FAITH believes that levying of service charge on invoices is a healthy, cashless practice designed to motivate staff through an additional financial incentive. Levy & proportionate distribution of ‘service charges’ enable enhanced financial support to staff from lower economic groups. FAITH has requested ‘urgent’ intervention of Secretary-Tourism, Government of India, Secretary-Consumer Affairs, Deputy Secretary-Consumer Affairs, & Tourism Secretaries of all state governments, on the issue. The association has recommended a retraction to be released from MCA to secretaries – food, civil supplies & consumer protection. FAITH has opined, that service charges wherever they are levied on invoices, are pre-disclosed on the menu, where it normally says that ‘service charges & government taxes as applicable are extras’. Whenever consumers order, it is implied that they are legally aware of that food service establishment’s disclosed commercial policies and offer of sale. Service tax is thereafter, levied on service charge which is remitted to department of revenue and adds to our country’s indirect tax collections. Once they are disclosed and thereafter accepted by the consumer, it is thus not an unfair consumer practice. FAITH has voiced concern that the ‘letter ‘ by Ministry of Consumer Affairs may create confusion in the minds of diners when they eat out. Additionally, it has the potential to create an unhealthy distrust towards food service establishments among those diners who may not be able to discern distinction between service charge & service tax. Furthermore, if service charges start getting disputed by consumers, it may create unwanted litigation hotel / restaurants & department of revenue, since service tax is levied on all service charges on invoices. All in all, there is scope for large scale litigation & a …

To connect better with its members and the partners, Network of Indian MICE Agents (NIMA) will soon be launching its android-based mobile application “Let’s Connect” Version 1.0 later this month. “NIMA always strives to add value for its members, and this mobile application is one such innovative step,” said Gajesh Girdhar, National Coordinator, NIMA. Maj. Vikrant Gulani (Retd.), Coordinator PR said that NIMA’s mobile App will take the MICE operators to a digital networking platform. The official website www.thenima.in will also be re-launched with new look and additional features, he added.

Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation (MTDC) has opened Maharashtra Institute of Hotel Management and Catering Technology in Solapur district, approved by Ministry of India Tourism in collaboration with Central Government and State Government. It was inaugurated on 5 January. Minister of Tourism, Government of Maharashtra, Jaykumar Jitendrasinh Rawal, stated, “The hospitality and tourism industry in Maharashtra is expected to grow at a rapid pace between now and 2025. This institute will be a prime institute in the field of hospitality education in Solapur. The decision to foray into hospitality education comes with the intention of bridging the demand supply gap created within the food service sector,  particularly the restaurant and fast food business outlets, which lack skilled manpower. MTDC intends to provide food services in clean and hygienic environments, mainly in the interiors of Maharashtra. The institute will try to address these critical issues by training students. The institute will also have tourism MTDC branch for tourists. The tourism department is also working on constructing a textile museum which will offer the new generation a glimpse of the bygone era. We also plan to build a resort for tourist in Pandharpur, Solapur district which will be operational soon.   Solapur district will soon be announced as the spiritual destination place and will have a tourist circuit available for all. MTDC will soon implement on building an information center near Siddheswar temple which will provide appropriate information to the tourists.

Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority (RAKTDA) has announced a strategic partnership with TUI India Pvt. Ltd. to promote and enhance its presence in the Indian market. With this alliance, Ras Al Khaimah TDA aims to further strengthen the key aspects of the destination amongst the Indian audience. The partnership will come into effect from January 1, 2017. The agreement includes promotion of the emirate by TUI India Pvt. Ltd through specially created itineraries, special promotions on its consumer website as well as a series of co-op activities and campaigns. Haitham Mattar, CEO, RAKTDA, said, “India is one of the top source markets for us, we are aiming to enhance strategic efforts to drive awareness across India through our dynamic marketing campaigns and relationships with key partners in the public and private sectors. We are glad to begin the New Year with an association with such a renowned travel company and are looking forward to welcome more Indian tourists in future.” Vishal Sinha, CEO, TUI India Pvt. Ltd, added, “Ras Al Khaimah is quickly becoming a leading choice for Indian travellers of all ages. We will focus on creating attractive packages and aggressive promotion of the destination through right mix of media channels.” With India ranked as the emirate’s fourth largest international source market, RAKTDA has seen extensive trade and promotional activities to ensure continued growth from the Subcontinent. As per the latest official data, the northern UAE emirate recorded a 19 per cent rise in Indian hotel guests between January and November in 2016 when compared to the same period in 2015.

Sarovar Hotels has opened a new hotel in Delhi NCR, The Muse Sarovar Portico, Kapashera. Marking the group’s focused expansion plan, The Muse Sarovar Portico Kapashera will be followed by openings in Nairobi, Ranchi, Jaisalmer and Amritsar this year. With easy access to the domestic and international airports, The Muse Sarovar Portico targets both business and leisure travellers and offers 73 rooms, three ballrooms together have an area of 6900 square feet and can accommodate up to 600 people. Speaking on the occasion, Ajay K. Bakaya, Exeutive Director, Sarovar Hotels Pvt. Ltd., says, “We are glad to be opening the year with this important addition to our portfolio. Strategically positioned, The Muse Sarovar Portico is convenient to commute to and from the airport making travel easy for frequent travellers. Excellent banquet and conference facilities are the prime services we aim to focus on here”

TrawellTag Cover-More will conduct its Travel Agents Engagement Program (TAEP) for members of the Enterprising Travel Agents Association (ETAA) of non-IATA travel agents in Kolkata and Hyderabad in February 2017. The first session will be conducted in Kolkata on February 4, 2017 followed by Hyderabad on February 10, 2017. It will be conducted by corporate trainer Aman Kaushik who has done similar sessions for the trade in the past. Jagat Mehta, President, ETAA, says, “Our insurance partner TrawellTag Cover-More has designed a program especially for our members which is focused on up-selling and cross-selling skill development. The ‘Travel  Agents  Engagement Program’ has proved to be a productive step towards achieving higher quality of travel ancillary sales, increasing penetration and improving cross-selling skills among travel agents.” ETAA is scheduled to hold its second Domestic Convention at Leonia Resorts, Hyderabad from March 3 to 5, 2017.

ITDC made a debut entry at the NSE listing. The market has resulted in a surge and stocks are up over 15%. India Tourism Development Corporation (ITDC) surged 18% to Rs 209 on the BSE in intra-day trade ahead of its listing on the National Stock Exchange (NSE) on Friday, December 30, 2016. India Tourism Development Corporation has informed BSE that the listing of equity shares of ITDC in NSE has been approved vide its letter dated December 28, 2016 and the equity shares shall be listed and admitted to dealings on NSE w.e.f. December 30, 2016. Shares of India Tourism Development Corporation got listed at Rs 229 on NSE, registering a premium of 7.87 per cent over its issue price of Rs 212.30. The stock touched an early high of Rs 234, registering a jump of 10.22 per cent over its issue price. It finally ended the day at Rs 211, down 0.61 per cent from its issue price.On the volume front, a total of 1,22,798 shares of the company were traded on NSE. On BSE, where it had listed earlier, the scrip settled at Rs 212.8, up 0.24 per cent from the previous close. It had opened at Rs 228 and jumped 10.06 per cent to an intra-day high of Rs 233.65. On September 2, the company’s board had sent an application to NSE regarding listing of its shares with the bourse. ITDC, which came into existence in October 1966, runs hotels and restaurants at various places for tourists, besides providing transport facilities. It also produces, distributes and sells tourist publicity literature and provides entertainment and duty free shopping facilities to tourists.

In the wake of a statement issued by the Department of Consumer Affairs on Jan 02, 2017 implying Service Charge billed by restaurants are optional, the Hotel and Restaurant Association of Western India (HRAWI) has come out with a clarification to all industry stakeholders. In a letter to the Department of Consumer Affairs, the Federation of Hotel and Restaurant Associations of India (FHRAI) the apex body of hotels and restaurants, has appealed for withdrawal of the advisory as it has been creating chaos and disruption in the smooth functioning of restaurants across the country. The association has clarified that there is nothing illegal about levying the fee and has citied judgements by the National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission, New Delhi which is the highest consumer forum of the country as well as by the Hon’ble Supreme Court, which have upheld the legitimacy of this practice. The association has pointed out to cases in which the practice of levying a Service Charge has been upheld by the law. In one of the cases, the National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission, New Delhi in Nitin Mittal vs. Pind Baluchi, (2012) NCDRC 444 the Association has been advised that such a practice is not an “unfair trade practice” within the Consumer Protection Act. In another case, the Hon’ble Supreme Court too has specifically acknowledged the practice of including “service charge” in the bill by hoteliers and other cases in lower courts which too have recognized the practice. “Service charge is the amount paid to the staff of the restaurant or other similar establishments. An establishment may choose to include this amount in the bill itself and the percentage may vary from 5 per cent …

Vistara now allows check-in services at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport to international passengers through partnerships with Air France, KLM and Japan Airlines. The Singapore Airlines’ Indian carrier aims to streamline international connections and improve convenience as passengers who avail this service will receive their boarding passes for all sectors of their journey and baggage will also be checked through to the final destination. “The through check-in facility will offer great convenience to customers connecting from domestic routes on Vistara to our foreign airline partners, while allowing inbound passengers to seamlessly,” said Sanjiv Kapoor, Vistara’s chief strategy & commercial officer. “We are delighted to partner with leading global airlines, Air France, KLM and Japan Airlines, in addition to our existing partnership with Singapore Airlines and SilkAir, and look forward to working together in providing a hassle-free air travel experience to our joint customers.”

To continue welcoming record visitation and boost winter travel in 2017, NYC & Company has unveiled a new ‘Nonstop NYC’ program comprising its popular NYC Restaurant Week (Jan. 23-Feb.10), NYC Broadway Week (Jan. 17-Feb. 5) and NYC Off-Broadway Week (Feb. 27-Mar. 12). On the heels of the success of these programs, NYC & Company is proud to announce the first-ever NYC Attractions Week. The organisation is also expanding its ‘See Your City’, ‘See it for Yourself’ and Official NYC Family Ambassador campaigns to further encourage travel in 2017. The City welcomed an all-time record 60.3 million visitors by 2016 end, surpassing the 60 million visitor milestone for the first time ever. Fred Dixon, NYC & Company’s President and CEO, said, “We are proud to exceed our forecast this year and welcome an all-time record 60.3 million visitors, achieving a new tourism milestone for New York City. The appeal of the ‘New’ New York alongside our classic attractions continue to draw travelers from every corner of the globe. We invite visitors and locals to take advantage of all the nonstop and affordable NYC experiences on offer this winter as well as the opportunities to discover our City’s multicultural neighborhoods in all five boroughs.” This year, travelers from international markets will comprise an estimated 12.65 million international visitors, which is an all-time high. Among all visitors, meetings delegates will comprise 6.15 million people. In 2017, NYC & Company is forecasting the City will welcome approximately 61.8 million visitors with 13.1 million international visitors. To capitalise on the growing family travel segment, NYC & Company will continue into 2017 its Official NYC Family Ambassador program featuring Nickelodeon’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.