Tag Archives: Ministry of Tourism

ADTOI, with support from MOT, is all set to kick-off its 10th Annual Convention today with support from Ministry of Tourism at Kevadia, Gujarat. The inauguration ceremony will start at 5pm today, and will be graced by the presence of Prahlad Singh Patel, Minister of State, Tourism & Culture. The business sessions will begin tomorrow, which will see Arvind Singh, Secretary, Tourism addressing a session on ‘Role of Aviation in Promotion of Tourism’. Rupinder Brar, ADG, Tourism will moderate a session on ‘Technology is Future-Travel Real from Virtual’.

Arvind Singh, Chairman of Airports Authority of India (AAI) and a 1988 IAS officer of Maharashtra Cadre, has been appointed as the new Secretary of Tourism, GOI, and will be taking charge on February 1, 2021.  He will be replacing Yogendra Tripathi, who, after more than 2 years as Tourism Secretary, will be joining as Secretary, Department of Chemicals and Petrochemicals. Singh, had also served as Additional Chief Secretary (Energy) in Government of Maharashtra.

Prahlad Singh Patel, Minister of Tourism & Culture, conducted a meeting with officials of MOT on ‘Adopt A Heritage’ scheme. Officials present in the meeting included Yogendra Tripathi, Secretary, MOT; Meenakshi Sharma, Director General, MOT; and Rupinder Brar, Additional Director General, MOT.

Ministry of Tourism (MOT) has shared the draft guidelines of the Champion Sector Scheme, ‘Incentive To Tour Operators For Enhancing Tourist Arrivals To India’ with the industry for their comments. The scheme is aimed towards extending financial incentives to Foreign Tour Operators (FTOs) of short haul / long haul countries or Inbound Tour Operators approved by the Ministry of Tourism, Government of India, on a pilot basis

Meenakshi Sharma, Director General, Ministry of Tourism, was on a three-day visit to Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, during which she visited Uma Maheshwaram, Mannanur, Farhabad, Alampur and Hyderabad in Telangana, as well as SriSailam in Andhra Pradesh. These sites are being developed by the respective state governments under MOT’s Swadesh Darshan and PRASHAD schemes.

Indian Association of Tour Operators (IATO), in its recent interactive meeting of members, discussed the highlights of the revised guidelines for tourism service providers by MOT. The virtual event saw members discussing the new criteria and their issues with it, including categorisation of tour operators in five categories, inclusion of green shoots/start-ups, MDA scheme eligibility, etc. The EC clarified members’ queries and looks at taking the same to MOT.

Ministry of Tourism recently conducted its Domestic Tourism Roadshow in the western state of Goa. The chief guest at the event was Rupinder Brar, ADG, Ministry of Tourism, who shared that a complimentary development of domestic tourism is needed to further make way for an enhanced growth of international tourism.

Rupinder Brar, ADG, Ministry of Tourism, has said that they are in discussion with Quality Council of India organising the entire travel trade, on the lines of SAATHI & NIDHI hospitality platforms. “In the supply chain there are tour operators, OTAs, taxi operators and bus operators. The idea is not just to bring people into a database, but to make sure to reach out as support to the industry from the Government perspective and also to make the ecosystem safe for the future traveller. It is not only from the COVID perspective, but because a value chain needs to be created for the consumer.

Meenakshi Sharma, DG, Ministry of Tourism, has said that their campaign for the international market highlighting they are COVID-proof and geared to work with them is ready. “Representatives from the industry have seen some drafts, and it should be finalised in a month or so. The campaign says what India is trying to do,” Sharma says.

Ministry of Tourism has appreciated Vasuki K. Sundaram, Chairperson, IATO Maharashtra Chapter, on twitter for her positive feedback on her recent trip to Shirdi, where she mentions that her experience was great in the temple without crowds, social distancing maintained, hotels adhering to compliances, and she pointed out that the wayside amenities on her way back to Mumbai were clean. MOT, in their tweet shared a video of Sundaram saying that it shows the idea of Dekho Apna Desh being executed thoroughly.