Category Archives: Breaking News (All Categories)

Rohan Khaunte, Tourism Minister, Goa, has said that they have started eco-tourism on a big scale. “We are moving into the hinterlands, trying to gather local communities, which will touch upon the homestay segment. Also, we are looking at wellness, adventure, as well as spiritual tourism,” he added.

Farshid Rahimkhani, CEO& Co-Founder, Turpal, has said that Turpal is a B2B2C system, and big travel agencies dealing with their clients can get the app can branded and customised. “This means that you can have Turpal with your own brand. In fact, clients request us to have their own app in app store. The structure has been designed in such a way that you will be able to serve clients with their own brand,” he added.

Arvind Singh, Secretary, Tourism, at the ITM in Aizawl, Mizoram, shared that sustainability has been a priority for the travel, tourism, and hospitality sector for some time, but it has become even more prominent due to the pandemic. “The Government of India is now focused on promoting the move towards green tourism. Green tourism has the potential to catalyse local economies, while also minimising the environmental and social impacts,” he added.

Mukesh Kumar Meshram, Principal Secretary Tourism and Director General, Uttar Pradesh Tourism, said that the Government of Uttar Pradesh, is ready to lease forts on a very nominal fee for them to be converted into heritage hotels. The state is also open for hosting weddings at these forts to promote the destination and leverage the potential of the state.

Rajiv Mehra, President, IATO while addressing the Interactive Luncheon Meeting said, “The way the preparations are going and the response the association is receiving, we’re expecting 1100-1200 people including member spouses as invitees.”

According to the Modern Retail Study, new independent research commissioned by Travelport, nearly half (46%) of travelers can’t remember which online travel agency (OTA) they used to book their last leisure trip. However, travelers who do remember the OTA they used, had an “above average” or “excellent” booking experience (78%).

With effect from November 22, international air travelers will no longer be required to fill the Air Suvidha form, according to revised protocols issued by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. Under the revised guidelines of the health ministry, the submission of self-declaration form on the online Air Suvidha portal stand discontinued, the aviation ministry said. It, however, added a statutory warning: The rule could be reviewed if needed in view of the Covid situation.

Thomas Cook (India) has announced the launch of Holiday Mate –  an online B2B tool that empowers its travel agent partners to deliver swift, seamless and accurate services to the end consumer. The Company has consistently demonstrated innovation, agility and digital astuteness in leveraging technology to deliver increased benefits for customers and the business. In line with the Company’s Digital First strategy, the launch of its innovative digital solution – Holiday Mate gives Thomas Cook India valuable first mover advantage in the holiday space. Thomas Cook has deployed end-to-end digital solutions & processes across business lines to ensure seamless delivery of contactless, scalable, secure solutions to customers. In an initiative to simplify the processes and effectively manage time, Holiday Mate allows Thomas Cook’s travel agent partners to manage end-to-end holiday bookings seamlessly online – right from selecting suitable products, customisation, to payments. Thomas Cook’s Holiday Mate benefits the Company in its outreach to India’s viable tier 2, 3 and 4 key source markets, thus significantly expanding the Company’s market share. 4 Easy Steps to book holidays: (For Travel Agents) Select Product & Review booking Sign in Enter traveller details Payment For the first phase of the launch, the Holiday Mate offers Thomas Cook’s Group Tours (GIT), with Individual Travel (FIT) to follow in the next phase. Rajeev Kale, President & Country Head – Holidays, MICE, Visa, Thomas Cook (India), said, “This is the new era of travel! Our accelerated digital transformation is aimed at delivering an exceptional experience for our key stakeholders. Our newly launched B2B platform – Holiday Mate has been strategically designed to empower our travel agent partners. The portal offers end-to-end solutions in easy steps without the need of human intervention, right from choosing …

Arvind Singh, Secretary, Tourism has said that Indian tourism industry contributes to around 4.7 percent of the country’s GDP and provides employment to around 31.8 million of inhabitants. “If tourism’s contribution is increased to 10 per cent of GDP in India, it can create 26 million new jobs,” he added.

Rohan Khaunte, Minister for Tourism, Goa, has said that the contribution to the GDP, from the tourism sector of Goa is about 16.43 per cent. “We need to grow that and boost employment opportunities through skilling, upskilling and re-skilling. These will be our priorities in the days to come,” he claimed.