Category Archives: Agents

In an effort to bring back tourism to India, 12 inbound operators will travel to Rajasthan between 6-9 August, 2020. The initiative named ‘Unlocking Tourism – India is Ready’ will have a 20-people contingent visiting offbeat destinations of Rajasthan namely Tijara, Kesroli, Talabgaon and Geejgarh. The idea was conceived in a Whatsapp group called ‘Inbound Fraternity’ and was further initiated by Sanjay Razdan, Managing Director of Razdan Holidays, and Sunil Misra, Managing Director of Cosmos Travel.

In a series of online meetings, 35 registered trade associations representing different tourism sectors from Kerala unanimously decided to continue under one organisation called Confederation of Kerala Tourism Industry (CKTI). They re-elected EM Najeeb as President. A 65-member committee and 35-member Task force was also formed. Sajeev Kurup, Former Secretary of KTM Society, has been elected as the General Secretary. The main aim of CKTI is to ensure survival and then revival of the industry during and after the pandemic.

Air India, in a circular, has written to the travel agents against overcharging for the Vande Bharat Mission (VBM) flights. The national carrier has recently opened the Vande Bharat Mission flight booking for travel agents and other OTAs. Now, they have warned travel agents against overcharging for VBM flights and said that if any agents found doing the same, they will lose their authority to sell Air India tickets. Air India has asked passengers to check fares on https://bit.ly/309voT7 and not overpay for Vande Bharat Mission flights.

According to an RBI survey, the aviation, automobiles, construction, MSME, and tourism & hospitality sectors would be the hardest-hit by COVID-19 pandemic. The bank carried out a systemic risk survey ‘to capture the perceptions of experts, including market participants, on the major risks faced by the financial system’.  Within the tourism sector, around 90 per cent of the respondents stated that the ‘prospects of recovery within the sector in the next 6 months appear bleak’. The aviation sector appears to be a close second, with nearly 85 per cent of the respondents categorising the prospects as grim. The results of the survey were published in its financial stability report released recently. It mentioned that the above-mentioned five sectors are adversely impacted by the coronavirus pandemic. Respondents said that “while most sectors face sizeable and immediate revenue losses, the adverse impact is seen in sectors where consumption spending is discretionary in nature”.

Ministry of Tourism (MOT) has decided that provisional certificates can be issued in favour of all categories of Tour Operators (Inbound, Domestic, Adventure) / Travel Agencies / Tourist Transport Operators who have submitted fresh applications, complete in all respects and have also made the required payment for grant of recognition as a new case. This has been done at this time, when physical inspection of office premises of applicants is not being undertaken by the Inspection Committee headed by the Regional Director, India tourism Offices in India. The Provisional Certificate would be valid for a period of six months from the date of submission of complete fresh application or till the time of actual physical verification / inspection and subsequent final decision of the Ministry with reference to grant of recognition, whichever is earlier. However, such Tour Operators/ Travel Agencies / Tourist Transport Operators who are issued  Provisional Certificates, shall not be eligible for any financial benefits under MDA or any other scheme of the Ministry, till such time a final decision regarding grant of  recognition is taken by the Ministry.

The Selling Happiness webinar, powered by TravTalk, is all set to be held today at 11 am. The hour-long session will help agents understand how to make the best Indian itineraries inclusive of Yoga, wellness, spirituality, Ayurveda and meditation. To register, log on to https://event.webinarjam.com/register/153/yy8npbg9 or email to jaspreet.kaur@ddppl.com or call +919650196532.

Tornos, an established name in the tourism industry since the last 26 years, has become the first travel company of Ayodhya. Having worked and researched extensively on the revival of Ayodhya as a tourist destination, it now sets a foot in Ayodhya by coming up with its office in this temple city and will provide all travel related services to incoming tourists. Specialising in immersive travel experiences, Tornos has been associated with projection of Ayodhya internationally. ‘Mokshdayni Walk’ and ‘Ram Vivah’ have been company’s most innovative tourism products based on Ayodhya which were till now being operated and managed from Lucknow but now with its own set up in Ayodhya, these would be operated locally, bringing down its cost and making these more affordable. Tornos is looking at providing employment opportunities to locals and to come up with many more immersive travel experiences to showcase this deserving destination to the world. Prateek Hira, President && CEO, Tornos has been involved in the conceptualisation and of Ayodhya’s much-celebrated Diwali event, ‘Deepotsava’ that has been Uttar Pradesh government’s calendar event and draws a lot of attention. He says, “Ideal tourism should benefit local communities the most and the best local experiences can only be delivered by locals, so we decided to set up our office in Ayodhya. I am seeing Ayodhya coming up as one of the finest tourism destinations in the coming years and my confidence is renewed when our Prime Minister himself has taken it up so seriously. Ayodhya can be seen as a sought after tourist destination and both state and the central governments are possibly seeing tourism to be Ayodhya’s main economic driver.” In the time when travel …

Powered by TravTalk, the Selling Happiness webinar on Tuesday, July 28, at 11 am will help agents understand how to make the best Indian itineraries inclusive of Yoga, wellness, spirituality, Ayurveda and meditation. To register for the hour-long session, log on to https://event.webinarjam.com/register/153/yy8npbg9 or email to jaspreet.kaur@ddppl.com or call +919650196532.

Manoj Saraf, MD, Gainwell Travel, has said that the company has been badly hit owing to COVID-19 and the Gainwell Sports division saw a setback with cancellation of ICC T20 World Cup in Australia this year. However, during the lockdown period, they have also tied up with AMITY university and taking online classes for hospitality as well as travel & tourism students, to give them knowledge on selling certain products and how to be employable. Apart from that someone in their company is also teaching Spanish, as learning a new language is an added advantage.

A report by Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) for June shows that 78.5% of complaints from passengers were regarding refunds. It added that 62% flights were cancelled due to commercial reasons (low load, clubbing of flights). The most complaints in June were against Air India, followed by TruJet and SpiceJet.