Tag Archives: Domestic Tourism

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.”

According to the detailed Expenditure Profile for Interim Budget 2024-25, total estimated outlay for tourism is ₹2449.62cr. For overseas tourism promotions, allocation is ₹3.02cr vis-a-vis ₹100cr in FY23-24. For domestic promotions ₹176.97cr is proposed, up from ₹95cr in FY23-24.

Tejashwi Yadav, Deputy CM, Bihar mentioned, “In 2019, total number of tourists in Bihar was 3.5 crores but with continuous efforts to boost tourism, we have reached 5.75 cr till Sept.” This shows great scope in Bihar so we are launching tourism policy very soon, he added.

ADTOI celebrated its 27th Founders Day on 7th August 2023 at the Metropolitian, New Delhi. Association was constituted on 7th August, 1996 with a purpose of uniting and merging the efforts of all domestic tour operators actively trying to promote different regions of India. PP Khanna, President, ADTOI launched the ADTOI mobile app during the occasion. The mobile app in Android and IOS have been developed, the android version is already available and the IOS will be available within a week. Ved Khanna, Treasurer, ADTOI shared the reason behind the app, “The major reason was smooth functionality as domestic tour operators complained that they did not recieve mails or was unable to communicate or get in touch with the office bearers.” At the event, the ADTOI Founder Members and the past Presidents were honoured and facilitated for their vision and contributions to building the association. Also, on the occasion, the criteria for nomination for the AKR Awards were announced. The AKR AwardS was instituted by ADTOI, in memory of Anil Kumar Rajput, the travel Industry veteran who did groundbreaking work in researching and promoting new destinations.            

WTTC’s Economic Impact Research 2023 reveals India’s travel & tourism sector is recovering &  touching pre-pandemic levels. Int’l visitor spend in India will reach more than ₹2 trillion with domestic visitor spend forecasted to reach ₹ 12.6 trillion.

The recent Agoda Travel Trend Survey concluded that respondents predominantly selected an annual spending range of USD 201-500  when considering travel budgets. The study polled participants from Asia (including India), Australia, and the United States.  Krishna Rathi, Country Director India at Agoda said, “As a platform that is passionate about getting the best deals for our customers, we wanted to look at travel options that fit well within the expected travel spends”. He also added, “Capitalizing on additional discounts in the Agoda app, or using money-saving features like ‘price freeze’ are great ways to make your money go further, and enable travelers to create and discover many different travel options”. Mumbai to Aurangabad (Domestic) A history buff, an adventurer, or a wanderer of roads less traveled – it’s about time you plan your next vacation to Aurangabad, a hidden gem located in Maharashtra. With a plethora of pocket-friendly flight options to choose from. You can pack in a five-day first-rate itinerary. Book your stay at the Amarpreet, Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar – AM Hotel Collection – boasting of a modern yet cozy and leisurely atmosphere. Taj of the Deccan – Bibi Ka Maqbara – a stellar sight of Mughal Architecture. Elevate the adventure with some time at the Daulatabad Fort – a medieval defensive citadel, atop a conical-shaped hill. You may also plan a day trip to Lonar Crater Lake (Rs 10,640), located in the Buldana district. A spectacular astronomical wonder, the lake was formed due to a meteorite collision and also holds pink water – truly unmissable. Delhi to Muscat (International) Muscat, Oman is the undisputed choice for you if you fancy short-haul flights and international vacays without burning a …

Anita Mendiratta, Special Advisor to the Secretary General, UNWTO, has said that had it not been for domestic tourism, a lot of countries wouldn’t have survived. Hence, she advises, “Domestic tourism must remain at the heart of the strategy, with international and regional strategies complimenting it and not becoming replacements to that strategy.”

India’s apex hotel association, FHRAI has appealed to Government of India to aggressively promote domestic tourism this year, and recommended that incentivising domestic tourism by offering tax exemption under Section 80C of up to Rs50,000 to Indian nationals will encourage them to travel, thus helping achieve the goal.

The Tour Operators and Travel Agents Association of Gujarat (TAG) has initiated a campaign to promote domestic tourism. A five-member team from TAG will embark on a historical 36-day road trip across India, starting off from Surat on September 18. The team will cover around 18,000 kms visiting 34 states and UT capitals (except Andaman & NicoBar and Lakshadweep) while showcasing their landmark monuments and Covid-ready hotels. Pankaj Gupta, President, TAG, shared that the team will be led by Rajiv Shah of Surat-based agency Network Tours & Travels. They will essentially cover around 500kms per day. The entire trip is largely self-sponsored.

Opening the second session titled ‘Where is the money? Selling domestic luxury’ in the second series of the Digital Conclave spearheaded by TravTalk, was Arjun Sharma, Chairman, Select Group, who believes that the industry will go through a deep and prominent transformation in these coming months. “It is just a matter of realising the importance of domestic tourism. Our domestic market is the biggest catchment area after the Chinese domestic market. In fact, all our neighbouring countries have survived on this – be it Sri Lanka, Thailand, Malaysia, or Dubai. They have all existed because of the Indian outbound market. I think this is the first time that the Indian travel industry can reposition itself dynamically to create the paradigm that is necessary for that domestic traveller to look at India as their next luxury holiday destination,” he says