Category Archives: Breaking News (All Categories)

KPMG and PHDCCI in its report titled ‘Sacred Journeys: Unfolding the Evolution and Growth of Pilgrimage and Spiritual Tourism in India’ said that pilgrimage and spiritual tourism are rapidly expanding within the global tourism sector, reflecting a growing interest in cultural, spiritual, and faith-based travel. With over 450,000 religious and cultural heritage sites, India offers a wealth of pilgrimage and spiritual landmarks, highlighting its growth, economic impact, and future opportunities.

VFS Global which manages visa applications for 52 countries from India, said that the volumes recorded in H1 2024, surpassed the same period in 2019 by 2%. It also witnessed an 11% YoY growth in application counts over H1 2023, said Yummi Talwar, COO – South Asia, VFS Global, adding that India has been witnessing an extended travel season over the past two years and we are confident the momentum would last till the year-end.

Underlining the challenges in attracting more FTAs, Suman Billa, Additional Secretary, MOT, says, “We need to understand how we can ramp up air connectivity and ease the visa process for foreign tourists. We also need to work on the cost of reaching India as it is also one of the entry barriers for inbound tourists.”

Clarks Safari Group as part of strategic move has diversified into opening properties in religious locations, spread across India. They have launched a new brand Clarks Resort and opened their first resort Clarks Resort Pushkar. The vastly spread property is targeting luxury travelers as the primary market. Also, keeping one eye to the mice and wedding sector, they have opened an exclusive conference and banquet hall, equipped with all the latest gadgets. In order to reach out to the larger audience, the resort aims to provide a number of facilities to the guests within the resort. For the nature lovers the property has dedicated bird watching machans. Also, guided tours are available for bird watching, where the guide will conduct nature walks while imparting knowledge about the local bird species, and the migratory birds. There are dedicated fruit orchards and the organic gardens, the guests can pluck the vegetable of their choice for dinner or lunch. Apart from regular rooms, the resort offers private pool villas to provide privacy to the guests. The villa rooms are built keeping the comfort of the families in mind and can be booked by large groups or individual family. There is a dedicated kids zone, and a number of sports activities are present on the resort to keep the kids engaged during the holiday. Also, there are professionals to engage with children when the family wants to have private time. The property has 154 rooms divided into different categories. In order to cater to the large gatherings the property boasts of a banquet hall that is spread across 10000 sqft. It is totally equipped for weddings, functions or conducting large conferences. Mr. Prakash Bedi, …

On a visit to India to promote the destination, H.E. Azzan Qassim Mohamed Al Busaidi, Under Secretary, Ministry of Heritage and Tourism, Sultanate of Oman, revealed, “Last year we saw an increase of 70% in visitors from India and we are expecting this growth to continue. In fact, the first five months have already seen a healthy growth with 260,000 visitors from India. Our campaign is targeting different cities in India.”

According to the global authority on the economic and social contribution of travel and tourism – WTTC, taxes provide an opportunity to help fund necessary changes in travel and tourism infrastructure. However, any taxes levied should be used to stimulate and promote economic growth and job creation in the sector. It says that well-designed tourism taxes can be both practical and meaningful tools in the sustainable management of a destination’s resources and the development of tourism infrastructure.

Building momentum on its digital-first strategy, Thomas Cook (India) and its Group Company, SOTC Travel, have launched a Customer Self-Service (CSS) holiday app. Available for both iOS and Android users, the app offers customers a seamless end-to-end post-booking experience. Traditionally, the post booking process was time-consuming and stressful for customers – involving coordinating for various elements including visas (getting details on documents required, visa forms, processing time and tracking), flights, hotel vouchers, itinerary, attractions, invoices and receipts. Hence, Thomas Cook and SOTC’s innovative CSS app will now serve to empower customers with a convenient, easy-to-access interface – making their post-booking experience simple and intuitive. Having piloted the CSS app in April 2024, the app has seen significant enhancements and currently enjoys a strong customer adoption of 50%.

Disney Cruise Line is unveiling all-new details about one of the seven themed areas aboard the Disney Adventure, which will set sail from Singapore in 2025. Disney Imagination Garden, the central hub of the ship, will be an immersive, enchanted valley inspired by 100 years of heroic and heartwarming Disney adventures. The colorful landscapes of Disney Imagination Garden will transport guests into the pages of well-loved Disney stories alongside their favorite characters. The vibrant, open-air garden will be set against a three-deck-tall, stunning storybook castle art piece, a first-of-its-kind onboard a Disney Cruise Line ship. The space will also include a state-of-the art theatrical stage that will bring beloved Disney stories to life, two quick-service eateries, an alluring bar and a selection of garden-view staterooms.   “Disney Imagination Garden is the heart and soul of the Disney Adventure, where our guests will interact with our Disney, Pixar and Marvel stories in a whole new way,” said Laura Cabo, portfolio executive creative director, Walt Disney Imagineering. “The size and scale of this space provided us with so many opportunities to dream big and try new things with our experiential design, creating first-of-a-kind experiences for our guests, from all-new entertainment to delicious dining and lots of magical surprises sprinkled throughout. Rooted in the rich legacy of Disney storytelling, we’re creating an area that will open doors to new adventures and encourage guests to create magic of their own.”   Disney Imagination Garden is one of seven uniquely themed areas on the Disney Adventure, each teeming with incredible characters and unique experiences. The other areas include Disney Discovery Reef, San Fransokyo Street, Wayfinder Bay, Town Square, Marvel Landing and Toy Story Place. More details about …

A total of 415 deals (comprising mergers and acquisitions (M&A), private equity, and venture financing deals) were announced in the travel and tourism sector during January to July 2024, which was a year-on-year (YoY) decline of 10.4% compared to the 463 deals announced during the same period in 2023, according to GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company. Aurojyoti Bose, Lead Analyst at GlobalData, comments: “Deal activity remained a mixed bag across different regions and countries, with some of them experiencing a fall in deal volume, while others showcasing improvement. And the same was the case with the deal types under coverage as well.” A significant part of the decline was driven by North America, which saw its deal volume fall by 30.9% during January-July 2024 compared to January-July 2023. Asia-Pacific and South and Central American regions also showcased YoY decline of 16.3% and 42.9% in deal volume during January-July 2024, respectively. However, Europe saw YoY improvement in deal volume by 16.8% during the review period as some of the key markets in the region witnessed growth in the number of deals, whereas deal volume for the Middle East and Africa mostly remained at the same level. Meanwhile, key markets including the US, South Korea, China, Australia, and France witnessed a 30.4%, 5.6%, 50%, 27.8% and 45% decline in deal volume during January-July 2024 compared to the same period in the previous year. However, markets such as the UK, India, Japan, Spain, and Germany experienced improvement in deal volume during the review period. An analysis of GlobalData’s Deals Database also revealed that the volume of M&A deals declined by 6.6% during January-July 2024 compared to January-July 2023, whereas the number of venture financing deals fell by 25.4% YoY. …

IHCL has announced the opening of Ginger Udaipur, Shastri Circle. The hotel embodies the brand’s signature Lean Luxe philosophy, providing guests with a contemporary and comfortable stay.  Speaking on the occasion, Deepika Rao, Executive Vice President– New Businesses, Hotel Openings & Corporate Communications, IHCL, said, “Udaipur, where IHCL has had its presence for over five decades, is now seeing substantial infrastructure growth and economic expansion. As the market continues to grow, IHCL is excited to introduce its diversified branded offerings to meet the rising demand and further enhance its footprint. We are delighted to debut the Ginger brand in the city.”   Strategically located at Shastri Circle, Ginger Udaipur offers easy access to the city’s main attractions. The 96-key hotel with thoughtfully designed rooms provides a seamless stay. The hotel offers Qmin – the signature all-day diner and bar, a rooftop pool, and a well-equipped fitness center. The spacious 3,000 sq. ft banquet hall is ideal for hosting weddings, conferences, and gatherings. With the addition of this hotel, IHCL will have 29 hotels in Rajasthan including 9 under development.