Category Archives: Breaking News (All Categories)

Dan Whitehead, Senior Business Development Manager, Premium Ticketing and Corporate Accounts, Lancashire Cricket, Emirates Old Trafford, shares that the VisitBritain Cricket Carnival is a fantastic initiative and the lucky winner of this contest will get a special hospitality package for one full day at the Century Lounge of Emirates Old Trafford. “The winner can enjoy a relaxed atmosphere and also enjoy the test match from an elevated balcony viewpoint or a reserved seat in the grand-stand below,” he said. To win, register on http://bit.ly/VisitBritainCricketCarnival or contact Vartik Sethi on vartik.sethi@ddppl.com or +91 83684 28139.

Korea Tourism Organization (KTO) has signed a 2-year long MoU with the Educational Tour Operators Association (ETOA). The plan aims to develop tour products for schools, universities and other educational institutes for international field trips and study tours. “I am excited to work with ETOA to make South Korea the No. 1 choice of Indian schools and universities for their international field trips. Korea is one of the safest countries in the world and also one of the global leaders in technology and manufacturing. It is the ideal destination for students to know and learn about the future. By the end of our MoU team next year, I am confident we will have a fully developed self-sustaining Korea travel product category,” said Young Geul-Choi, Director, KTO New Delhi office.

India Tourism, Singapore, is organising a series of webinars cum B2B sessions titled ‘India Tourism Reconnect’ in the ASEAN region on March 11, 16 & 18, in line with the global vaccination drive. The aim is to reconnect the Indian tourism industry with stakeholders in key markets and start preparing for resumption of business as and when it is announced. The virtual meets will start on 11th March with a focus on Philippines followed by Malaysia (16th March) and Singapore (18th March). Apart from the MOT and State Tourism Organisations, leading tour operators, luxury hotel chains, river cruise and luxury train operators are also participating in the B2B session of the virtual event.

TAAI in association with Gujarat Tourism is organising the TAAI Tourism Conclave at Statue of Unity, Kevadia from 9-12 March. The Conclave scheduled today is aimed to bring members together and brainstorm on importance of Domestic travel & new ways & opportunities for the industry. Jyoti Mayal, President, TAAI said, “TAAI is constantly involved with the government to establish correct procedures & support our membership to adopt transformation & to continuously improve our ability to explore, achieve & prosper.”

In an interaction with Mario Hardy, CEO, PATA, while speaking on opening borders in 2021, Arvind Singh, Secretary, Tourism, said, “Yes, there will be some sort of reopening. It all depends on the result of vaccination programme in India and abroad. However, I am sure that at least there wold be a partial opening of some regions of the world in this calendar year.”

Ashok Institute of Hospitality & Tourism Management (AIH&TM), a certified hospitality training institute under India Tourism Development Corporation (ITDC), has introduced a tailor-made program in ‘Entrepreneurship Development’ exclusively designed for graduates in the tourism & hospitality industry. The programme was formally inaugurated by Arvind Singh, IAS, Secretary (Tourism) at a webinar hosted by ITDC. Singh, said, “ITDC’s initiative to create entrepreneurs under its Entrepreneurship Development Programme is a very timely and welcome initiative with the support of Ministry of Tourism and Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE) under their organizations namely National Council for Hotel Management and Catering Technology (NCHMCT) & National Institute of Entrepreneurship and Small Business Development (NIESBUD). All interested graduates, diploma holders, and professionals who have lost their jobs will be approached for enrolment under the programme. These are very tough times for the industry and we are working towards the revival of the sector. I wish the programme all success”. The webinar was convened by Shri. G. Kamala Vardhana Rao, IAS, C&MD, India Tourism Development Council (ITDC) and had in attendance eminent officials, including Atul Kumar Tiwari, IAS, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE), Neelam Shami Rao, IAS, DG, National Institute of Entrepreneurship and Small Business Development (NIESBUD) and Gyan Bhushan, CEO ,National Council for Hotel Management and Catering Technology  (NCHMCT). Motivational talks and experiences were shared by Sh. Ritesh Aggarwal CEO, OYO Rooms & Sh. Abhinav Balyan, MD&CEO, Educator Extraordinaire Ltd. Under the ‘Entrepreneurship Development Programme’, graduates from hotel management institutes as well as recently unemployed and other experienced hospitality professionals would be provided with the non-financial support for running catering or hospitality-related establishments (canteen/café, Event Management, Manpower Services, Banquet services, …

Underlining the need for developing, promoting and harnessing the potential of coastal and beach tourism, Valsa Nair Singh, IAS, Principal Secretary (Tourism), Govt. of Maharashtra, emphasised on growing the Blue Economy in a sustainable and inclusive manner in Konkan. “The first tourist district in the country lies in Konkan i.e. Sindhudurg district. We have provided special incentives to the Special Tourism District under the Maharashtra Tourism Policy. We have also formed PPP for MTDC resorts and open lands there,” she says. Operations at the new Chipi airport in Sindhudurg district can start from March 1 if the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) gives a go-ahead.

Sharing an update on where the India market stands in terms of arrivals, VisitBritain CEO, Sally Balcombe says, “At the moment India is 16th in volume and the eleventh-biggest market in terms of spend for us. But the really important thing is that you are growing fast. We know we are the second-most popular destination in Europe for the India market. Indians spend a lot of money here and stay a longer time – 56% more time than others on an average. Your growth trajectory will take you into our top 10 international markets very soon!”

The Red Sea in Saudi Arabia is the world’s most ambitious luxury tourism development, offering an exclusive experience of unparalleled diversity for discerning global travellers. The Red Sea will welcome its first guests by the end of 2022 and will attract 1 million overnight visits per year by 2030. It will be an exquisite sanctuary offering luxury experiences, customised to the needs of each visitor. Smart technology will deliver innovative, tailored services from the moment visitors begin to research their trips to the time they return home.

Speaking at The Art of Travel roadshow in Delhi, Jatin Khanna, Market VP – North India, Bhutan & Nepal, Marriott International, said that recovery has already begun. “Recovery has already started happening for the industry, and I personally feel by the time we hit Q3 and should international travel resume by then, it would support a good V-shaped recovery for us,” he shared.