Category Archives: Agents

Singapore Tourism Board (STB) announced today that visitor arrivals from India have surged past the one million mark, two months earlier than in 2023. This milestone was achieved when Singapore Airlines flight SQ-421 from Mumbai touched down at Changi Airport on 31 October, bringing in Singapore’s millionth Indian visitor for 2024. With a 12% increase in Indian visitors from January to October 2024 compared to the same period in 2023, India is Singapore’s third-largest source market for tourism. Markus Tan, Regional Director of STB for India, Middle East, South Asia, and Africa, commented on this significant milestone “Welcoming our one millionth Indian visitor two months earlier than in 2023 demonstrates Singapore’s enduring appeal as a premier short-haul destination for Indian travellers. This milestone not only reflects our strong tourism recovery but also highlights the continued importance of the metros as source markets. Beyond the metros, STB is also expanding our reach and appeal of Singapore across diverse regions of India, using targeted marketing efforts and initiatives with the travel trade. We remain steadfast in our commitment to offering novel and engaging experiences that resonate with the aspirations of our Indian guests, ensuring that Singapore continues to be a destination of choice for years to come.” Singapore’s appeal to Indian travellers has been bolstered by strong connectivity and its diverse range of experiences catering to different visitor segments. In India, STB has partnered with popular Indian brands and launched various marketing initiatives to elevate Singapore’s appeal. Earlier this year, STB signed a two-year MOU with PhonePe for seamless UPI transactions and a strategic partnership with MakeMyTrip to tailor unique travel packages. An exclusive Vlog travel series featuring actress Ananya Panday was also …

InterGlobe’s new lifestyle hotel brand in Europe, Miiro, continues its expansion with the addition of The Mansard, Gstaad, to its growing portfolio. This marks the brand’s entry into Switzerland and positions it as a key player in the European hospitality landscape. The Mansard will join existing Miiro hotels in Paris and Barcelona, along with new properties opening soon in London and Vienna in 2025. Launched in June 2024, Miiro is a characterful collection of individually designed hotels in the heart of Europe’s most vibrant cities. The 29-room hotel is ideally positioned in the centre of Gstaad, an idyllic ski destination nestled in the Swiss Alps. Overlooking Gstaad’s famed promenade, The Mansard offers a vibrant atmosphere where charming boutiques, luxury shopping, and gourmet dining are just a stroll away. The Hotel’s rooftop bar offers breathtaking panoramic views of the surrounding mountains, while the restaurant showcases the finest local ingredients from the Bernese Oberland. The property, which is open year-round, also features a sauna, Miiro’s signature Refresh Room, as well as ski storage facilities. Travellers from India are always on the lookout for unique experiences and The Mansard, Gstaad, provides the perfect charming and romantic escape, offering a blend of alpine luxury along with modern comforts. With its stunning views and exceptional hospitality, The Mansard promises to be an ideal destination for discerning Indian travellers seeking an unforgettable experience in one of Switzerland’s most picturesque settings. Neena Gupta, CEO at Miiro and Executive Director-Group Strategy and International Hospitality for InterGlobe Enterprises, comments: “We are thrilled to be welcoming The Mansard into the Miiro collection this winter, as we continue to explore new opportunities to grow the brand in interesting neighbourhoods across Europe. …

Indian nationals were the largest group to receive UK visas for Visit, Study and Work categories in the year ending June 2024, said HE Lindy Cameron CB OBE, British High Commissioner to India at the inauguration of the new state-of-art UK visa application facility operated by VFS Global in Delhi on 12 November 2024. UK visa customers from India will now enjoy a smoother process. At VFS Global UK Visa Application Centres (VACs), biometrics will be enrolled first, followed by document scanning for non-digital customers. This change reduces wait times and enhances service under the global UK visa services contract secured by VFS Global in December 2023. Many VACs have also relocated or upgraded to state-of-the-art facilities across India. Lindy Cameron, British High Commissioner to India said: “The UK-India partnership is built on millions of personal connections, shared dreams, and collective aspirations. I’m delighted to launch the refurbished VFS Visa Application Centre for UK visa and passport applications in Delhi. We’re introducing significant improvements in our visa services across India, further strengthening our already excellent visa offering for Indian nationals. The vast majority of Visit, Work and Study visa applications we receive are processed within 3 weeks and there are no caps on visa appointments.” Matt Heath, Visits & ETA Network Deputy Director, UK Visas and Immigration, remarked, “I am delighted to be here, in Delhi, to inaugurate this visa application centre, we extend our sincere thanks to VFS for their outstanding support in facilitating close to a million visa applications for Indian nationals in the recent year ending June 2024. For the last two years, UKVI has consistently met our customer service standards, making visa decisions for visit, work …

CA Krishnan R, Director & CEO, Unimoni Financial Services, said that the award meant a lot to the company. He said, “Our dedicated staff includes destination specialists certified by global tourism boards. Our user-friendly travel portal facilitates easy bookings for flights, hotels, and holiday packages.”

Praising FHRAI’s new Centre of Excellence, Pradeep Shetty, President of FHRAI, says, “This has been a long-standing desire of our federation, as we have often faced challenges when approaching the government regarding policy issues, regulatory bottlenecks, compliance burden, and the overall ease of doing business One of the major gaps we identified was the lack of comprehensive data to support our claims and recommendations. With the Centre of Excellence, we aim to address this gap head-on.”

Underlining the importance of wedding segment for India, DG Tourism, Mugdha Sinha says “Wedding as a market is worth US$ 130 billion with 8 to 10 million annual weddings in India, second only to China. Delhi had the most weddings about 30,000 in one month of November 2023 that energised the whole paraphernalia around the weddings from invites, to wedding planners to apparel, jewellery, gifting, accommodations, logistics, photography, which adds up to the employment generation and contribution to both GDP of economy and creative economy. As a policy maker we also look at issues like permissions, taxes, incentives, that need resolution to make India an attractive destination for Wed in India, for celebrating wedding anniversaries and for honeymooning in India.”  

VFS Global has worked with the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland since 2010 and under the new agreement will continue to provide Schengen short terms visa services and Residence permit services including biometric enrolment in 32 countries (including India) across 10 regions. Since 2010, VFS Global has handled more than 8.5 million visa applications on behalf of the Government of Finland. Present were several esteemed dignitaries including Jussi Tanner, Director General Consular Services, Ari Uusikartano, Senior Ministerial Adviser and Director of Information and Documentation at the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland and Zubin Karkaria, Founder & Chief Executive Officer, VFS Global Group. The Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland said: “We anticipate a seamless and professional collaboration with VFS Global. In our tender, we especially highlighted the global coverage of the outsourced services, quality of biometrics and technical capacity, quality control, risk management and customer service. The external service provider receives applications, collects biometric data and application fees and forwards them to the missions. It does not make visa decisions. Visa decisions continue to be the responsibility of Foreign Ministry officials.” Jiten Vyas, Chief Commercial Officer and Head of Business Development, VFS Global, said: “VFS Global is delighted that we will continue to serve the Government of Finland as their trusted service provider. We have enjoyed a strong partnership with the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland and welcome the opportunity to renew our services. We look forward to offering visa applicants best-in-class visa solutions, and a seamless application process across 10 regions globally.”

Speaking about the significance of research and data in the tourism industry, Suman Billa, IAS, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Tourism said, “Being in the sector which is vast and multifaceted, it is essential to have accurate and comprehensive data to inform our decisions. While government data provides a solid foundation, it often captures only one facet of the entire landscape. To truly understand the dynamics of the tourism and hospitality sectors, we must triangulate this data with insights from industry bodies, international organisations like the WTO, and other reliable sources.”

An Amex Trendex India finding highlights that 73% of Indians are using travel credit card rewards, airline miles or loyalty points to manage costs, reflecting a shift toward maximising value during the holidays. Domestic travel remains popular, with 88% opting for trips within India, while international travel is on the radar for 61%.

Puneet Chhatwal, MD & CEO, IHCL, has announced that IHCL has committed to skilling 100,000 workers in hospitality industry by 2030. He stressed that addressing the sector’s talent shortage is crucial for future growth, especially as India’s tourism infrastructure continues to expand.