Rajiv Mehra, President, IATO and Secretray General, FAITH, has said that ever since visa issuance has been initiated, 1,25,000 e-visas & 50,000 paper visas have been issued. Speaking about the 5 lakh free e-visas limit till 31st March “We are after the government for extending the time limit and it is being looked into. When Ministry of Home Affairs announces the restoration of all visas, I think this will also be addressed to some extent,” he added.

Austrian National Tourist Office (ANTO) is organising a webinar titled ‘Tirol-Your dream destination 2022’ for the travel trade on Friday 25th February, 2022 at 3pm IST. Attendees would be able to explore the various offerings of Tirol through the online show. Register on https://event.webinarjam.com/register/366/rymlobq7 or contact jaspreet.kaur@ddppl.com or call +91 9650196532.

Muttamsetti Srinivasa Rao, Tourism Minister, urged that tourism officers look into other strategies to entice traders and organise traders’ meets, stating that it could provide a platform to engage with traders from various segments and give the tourism sector a boost. Since, last year’s investors’ meet in Vizag drew a positive response. He said that the government’s new tourist strategy was also investor-friendly.

ANA HOLDINGS INC. (hereafter “ANA HD”)  has been awarded Gold Class status in the S&P Global Sustainability Awards for 2022, making it the first and only firm in the aviation industry to do so. In 2018, 2019, and 2021, ANA was appointed to S&P Global’s premium Gold Class rating. This is the latest in a long history of environmental, social, and governance (ESG) accolades for ANA HD, which has also been honoured by other organisations such as the Dow Jones Sustainability Index. Out of the 7,554 firms assessed, ANA HD was one of only 75 companies (including four Japanese companies) to get Gold Class designation from S&P Global, putting the ANA Group in the top 1%. Companies are rated Gold, Silver, or Bronze based on their contributions to the economy, environment, and society. Companies with a very excellent track record are granted Gold, Silver, or Bronze ratings.

The matter regarding extending the validity of the approval/ recognition of the existing stakeholders (tour operators/ travel agents/tourist transport operators) given by the Ministry of Tourism and grant of provisional recognition for the new agencies in view of crisis caused due to the Covid-19 pandemic has been considered in the Ministry. It has been decided to give extension to the existing validity of the tour operators, travel agents and tourist transport operators upto 30.06.2022.

Kerala Tourism Minister Riyas, speaking at a press conference in Dubai on the sidelines of the Kerala Week at Expo 2020, said the state is eager to collaborate with UAE-based investors and Non-Resident Keralites (NRKs) in writing a new story of growth and development in key sectors, particularly tourism, as the state recovers from the covid-induced crisis.

Dr. Arun Kumar Mehta, the Chief Secretary of Jammu and Kashmir, launched the Tourism Department’s integrated web platform on Tuesday, which will give a one-stop solution for tourists and visitors, as well as online booking. The portal will provide information about tourism in J&K, as well as associated enterprises such as Tourism Development Authorities, J&K Cable Car Corporation, golf courses, and so on.

G. Kishan Reddy, the Union Culture Minister, will launch the summit. It will focus on best practises and strategies to develop India’s museums. The Global Summit will bring together prominent figures, domain experts, and practitioners from India and around the world to explore best practises and strategies in the field of museum development and management. The Summit is being held in collaboration with Bloomberg.

The committee suggested that government rework its website in a more user-friendly manner in its report, that was tabled in Parliament. The tax policy applicable to the travel and tourism sector should be reviewed, according to parliamentary standing committee, in order to enhance India’s share in the global tourism market from 1.24 percent to 5%.

KB Kachru, Chairman Emeritus & Principal Advisor, South Asia, Radisson Hotel Group & VP, HAI about the growth plans for RHG, shared, “Our resort and overall getaway locations are doing well because of domestic tourists. In the last two years domestic tourism has been a huge opportunity. We are growing at the rate of almost one hotel a month, both in opening and signing new deals.”