Category Archives: Breaking News (All Categories)

According to IBEF’s report on ‘Growth of Tourism and Hospitality Industry’, travel and tourism are the two largest industries in India with a total contribution of about $178 billion to the country’s GDP. With this, the travel market in India is projected to reach $125 billion by FY2027, while the foreign tourist arrival is expected to touch 30.5 million by 2028.

Israel Tourism invites the Indian outbound travel trade to attend an exclusive webinar to gain insights and updates on the destination. From the ancient streets of Jerusalem to the serene shores of the Dead Sea, experience Israel’s exciting offerings. For more information, write to jaspreet.kaur@ddppl.com or 9650196532.

Manoj Sogani has been elected as the chairman of the Travel Agents Association of India (TAAI), Rajasthan Chapter. In the elections held on July 24, 2024, for the Rajasthan Chapter of India’s largest and oldest travel agents association, TAAI, Mr. Manoj Sogani won by a significant & huge margin of votes and has been re-elected as chairman for the fifth consecutive term. His new term will be from 2024 to 2026. Before this continuing period of term Mr. Manoj Sogani has also served as National Managing Committee Member, secretary and chairman in past before as well. Mr. Manoj Sogani is a travel expert and professional with nearly 40 years of extensive experience in the industry. Due to his expertise and proficiency, several organizations maintain their association with him. These include various airport advisory committees, airline committees, and visa committees. The Department of Tourism, Ministry of India also invites him for hotel classification and he is specially invited to all types of tourism seminars and fairs as special guests of honour. Mr. Dashrath Singh Rathore was elected unopposed as Secretary and Mr. Arvind Parikh as Treasurer. Both of them are also well-known in the trade and bring with them a wealth of experience.

Amruta Bangera, Director of Marketing, IMOT, India, says, “Israel is safe and open for tourism. The first half of 2024 alone saw over 5,700 Indian arrivals to Israel. To attract more tourists, we are planning to introduce a first-ever e-visa program for Indians. Although still in its early stages, we anticipate launching a pilot run for e-visas by the end of the year.”

Being one of the major source markets for Malaysia, India has contributed significantly to the country’s tourism landscape. “Malaysia has witnessed 80.2 per cent rise in Indian visitors with 2.96 lakh arrivals from January to April in 2024 compared to the same period last year,” said Manoharan Periasamy, DG, Tourism Malaysia.

MOT apprised that India has witnessed 9.24 mn Foreign Tourist Arrivals (FTA) in 2023, which marks an increase of 43.5 per cent from 2022. Interestingly, 1.22 mn of them were from APAC countries – Australia, Malaysia, Singapore, Japan, Thailand, and Republic of Korea. Additionally in 2023, 6.35 lakh foreign tourists arrived in India for medical purposes.

The Ministry of Heritage and Tourism, Sultanate of Oman, along with Oman Air, Magic Travels, and W Muscat, invites the travel trade to attend a webinar on the destination and offerings. Get insights and updates today at 3pm IST and stand a chance to win exciting prizes! For more information, write to jaspreet.kaur@ddppl.com or 9650196532

Sharing an exciting update on the visa procedure for Indian nationals visiting Israel, Amruta Bangera, Director of Marketing, IMOT, India, says, “To attract even more tourists and simplify their travel experience, we are planning to introduce a first-ever e-visa program for Indian citizens. Although still in its early stages, we anticipate launching a pilot for e-visas by the end of the year. Israel is safe and open for tourism. India has consistently been a major source market for us, with thousands of Indian travellers visiting each year. In the first half of 2024 alone, over 5,700 tourists travelled from India to Israel, demonstrating strong resonance to the destination.” Despite the pandemic induced lockdown, Israel welcomed over 2.6M tourists in 2022 and 3.1M tourists in 2023.  Tourism in Israel has picked up in 2024, with over 4,95,300 tourists visiting the country from across the globe from January to June

Hospitality giant Eraaya Lifespaces has announced a significant milestone in their acquisition of US-based Ebix Inc., reporting a payment of ₹101 crore. With the latest remittance of US$12 million (approximately ₹101 crore) in July 2024, Eraaya Lifespaces Limited is excited to share progress on the acquisition. So far, a total of US$21.75 million (around ₹181 crore) has been paid towards securing Ebix Inc. Moreover, a substantial payment of US$35 million (approximately ₹293 crore) is scheduled for completion by the end of July 2024. This acquisition entails the Consortium securing 100 per cent equity in Ebix, encompassing its assets and certain liabilities across its global subsidiaries, as detailed in a stock exchange filing. The bid submitted by the consortium led by Eraaya Lifespaces had been approved and accepted as the highest and best bid for Ebix and declared as the winner following the auction process overseen by the U.S. Bankruptcy Court at an ascribed enterprise value of US$361 Million (₹3,009 crores approximately). The acquisition will be effectuated through Ebix’s Plan of Reorganization proposed in its Chapter 11 proceedings, subject to ongoing negotiations among the consortium, Ebix, and Ebix’s creditors and other stakeholders. The U.S. Bankruptcy Court had allowed the Plan of Reorganization to be sent to creditors for voting and scheduled a hearing to consider approval of the plan.

TravelBullz and Scoot have announced an exclusive FAM Trip to Bangkok and Pattaya to honor and reward their top-performing travel agents from Punjab. This initiative aims to strengthen relationships within Punjab’s travel industry through immersive experiences in Thailand’s vibrant cities. Starting on July 29, 2024, participants will enjoy guided tours of iconic landmarks, hotel visits, and networking sessions with local tourism officials and experts. This collaboration highlights TravelBullz and Scoot’s commitment to providing accessible travel options across Southeast Asia, further empowering Punjab’s travel agents and fostering industry cooperation