celebrate the birthdays of their loved ones in the skies. About Cafe Akasa Akasa Air’s buy-on-board meal service is Café Akasa. With a wide choice of multi-cuisine, tasty, quality, and healthy meals, including industry-first options, the offering provides customers with a unique and indulgent gourmet experience in the skies. An array of unique festival menus and quality fusion meal offerings, inspired by Indian cuisines and celebrations as well as industry-first options like pasta, Vietnamese rice rolls, and beverages like hot chocolate are available on board, all year round. As an environmentally progressive airline, Akasa Air’s packaging of perishable meals is ethically sourced from sustainably grown …