The Ministry of External Affairs has eased the process of issue of passport by allowing applicants to submit any one of their photo identification cards with date of birth (DOB) as proof of DOB. Applicants of passports can submit any one of the following documents – Birth Certificate, PAN card, school certificate, Adhaar card, driving licence, or election card, etc. as proof of date of birth. The online passport application form now requires the applicant to provide the name of father or mother or legal guardian, i.e., only one parent and not both. This would enable single parents to apply for passports for their children and to also issue passports where the name of either the father or the mother is not required to be printed at the request of the applicant. The total number of Annexes prescribed in the Passport Rule, 1980, has been brought down to 9 from the present 15. No attestation/swearing by/before any Notary/Executive Magistrate/First Class Judicial Magistrate would be henceforth necessary. Married applicants would not be required to provide Annexure K or any marriage certificate.

Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation (MTDC) and Western Coalfields Limited (WCL) have entered into an agreement to allow tourists to visit the depth of a WCL coal mine in Saoner, tour an eco-park and visit the open cast mine in Gondegaon. To raise awareness about the importance of coal mining, the tourists will be taken inside Saoner Underground Mine No. 1 up to 1.5km from its entrance which is located about 37km from the city. A man riding system will take the tourists inside and WCL and a guide will facilitate this trip, taking them about 100m down from the ground surface. According to the five-year MoU signed between MTDC and WCL, the tourism facilities for visitors, bookings and marketing of the concept will be done by MTDC. Source: Economics Times

Jet Airways has announced that it will henceforth not permit carriage of power banks from any manufacturer in guests’ check-in baggage onboard all its flights. This, it said, is in the interest of safety and as mandated by the DGCA. However, guests may carry these charging devices in their cabin bags.

The Outbound Tour Operators’ Association of India (OTOAI) held its member’s meet in Ahmedabad for the first time on December 21, 2016 at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in the city. Attended by 90 invited guests, sponsors, and office bearers of OTOAI and the agenda for the meet was to introduce OTOAI to the tourism industry in the city,  use it as a networking event with Members of OTOAI and non members, with intention to increase the membership base in the state, informed Mahendra Vakharia, Chairman – Western Chapter, OTOAI. Apart from the networking, they had also included interesting mix of destination, product presentation and presentation by a professional GST expert, on the implications of GST in the industry. Guldeep Sahni, President, OTOAI and Riaz Munshi, Vice President, OTOAI, were also present at the meet.

Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation (MTDC) recently organised its first ‘Sarangkheda Festival’ from December 13-27 in order to boost tourism in Nandurbar. The festival witnessed the arrival of more than 2,000 horses at its market place which is also one of the largest horse fairs in the country. The festival also showcased horse dance show and powra, a tribal dance by the locals of Nandurbaug district. MTDC also organised a host of initiatives such as the Tourism Conclave, Uttar Maharashtra Ratna Gaurav Puraskar and Horse Painting exhibition. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis mentioned that the government is committed to take the Sarangkheda horse fair to a global platform and that the fair should become a brand on the lines of Pushkar’s camel fair. The Chief Minister and the Tourism Minister also spoke about positioning Nandurbaug as a tourist hub through Sarangkheda Festival. Jaykumar Jitendrasinh Rawal, Minister of Tourism, Government of Maharashtra said, “To give the state a further impetus in terms of tourism, Department of Tourism, Government of Maharashtra and MTDC organises various festival like Ajanta Ellora Festival, Nagpur Festival, Koradi Festival, Kalidas Festival and now the Sarangkheda Chetak festival and many more. To highlight the array of destinations and varied facets of Maharashtra, we plan to work towards development of proper infrastructure for tourists and utilise the budgets for the development of these destinations. One such festival, Sarangkheda Chetak Festival, which is a 500-year-old fair but, remained ignored for so many years. But, now, we are committed to take it to a global platform through development of infrastructure, marketing and branding. We also plan to have a horse museum for tourists that will enlighten them about the various qualities of breed, …

Shivantika Bon Voyage in association with Travelz Factory are opening their office in Northern Europe, intending on Baltic region which is yet to be explored enormously. We are established in all three Countries – Vilnius (Lithuania), Riga (Latvia) and Tallinn (Estonia) and Latvia (Riga). Their expertise lies in customised travel itineraries emphasising on Meeting and Incentive Guests. The itineraries can be altered as per the Groups requirement.  They will be offering series group departure for June’2017 with Breakfast and Dinner and also assist you for FIT movement for this region offering personalised and unique experiences for each client.

Skål Asian Area has confirmed the program for its 2017 Annual Congress and General Assembly which will take place in Bahrain from May 12 to 15, 2017 at Gulf Hotel in Manama. The Chief Executive of the Bahrain Tourism and Exhibition Authority, Sheikh Khalid Bin Humood Al Khalifa, has been invited to make the opening address. Keynote addresses are also expected from local tourism industry executives representing such organisations as the Bahrain Economic Development Board, the Bahrain Airport Company, Sabre and SITA. Arun Raghavan, Asian Area Secretary, Skål International, stressed the value of the delegate packages. He said, “We have worked hard on the Congress package pricing to attract high numbers of delegates from our member clubs ensure maximum value and return. The packages are competitively priced and represent remarkable value. The 2017 Congress in Bahrain presents a fantastic opportunity to meet and network with fellow industry professionals.” Early bird discounts on the total registration package are available for a limited period. Delegates have the option of staying at the Gulf Hotel, K-Hotel and Ramada Bahrain hotels in Manama city. Bahrain’s national carrier Gulf Air has pledged to provide a 30 per cent discount on air fares for all delegates. Robert Sohn, Skål Asian Area President, said, “The Skål Club in the Kingdom of Bahrain has done an amazing job in developing at this early stage the programme for our 2017 Congress and General Assembly. I pay tribute to Skål Bahrain President Mohamed Buzizi and his committee for their fantastic achievement. I am looking forward to welcoming to Bahrain David Fisher – the newly-elected President of Skål International – and Skål members from clubs across the Asia Pacific region.”

Travellers from India continue to be enticed by the diverse attractions and stunning tourism experiences on offer in Australia. In 2015, the destination achieved a milestone when it welcomed over 200,000 Indian travellers during the year. Adding another feather to it’s cap, Australia has now notched an impressive 253,100 arrivals from India as of year ended (YE) October 2016. This number reflected a growth of 11.3 per cent vis-a-vis the same period last year, making India the ninth largest inbound market for arrivals to Australia. The month of October 2016 alone saw 20,400 Indian arrivals to the destination, an impressive growth of 24 per cent over the same period in 2015. Most importantly, the holiday purpose of visit have driven the overall market growth with an impressive 20 per cent and 19 per cent increase in arrivals and spend respectively. Nishant Kashikar, Country Manager, India & Gulf, Tourism Australia, said, “Marketing activities, in collaboration with key distribution and airline partners, an increased thrust on digital initiatives, integration on leading television shows, and improved air connectivity between the two countries, have been key factors in boosting travel to Australia.” The Tourism Forecasting Committee (TFC) has predicted 265,000 visitors from India for the Jul 2016 – Jun 17 period, a 9.6 per cent increase over 2015-16. Arrivals from India are expected to perform well with an average annual financial year growth rate of 6.4 per cent through to the financial year 2021-22.

Etihad Holidays, the tour operating arm of the UAE’s national airline Etihad Airways, has launched in India, offering travellers a wide range of holiday packages to destinations worldwide. Etihad Holidays has teamed up with leading Indian travel company TUI to distribute its products to over 900 registered travel agents across India. Etihad Holidays has numerous travel options that include flights, accommodation and tour choices with stopovers in Etihad Airways’ Abu Dhabi hub. Agents have the opportunity to earn commissions by selling Etihad Holidays’ products. Commission levels range between five and 10 per cent on packages booked, dependent on class of travel. The packages are bookable through the VAX trade e-platform or through a local sales support team over the phone. Destinations across North America, Europe, Africa, Middle East, Gulf and Asia are featured in the packages. Popular markets from India include Abu Dhabi, capital of the United Arab Emirates, Dubai, the GCC, United States, Canada, European cities, as well as South Africa and the Indian Ocean. Among the most attractive packages is the Abu Dhabi Stopover Programme allowing guests to break their journey in the UAE capital and take advantage of the two-for-the price-of-one night accommodation offers. Neerja Bhatia, Etihad Airways Vice President Indian Subcontinent, said, “The strong presence of Etihad Airways and Jet Airways in one of the most dynamic markets in the world makes it a natural and compelling proposition for Etihad Holidays to launch in India. We have many exciting plans in India during the months ahead offering our guests more choice, greater travel options and increased flexibility to help them plan their flights and holidays.”

A new cross-border rail service to connect India with Bangladesh might get operational in January, to coincide with Bangladeshi Prime Minister Shaikh Hasina’s state visit to India. A senior Railway official reportedly said that the new route would connect Kolkata with Khulna. The 155km line between Kolkata and Bangladesh’s third largest city already handles freight traffic, but it will now carry passenger trains.