Category Archives: Breaking News (All Categories)

MOT recently released the number of total number of jobs, direct and indirect, in the tourism sector. For 2021-22, it recorded 70.04 million jobs, an uptick in comparison to 68.07 million in 2020-21. Industry leaders believe more jobs could help in unlocking the full potential of India’s tourism sector.

Speaking at South African Tourism’s India Roadshow 2024, Neliswa Nkani, Hub Head, Middle East, India and Southeast Asia, South African Tourism said the country witnessed a growth of 43 per cent in Indian visitors in 2023. There was a rise of 26% in outbound travel to South Africa from Jaipur, and 36 per cent from Delhi.

FHRAI is set to host the Tourism Sustainability Summit 2024 in March. It will propose a framework for sustainable tourism stating that Goa Roadmap could be a beacon for sustainable global tourism with 5 key priorities: Green Tourism, Digitalization, Skills, Tourism MSMEs, and Destination Management to achieve SDGs.

As per the PATA forecast, the inbound arrival will surge between 2024-2026 in the Asia Pacific region. The top 10 source markets will contribute 59% of all IVAs in 2024. India will account for 1.9% of the relative share of IVAs by 2026 in comparison to 1.7% in 2024 in the Pacific region.

Speaking at the 6th HAI Hoteliers’ Conclave, Puneet Chhatwal, President, Hotel’s Association of India (HAI), shared that tourism sector is likely to create 50 million direct and indirect jobs in next 5-7 years, but the government must support tourism members to achieve full industry status, which will help in generating employment.

South African Roadshow 2024 kickstarted on 12 Feb in Jaipur, followed by Delhi on 13 Feb. In Delhi it saw over 40 participants, especially from tier II cities, and in Jaipur over 45 participants. With over 3500 meetings in Delhi and over 3100 meetings in Jaipur, the roadshow has been a success so far.

In a bid to boost number of incentives coming from India, Business Events Sydney has announced new funding available for travel agents and meeting planners in India. Kristian Nicholls, Executive GM, Client Engagement, BESydney, shared that applications to the Sydney Meetings Fund (SMF) are open for a limited time and can be used to cover/offset an event’s on-the-ground expenses in Sydney. This funding is designed for 100–250-person group and is accessible through BESydney’s website.

The 6th HAI Hotelier’s Conclave was held in Delhi with the theme ‘Hospitality: The Engine for GDP Growth and Employment.’ Industry leaders highlighted the importance of tourism as a job creator. Amitabh Kant, India’s G20 Sherpa and former CEO of Niti Aayog, stated, “Tourism is a significant driver of growth. Globally, it is a $5 trillion industry, with India’s share being less than 2%, a figure that needs substantial increase. From a political perspective, politicians primarily understand one thing: the number of jobs generated by the tourism sector. Tourism has a significant multiplier impact, creating seven indirect jobs for every direct job. However, the tourism industry has not effectively communicated to politicians its role as a major job creator. It would be worthwhile for the tourism industry to set a target of informing the political system at both the central and state levels that focusing on tourism could result in the creation of 25 million jobs by 2030.”

“This year we are forecasting India to be a £924 million market which would be approximately a billion-pound market from India! We are also predicting 695,000 visitors from India which is back to pre-covid levels. India has recovered and there is real excitement about the market. We also see an increase in spend per visitor – people are spending 30%-40% more than they were pre-covid,” VisitBritain CEO, Patricia Yates says.

Speaking about his new resort, Dr. J K Mohanty, CMD, Swosti Group, says, “A large number of tourists are visiting Puri every day but there are no five-star hotels in Puri. This will give us an edge in attracting high-end tourists visiting Puri.” Swosti Premium Beach Resorts, touted to be the perfect destination for M!CE and weddings, is scheduled to open in early 2024.