Yatra.com has unravelled its Unified Payment Interface (UPI) as a paying method for its website. Under the UPI system all bank account holders can send or receive money from their smartphones without the need for any net banking ID or password. Yatra.com has become the first OTA to offer UPI on its platform and has tied up with ICICI Bank for the technical integration of the payment method.

redBus has launched its latest service, called Bus Hire, which would offer customers mini-buses or tempo-travellers if they are seeking to hire buses. Bus Hire will provide a one-stop access to leading chartered bus providers in a particular city who offer best-in-class vehicles and superior service quality. The platform gives transparent and all-inclusive prices along with value added information such as bus photos and convenient payment options to help customers make an informed and suitable choice. This service is presently available in seven cities across India- Bangalore, Mumbai, Pune, Chennai, Hyderabad, Delhi, and Ahmedabad and is soon being extended to other towns. The range of vehicles that customers can choose from is very extensive, and includes luxury buses, regular buses, mini buses, tempo travellers and cars. Prakash Sangam, CEO, redBus.in, expressed his enthusiasm about the new service, commenting, “Often group travel such as corporate outings, weddings and pilgrimages require a full vehicle to be hired. There was no easy way for travellers to connect with multiple vehicle providers to hire a bus of their choice. With our new Bus Hire product, we aim to simplify the process by providing customers with a customised, transparent and quick method of evaluating and choosing among different vehicle options. For charter bus operators, it opens up another avenue for attracting customers and growing their business.” Once a customer provides basic details of his or her desired trip, the bus operators on redBus Bus Hire platform respond with quotations that are transparent and all-inclusive. The base fare, driver charges, tolls, permit fees and taxes are all specified in the quotations. Customers can also view images of the bus before they confirm a booking. Customers can …

The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) announces the 37th edition of Thailand’s largest domestic tourism fair- the Thailand Tourism Festival (TTF), which will be held at Bangkok’s Lumpini Park. TTF will highlight some of the fun and fascinating attractions that can be enjoyed by local and international tourists travelling in the kingdom with free admission. The festival, which coincides with Chinese New Year 2017, will be held during 25-29 January, 2017, and is expected to attract over 650,000 visitors with 90 per cent of these visitors predicted to travel in Thailand in 2017. These trips could generate up to 400 million Baht in revenue. Soraya Homchuen, Director of the Tourism Authority of Thailand in Mumbai, said, “Thailand Tourism Festival will give all our tourists and travellers something to look forward to in the New Year. The festival will see Lumpini Park transformed into a mini representation of the kingdom with replicas of landmarks and instances of cultural events from all the regions along with musical performances and Thai cuisine.” At the TTF 2017, activities will be organised with 10 zones that highlight ‘Thainess’ from the five main regions of Thailand – the North, Northeast, East, South and Central regions. Each of the zones will have demonstrations of the local culture and cuisine. The ten zones at the Thailand Tourism Festival include Botanical Gardens, Discover Thainess in Five Regions, Unique Culinary delights, TAT Zone, TAT Recommended routes, Outdoor Fest to introduce new style of travelling, Main stage with performances, China Town, Geology Zone and Selfie zone. Also at the TTF 2017, eco-friendly activities; such as, recycling will be promoted via fun games. This is aimed at moving Thailand’s tourism industry towards …

With a view to attract Omanis for tourism and business purposes, the Government of India has decided to grant multiple entry tourist and business visas valid for a period of five years. Each visit under Tourist Visa, however, shall not exceed 90 days. Tourist Visa holder will also not be required to register himself/herself. Similarly, multi-entry business visas will also be valid for five years with continuous stay during each visit not to exceed 180 days. The requirement of registration of Business Visa holders has also been done away with. In 2016, the Embassy of India in Muscat issued over 72,000 tourist visas and over 900 business visas. In order to further facilitate Omani patients visiting India for medical treatment, Government has decided to open separate counters at Immigration points for speedy and smooth clearance of Medical Visa holders, initially at six International Airports viz. Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Bengaluru and Hyderabad. Facilitation desks will also be available at these airports, which would have Arabic as well as Russian translators to help patients overcome the language barrier. This facility will be particularly useful for people of Oman visiting India for medical treatment. It may be noted that BLS Oman, which is responsible for accepting visa applications, has already opened a separate counter at their Muscat Centre to facilitate Medical Visa applicants. In 2016, a total of11612 Medical Visas and 8491 Medical Attendant visas were issued by the Embassy. Medical Attendants accompanying patients going to India for medical treatment are granted Medical Attendant Visa under the existing procedure. Source: Indian Emb of Oman

Starting January 2, 2017, Argentina will refund VAT to foreign tourists for lodging. This measure seeks greater flow of visitors, greater incomes of foreign exchange and the creation of new jobs. This policy reaches the services of lodging and breakfast. Other services that the guest takes at the hotel must be invoiced separately with “A” or “B” vouchers. The estimated impact of this measure, in a year of application, is the arrival of 95,000 new tourists, with an income of more than 70 million dollars, and it is expected to generate almost 8,000 new jobs. “The national government listened to a proposal made by the tourism sector in the last fifteen years. The reimbursement of VAT for accommodation to foreign visitors is already a fact, after a decade and a half of postponements, “said the Minister of Tourism of the Nation, Gustavo Santos. “The norm we promote includes all contracting in the area of accommodation of non-resident tourists and includes direct purchase as the one made through travel agencies. We seek that the entire chain of Argentine tourist value is competitive and of good quality, “said Santos. The return of VAT to accommodation services will be made to people who through their passport or ID card prove their residence abroad and pay by credit card issued abroad or bank transfer originated outside the boundaries of Argentina. The requirements are: accomodation must be registered in the AFIP. Likewise, the agencies must also be registered with VAT and be qualified by the Ministry of Tourism of the Nation. The VAT rebate proposes to regulate a system that improves competitiveness, since foreign tourists will automatically pay a lower rate for the accommodation service …

Representation company Global Destinations has added three new partners to its portfolio in 2017: AlliedTPro, Infinity Escapades and Leisure Pass Group. The companies will be represented from the Mumbai office of Global Destinations, along with its 18 other partners, starting January 1, 2017. With the new additions, Global Destinations will be representing travel companies from continents across the globe. Speaking about getting their new partners on board, Pranav Kapadia, Founder, Global Destinations, says, “We are very excited about our new partnership with three esteemed companies – AlliedTPro, Infinity Escapades and Leisure Pass Group. Each company is a leader in its segment and the alliances will enable us to provide our stakeholders a whole new variety of offerings. 2016 has been a good year for us with the addition of new products to our portfolio and being announced as the GSA for Air New Zealand in India.” While AlliedTPro, head-quartered in New York, is a major in the USA and Canada inbound market, Infinity Escapades is a full-service Travel Management Company from Morocco and Leisure Pass Group is a sightseeing and tourism technology specialist that develops and manages city passes.

InterContinental Hotel Group (IHG) has promoted Greesh Bindra to the post of Regional General Manager (RGM) of North & West India hotels in South West Asia. With an extensive experience of over 33 years across various brands, Bindra has been with IHG for almost 15 years. He has completed his General Managers Program with Cornell University in 2006 and has also won many awards including the Best General Manager at India Travel Awards in 2015. As the Regional General Manager, Bindra will further contribute to IHG’s growth in the northern Indian markets. Being based in Crowne Plaza Greater Noida, he will oversee the performance of the company’s 13 hotels within the region. Aside from his professional background, he is a dedicated sportsperson who spends his free time playing golf and other sports activities.

Vistara has announced the addition of Amritsar and Leh to its network, starting March 1, 2017, and March 25, 2017, respectively. Vistara will fly direct flights from Delhi to the holy city of Amritsar from March 1, 2017, and from Mumbai, starting March 8, 2017. The airline will operate direct flights between Delhi and Leh on weekends from March 25, 2017 and thereafter, increase the frequency to daily flights starting May 10, 2017 onwards. Tickets are available for booking, starting Jan 6. Flights to Amritsar will initially operate 6 days a week from both Delhi and Mumbai (daily except Mondays), and will increase to daily flights in the summer. Leh flights will also increase from weekends only to daily flights in the summer. Commenting on the network expansion, Phee Teik Yeoh, CEO, Vistara, said “We are very excited to begin the New Year with the addition of two new destinations to our growing network. The expansion further cements Vistara’s position in the domestic market as a committed player in the Indian aviation sector. An enormous number of pilgrims and tourists visit Amritsar throughout the year to pray at the Golden Temple and the city also draws visitors from across the globe for its rich culture and cuisine. Amritsar being among the 27 new smart cities to be developed by the Ministry of Urban Development, the city will also attract business travelers in time to come. Leh is another special tourist destination that has emerged to be a favorite amongst millions of Indians. Its Buddhist sites, nearby trekking areas and amazing landscapes are increasingly finding place in the bucket lists of global and local travelers. Both these destinations fit perfectly into …

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.