Category Archives: Breaking News (All Categories)

According to latest GBTA poll, nearly 60% of travel buyers expect more travel in the coming year, with two-thirds anticipating increases in business travel spending. And almost half of travel buyers say the adoption of remote and hybrid workplace models has prompted them to revamp their employee travel policies and programs. 

Singapore received 1.1 million tourists from India last year as the city state’s top dollar-earning sector recorded a 115 per cent increase in the number of visitors in 2023 at 13.6 million from 6.3 million during the COVID-hit 2022, said report. The number of tourists in 2023 met the Singapore Tourism Board’s (STB) forecast of between 12 million and 14 million visitors. 

Rajiv Mehra, President, IATO said, “Every nook and corner in India is covered with foreign tourists; they bring in more foreign exchange and employment. One foreign tourist, directly or indirectly, generates 9 jobs. With the current allocation for overseas promotion, we will lose all that. IATO has written to the Ministry of Tourism to take up this matter with the Finance Minister, highlighting the issue in the overseas budget allocation that needs rectification.” 

According to Naveen Kundu, Managing Director of Ebixcash Travel Services, the allocation of a mere Rs 3 crores for overseas promotion raises concerns. He questions, “Are we doing justice to tourism by only allocating 3 crores for overseas promotion, especially at a time when we are urging every Indian to encourage five tourists to visit India? If we aim to promote cultural, spiritual, and heritage tourism, the budget should be at least in the range of 5 to 7 million dollars. A mediocre tour operator offering tourism products to foreign operators often spends more than this.” 

Sharing his perspective on the interim budget, Mahesh Iyer, Managing Director & Chief Executive Officer, Thomas Cook (India), says, “The FM’s interim budget reflects a welcome focus on the overall travel and tourism sector – demonstrating its significant value as a powerful economic growth engine and employment generator. The government’s aim to accelerate infrastructure development is transformative and while featuring the current doubling to 149 airports, the Budget has focussed on air connectivity with 517 new routes across Tier 2-3 cities, carrying 1.3 crore passengers via the UDAN scheme; conversion of 40,000 bogies into Vande Bharat, enhancement of NAMO trains and metro connectivity – valuable in ensuring efficient and sustainable mobility solutions – especially with respect to addressing the powerhouse of Regional India. Additionally, setting aside Rs. 85,000 crore for new greenfield airports is key in creating a world-class travel infrastructure. We commend the Budget’s focus on spiritual tourism which will serve as a force multiplier in catalysing this strongly emerging segment while uplifting local communities and the ecosystem around India’s pilgrimage circuits. Spiritual Tourism, we believe, will create critical momentum to Domestic Tourism and boost the government’s intent of “Dekho Apna Desh”. India’s coastline of over 7,500 kms represents a viable opportunity for cruise tourism and we welcome the inclusion of port projects; also infrastructure/ connectivity towards development of India’s island destinations like Lakshadweep. An important highlight is the government’s plan to provide long-term interest-free loans to States for development of iconic tourism centres and promotion on a global standard – will be a key driver towards expanding tourism circuits across the Country. The anticipated tax buoyancy this fiscal augurs well – across the Travel & Tourism and allied …

Hospitality & Marketing Services, a leading sales and marketing company, is delighted to declare its strategic partnership with Sadda Pind, a Punjabi Culture Living Village Museum located in Amritsar, Punjab. This collaboration marks a significant milestone for both organizations as they aim to redefine cultural hospitality and provide unparalleled experiences to locals and tourists alike. About H&M Services: Hospitality & Marketing Services, a privately owned full-service sales and marketing company, has emerged as a preferred partner for various businesses, including standalone ventures, hotel chains, spas, resorts, and many more. With a team of experts in travel, marketing, business development, and client servicing, H&M Services is committed to delivering success to its hospitality clients and partners by increasing business and ensuring a superior return on investment. Geeta Maheshwari, Owner at H&M Services, stated, “We are delighted to partner with Sadda Pind and bring this unique cultural experience to our existing and new customers. This collaboration aligns with our commitment to delivering exceptional hospitality solutions and creating memorable moments for our clients.” Neeraj Gulati, Co-Founder from Sadda Pind added, “Sadda Pind is more than a destination; it’s a celebration of Punjab’s cultural richness. Partnering with H&M Services allows us to reach a broader audience and share the warmth and vibrancy of our culture with visitors from all walks of life.” The partnership between H&M Services and Sadda Pind aims to create a synergy that enhances the cultural and hospitality landscape in Amritsar. Together, they will offer day packages and stay packages, providing visitors with a seamless blend of tradition and modernity. Sadda Pind, spread across 12 acres of picturesque land, is a Punjabi Culture Living Village Museum that provides an authentic glimpse into Punjab’s …

Mr. Prakash Bedi, Vice President of Clarks Safari The budget sounded optimistic and growth-oriented. The doubling of FDI to 596 billion US dollars, is an encouraging sign for the whole economy. The main push in this interim budget is boosting tourism at the state level. The announcement of interest-free loans to the state for maintaining iconic tourist centers will witness more footfalls. We always believed that India needs more tourist spots, and monuments, to be branded and marketed. This budget addressed this need. The government showed will towards further developing rail and air infrastructure. Opening of 517 new routes carrying 1.3 crore passengers boosted domestic travel, and seeing the surge in demand the Indian carriers have placed orders for 1000 new aircraft. The focus on tourism is back, also with the opening of Ram Mandir, spiritual tourism is back in focus. Recently members of the Karak Clan from South Korea visited the temple and paid tributes to Lord Rama. This is a positive signal, in the coming days we can witness more international tourists from South East Asia visiting India for spiritual purposes. The surge of the Indian middle class will further boost domestic tourism.

“India holds a special place in Korea’s strategic outreach. Building on incredible success of 1.2 lakh Indian visitors in 2023, we are setting an ambitious goal of welcoming 2 lakh travellers from India in 2024,” said Myong Kil Yun, Regional Director, India & SAARC, Korea Tourism Organization (KTO).

On 31 January, 2024, the Assam cabinet approved Assam Tourism Development and Registration Bill 2024. The state’s tourism Minister Jayanta Mallabaruah stated, “This bill will be introduced in the upcoming budget session of the Assam Legislative Assembly. We could not regulate tourism in the state because we did not have an act.”

Appreciating an increase in budget allocation to the Tourism Ministry in Interim Budget 2024, Rajiv Mehra, President, IATO, said, “Though we welcome the increase in budgetary allocation to  ₹2,000cr from last financial year’s  ₹1600cr and mention of branding in the budget speech of the FM, we must remember that unless we don’t do roadshows overseas, familiarisation trips and publicity campaigns abroad till then we would not be able to draw tourist to our country.”