Category Archives: Breaking News (All Categories)

To mark International Women’s Day, VFS Global Academy at Deoghar inaugurates its all-women batch for the Travel and Hospitality Certification Programme. This milestone event was launched by Dr. Nishikant Dubey, Honourable Member of Parliament from Godda, setting a new standard in empowering women through specialised education and career opportunities in the travel and hospitality sector. The opening batch was selected from among the students of the Rama Devi Bajla Mahila Mahavidyalaya in Deoghar. The three-month certificate programme comprises industry-aligned modules on basics of tourism, introduction to hospitality business, event management and communication skills. The initiative aims to increase employment opportunities for women in the travel and hospitality sector and encourage social inclusion. The programme will be offered at no cost to the students. “VFS Global has made a significant step in supporting women’s empowerment by starting an all-women batch. This move will surely motivate young women towards independence. Congratulations to VFS Global Academy for focusing on skilling the youth in Deoghar, especially for creating tailored programmes that empower young women”, said Dr Dubey “We are launching an all-women batch to encourage women to pursue careers in the hospitality industry, responding to their growing interest in this field. This initiative supports the Indian government’s ‘Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao’ campaign and aligns with the International Women’s Day 2024 theme of #InspireInclusion,” said Prabuddha Sen, Chief Operating Officer, South Asia, VFS Global. Opened in August 2023 on the Software Technology Park of India campus in Deoghar, VFS Global has become a beacon of hope and opportunity for the community. VFS Global Academy, a part of VFS Global, the world’s leading outsourcing and technology service specialist for governments and diplomatic missions, was established with …

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Manisha Saxena, DG Tourism, Government of India, recently shared, “It’s encouraging to see not only five-star hotels but also smaller venues coming up with unique ideas to enhance wedding experiences in India. With the vastness of the industry and the significant number of weddings in the country, there’s room for everyone to contribute. While high room rates in India may be prompting some weddings to move abroad, it’s crucial to offer venues that cater to various budgets and preferences. While five-star hotels are ideal for large weddings, affordability remains a consideration for many.”

Jyoti Mayal, President, TAAI, highlighted, “The increase in the number of flights and routes will automatically reduce the airfares. It is always a demand-supply story. If the demand for flights is too much and the supply is less then fares will be at peak, but if it balances out, fares will come down on their own. Probably, the domestic market will keep on moving in the current scenario, but high fares can affect our inbound numbers. An international traveller in India compares it with other countries, which are cheaper than India at times. This is going to impact the international arrivals to India.”

Ranjana Sharma, Managing Director, Trav n Tours International (TNTI) said, “River cruises is gaining popularity nowadays. While the other major cruises are primarily for summer seasons, river cruises cater more to niche markets. Additionally, emerging trends include Scandinavia experiencing a strong emergence, ski resorts gaining popularity, and an increase in M!CE groups considering cruises for hosting events. Indeed, many M!CE events are taking place on cruises due to their all-inclusive nature and convenience for organizers. However, river cruises are more geared towards the leisure market.”

Reena Sachdev, Founder, Travel Arena, said, “Considering what we sell is intangible, our overheads are not as high as other businesses, and that only makes our responsibility higher. In travel, the customer trusts your experience and expertise while buying the product. The least we as sellers can do is personally visit and take actual stock of the experience our client is going to have before expecting them to trust us with his business, especially in the luxury segment. For more than 10 years I have been travelling to places myself without any official fams and managed to create great business.”

Sheetal Munshaw, Director India, Atout France, highlighted, “There is a renewed focus of Paris Region on India, and the fact that they will have a presence in Mumbai goes to show their commitment to the Indian market. Paris is the gateway for Indian visitors into France and the focus now is to discover different facets of Paris, showcase different areas of the city, including Notre-Dame which will re-open this year. The message is that Paris is so much more than what is already known to travellers.” There are so many unexplored products on the table that need to be promoted and experienced by the travellers.

Arshdeep Anand, Chairperson, ATOAI Women’s Collective, shared, “Increased air connectivity is directly proportional to increased tourism activity in a particular destination. Govt is making efforts to develop niche tourism in the country in the form of island tourism, adventure tourism, wildlife tourism, spiritual and wellness tourism. If our domestic carriers can come up with connectivity to develop these circuits, it would boost the tourism potential within the country. There is also a great demand-supply gap from India in relation to flights to Scandinavia for Northern lights, except to Finland and Copenhagen.

Loveleen Multani Arun, Founder-Director, Panache World, shared that to entice more women travellers in 2024, “Industry experts might want to consider asking some tour companies who are willing to be certified as ‘Safe tour providers for women’ or some such accreditation based on various criteria such as process, past references etc.” As many stakeholders in the industry are looking forward to catering specifically to women travellers as a distinct segment, such certifications can play a pivotal role in bringing business from women.

Clarks Collection Somnath, to celebrate Shivratri launches a special package for their guests. To promote spiritual tourism the package is designed to cater to young travelers, spiritual tourists, and experiential tourists. The brand already has a presence in Gujarat with properties in Vadodara and Bhavnagar, but they aim to make Somnath the flagship property in Gujarat. By the end of the financial year 2022, the brand will add ten more properties to the current portfolio. They seek geographical expansion in Ajmer, Udaipur, Kumbalgarh, Ahmedabad, etc. Clarks Collection Somnath is targeting spiritual travelers. The temple of Somnath is dedicated to Lord Shiva and is one of the most important spiritual sites in the Hindu circuit. It is widely believed to be the first of the 12 jyotirlingas in the country, the temple witnesses an annual footfall of 80 to 90 lakh visitors. Clarks Collection Somnath is located within walking distance of the temple. The two-night three-day package includes a stay, food, a temple darshan accompanied by the priest who will help perform Pooja, and one one-day tour of the whole Somnath. The property has 52 rooms spread across five categories. They have an in-house banquet hall spread over 5000 sqft, a vegetarian restaurant providing Satvik food, a gym, and a spa on the property. Sustainability and responsible tourism are the key focus areas of the brand. They have designed various experiential targeting different sets of audiences. The property generates good responses from solo travelers, families, spiritual travelers, and millennials. The founders have a mission to create an ecosystem of sustainable tourism generated through building locally, hiring locals, and showcasing local experiences. Mr. Prakash Bedi, Vice President of Clarks Collection shares, “India has witnessed a major surge in spiritual tourists in the past few …