Category Archives: Associations

With Atal Setu, we foresee significant surge in tourist footfall to Mumbai’s neighbouring destinations: FHRAI

Applauding the Atal Setu project, Pradeep Shetty, President, FHRAI, says, “As the longest sea bridge in the country, it not only enhances Mumbai’s connectivity but also symbolizes the nation’s commitment to pushing boundaries in engineering excellence. It is poised to transform not only Mumbai’s landscape but also provide an unprecedented boost to tourism in Maharashtra. With improved connectivity, we foresee a significant surge in tourist footfall to Mumbai’s neighbouring tourism destinations like Lonavala, Matheran, Alibaug, Mahabaleshwar and other scenic locales across the state.”

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France to keep its crown as most popular destination for international visitors, reveal WTTC and ForwardKeys

According to latest analysis from WTTC and ForwardKeys, the leading travel data and analytics company, international arrivals in France for the first half of 2024 are at 93% of the same period in 2019, with France cementing its position as the world’s most popular destination. Olivier Ponti, Vice President Insights at ForwardKeys, added: “With flight bookings on the rise and air carriers set to introduce a record number of seats, France enters 2024 in a strong position. “Capitalising on the successful hosting of the Rugby World Cup 2023 and on the growing exposure provided by the upcoming Olympic Games, the country is set to be one of most thought-after destinations this year for both regional and long-haul markets.”

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TAFI chief urges govt to boost tourism, seeks visa on arrival, waivers to attract inbound tourists

Ajay Prakash, President, TAFI said, “The more people can move freely, the better it is for the industry. I wish the Indian government would take a leaf out of their books and look at creating a visa on arrival for as many nationalities as possible. Even waiving it for some, if we want to attract inbound tourists. Inbound tourism to India has been slow in recovery; we are nowhere near our pre-COVID levels.” 

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Need to enhance air links, improve airport and hotel facilities in Lakshadweep: FHRAI

Pradeep Shetty, President, Hotel And Restaurant Association (Western India) – HRAWI & Federation of Hotel and Restaurant Associations of India (FHRAI), said, “At present, Lakshadweep operates only one or two flights weekly with limited seat capacity using ATRs. There’s an urgent need to augment flight frequency and upgrade airport facilities, including larger runways for accommodating bigger aircraft. Simultaneously, augmenting room inventory is crucial.” 

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Maldives faces 40%-50% booking cancellations by Indian trade after row over Shuina’s remark

Amidst ongoing controversial remarks by Maldive’s politician, a lot of agents and companies are cancelling Maldives bookings. Riaz Munshi, President, OTOAI, said, “Approximately, Maldives faces 40%-50% cancellation by Indian trade. Due to this comment, there is uproar in social media, impacting sentiment of people in India. Some outbound operators have also cancelled their bookings”.

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Surge in applications for OTOAI membership after Nairobi convention, says Riaz Munshi

Following the annual convention held in Nairobi, OTOAI has received 15-30 new applications for enrollment. The association is also stringent about accepting the applications and is not approving every application that comes in. “We are now working towards capitalizing on the convention,” said Riaz Munshi, President of OTOAI.

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FAITH appoints Puneet Chhatwal as its Chairman with immediate effect

FAITH has appointed Puneet Chhatwal, Managing Director and CEO of IHCL, as its Chairman with immediate effect. He takes over from Nakul Anand who since his retirement will no longer be a member of HAI Executive Committee, thereby relinquishing his position at FAITH. In his new role, Chhatwal will ensure a smooth continuation of FAITH’s initiatives and objectives.

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Employment crisis hits hard; 27% youth drops out of travel and tourism sector

The research by WTTC highlights the consistent, steady growth of young people employed directly by the sector over the last decade, with a total of 39.7 million jobs supported by Travel & Tourism around the world in 2019, up 28% since 2010. However, this figure was significantly impacted by COVID-19, where youth employment dropped 27%.

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We hope India will also look at easing its visa regime, we need our fair share of inbound traffic: Ajay Prakash

Sharing his expectations from 2024, Ajay Prakash, President, TAFI, said, “We hope that in the new year, India will also look at liberalizing its visa regime so that foreign tourists will be able to travel to India more freely and with fewer hassles. Travel is increasing and India needs to get a fair share of inbound traffic.”

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