Category Archives: States

Rohan Khaunte, Minister of Tourism, Goa, assured that the number of visitors to Goa has surged in the just-concluded tourist season touching the one crore mark. There has also been a rise in the number of international tourists, which is 150 per cent above pre-COVID figures. Goa continues to see the arrival of tourists in monsoon season as well.

Conrad Sangma, Chief Minister, Meghalaya, announced at Convocation 2024 of ICFAI University Meghalaya that the state government is planning to invest ₹5,000 crore in the tourism sector, expecting to create around 50,000 jobs. He urged the youth to leverage the upcoming changes and contribute in the sector for better future.

Addressing ‘Dakshin Bharat Utsav,’ DK Shivakumar, Deputy CM, Karnataka, said that the southern states should come together and have a common policy to promote tourism. He raised concerns about the Centre’s role in promoting tourism in South India. He stated, “The 18 per cent GST and other revenue cuts are killing the sector.”

Uttar Pradesh Tourism and Culture Minister, Jaiveer Singh, has directed tenders for all projects approved by the Department for 2023-24 must be issued by June 30. Stressing the vital role of tourism in the state’s economy, he highlighted the potential for significant employment opportunities and income generation through tourism.

Highlighting key trends in the Indian hospitality industry, the HVS ANAROCK Hotels & Hospitality Overview – May 2024, states that Goa witnessed the largest year-on-year decline in occupancy rate, while Kolkata registered the highest growth during the month. After a long hiatus, Mumbai recorded higher average rates than Goa, exceeding INR 10,000 and INR 9,500 respectively.”

ITC Hotels recently signed a management agreement with Jaipur based Dangayach Group, for a property under brand Storii, in Jaisalmer, Rajasthan. Storii by ITC Hotels, Jaisalmer is set to be a 119-key resort located towards the east of the city on Jodhpur-Jaisalmer Road. The resort will feature a restaurant, bar, approximately 7000 sqft of banquet and meeting space. Jaisalmer is one of the largest tourism districts in Rajasthan and is featured as a “must-visit” destination in most Rajasthan desert circuits. The city offers a perfect blend of art, architecture, hospitality, scenic beauty, and cuisine. Jaisalmer is renowned for its unconventional desert safari with camel rides, cultural performances, and adventure activities. The city’s yellow sandstone is known to glow during sunset, making it a high point in every tourist’s itinerary. The resort’s yellow-stone fort architecture is inspired by the regions landscape. The plush interiors and elegant décor shall provide an ambiance be-fitting the cultural significance of the city and showcase the very essence of brand Storii. Anil Chadha, Chief Executive, ITC Hotels, said “This project is a tremendous leap permitting a quick entry into a high visibility and popular leisure market with our cherished brand Storii. We are already present with over 800 keys across our various brands in Rajasthan. These include hotels in Jaipur, Jodhpur, Khimsar, Jaisalmer and Udaipur. Storii Jaisalmer will enable us to offer yet another unique destination experience in the Rajasthan desert circuit”. Harimohan Dangayach, Chairman & Founder and Atul Dangayach, Managing Director of Dangayach Group, expressed happiness at the signing ceremony and said, “We are delighted to sign Storii for our latest resort project in Jaisalmer. The resort’s positioning in a strong leisure market aligns well …

Forward ticket data for July and August 2024 indicates that European travellers are increasingly choosing to venture further afield to explore New Delhi with an 9 per cent increase compared to the same time in 2023. Highlighted by ForwardKeys, outbound travel from Europe is displaying clear trends, with year-on-year growth in long-haul travel to a diverse range of Asian markets.

Clarks Safari enters Ahmedabad by signing a 50 rooms property near Kheda Gujarat. The luxury property will cater to luxury travelers, corporates, and families looking for a day outing, along with clients seeking out destination weddings. The brand already has multiple properties spread across the country but Ahmedabad being the business hub and one of the busiest cities of Gujarat, propelled the brand to open doors here. The newly signed property is centrally located and enjoys good connectivity. It is spread over an area of more than 5 acres, and has all the facilities inside it. The property has a banquet hall with a seating capacity of 800 pax. There is a dedicated kids zone and play area, where one can enjoy rain dance. In order to spread awareness around nature and animal life, there is a birding zone, and a pond with various water animals. It is good for those who want to spend their whole day in a luxury setup while enjoying different activities at the resort. They also have a swimming pool and inhouse gym on the property.The property has a Gaushala, from where organic milk products are generated. There will be 50 rooms spread across categories, each room will be furnished with all the amenities, such as a safe box, indoor games, seating area, deck area, pantry, etc. They also have a main lawn to conduct weddings or other functions with 600 pax capacity. Various experiential will be curated targeting different sets of audiences. Apart from solo travelers, and families, the brand is heavily eyeing the wedding segment, corporate, and MICE. The in-house restaurant will serve multiple cuisines, chiefly North Indian, continental, and also Gujarati food. …

As reported in Skyscanner’s Travel Trends 2024, globally, 44% of travellers are using AI to help them plan and research travel, but its use varies a lot depending on the market. 45% of Indian travellers, for example, are already using AI on their phones compared to just 8% in the UK. The next logical step is to use the AI technologies now available to us to help these travellers in the discovery phase of their travel planning journey.

Jerroo Bharrucha, President, TOGA Mumbai, says, referring to the negotiations over tourist guide fees for cruise passengers between TOGA and four operators, says, “We have been asking them to negotiate for a year for season starting September 2024. They have offered us 5% increment for each season, in total 10%. But this is unacceptable to us.”