Tag Archives: MoU

The largest North Eastern state has signed MoU between four key partners to work together to promote and attract tourists to the state. The partners include OxigenWallet – the official e-wallet partner for the department of tourism, MakeMyTrip – the official partner in the online travel portal category, Travel Agents’ Association of India (TAAI) as the official partner, and Fly Wings – the partner for hospitality training. This was announced at the state’s first conclave in New Delhi which was graced by Kiren Rijiju, Union Minister of State for Home, Govt. of India, along with other dignitaries like Ajay Singh, CMD, SpiceJet. Arunachal Pradesh is heavily cashing in on the adventure segment and is fostering awareness through adventure festivals like the three-day Mechuka adventure festival held in November 2016. Speaking at the conclave, Dr Joram Besa, Tourism Secretary, Govt. of Arunachal Pradesh said, “The state is investing to become the adventure and exotic tourism hub of India. The role of tourism partners in building awareness and encouraging on the unique attractions this state offers is paramount. In 2017, we expect the number of tourist arrivals to grow exponentially.” The state received over 3.5 lakh tourists in 2016.

A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between Indian and the UK to ease restrictions on the number of scheduled flights between the two countries. Limits on flights from key Indian cities including Chennai and Kolkata have been scrapped, allowing for a greater range of flights for passengers while providing a boost to trade and tourism for the UK and India. The agreement also opened all destinations in the UK for Indian carriers for code share flights, and reciprocally the UK carriers can also operate code share flights to any International Airport in India, through domestic code share arrangements. According to Pusapati Ashok Gajapathi Raju, Minister of Civil Aviation, said “The increase in number of flights between the UK and India is encouraging news for our businesses and tourists. We already enjoy strong ties with the UK and we welcome such continued association which in the long run will not only encourage business activity, but also people-to-people contact. I am sure that this agreement will bring direct and indirect benefits to many sectors of the economies of our two countries.” Tourism from India makes an important contribution to the UK economy. In 2015, there were 422,000 visits from India to the UK, bringing more than £433 million to the economy. Lord Ahmad, Aviation Minister of the United Kingdom, said, “India is one of our closest allies and key trading partners and this new agreement will only serve to strengthen this crucial relationship. We are unlocking new trade and tourism opportunities which will boost our economies, create new jobs and open up new business links. This is great news for both the UK and India and is yet another sign that …

A Tripartite Memorandum of  Understanding (MoU) for implementation of tourism projects in Jammu and Kashmir was signed between Ministry of Tourism, NPCC & NBCC and Government of Jammu and Kashmir. The MoU was signed in the presence of Vinod Zutshi, Secretary, Tourism and the signatories for the MoU included Suman Billa, Joint Secretary , Ministry of Tourism; Shamim Ahmad Wani, Managing Director, J&K Cable Car Corporation;  K K Sharma, Executive Director, NPCC; and Alok Rastogi, Chief General Manager (BD), NBCC. The Prime Minister announced the Development Package (Reconstruction Plan) for Jammu and Kashmir on 7.11.2015. The Ministry of Tourism under the new initiative -Development of Tourism in the State–New Projects has sanctioned two projects to NPCC and NBCC in J&K for being implemented this September. Integrated Development of Tourist facilities at Gulmarg–Baramulla–Kupwara–Leh to NBCC for Rs. 96.92 crore and Integrated Development of Tourist facilities at Mantalai–Sudhmahadev–Patnitop in Jammu & Kashmir to NPCC for Rs.  97.82 crore. Major components sanctioned under the projects are Yoga centre, wellness SPA, Log Huts, heliports, Open air theatre, walking trail, landscaping, solar lighting, solid waste management & public amenities etc.

V.M. Salgaocar Institute of International Hospitality Education (VMSIIHE) has signed an Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Turismo de Portugal. The MoU was signed by Dattaraj V. Salgaocar, Chairman of VMSIIHE, and Luis Araújo, President of Turismo de Portugal, in the presence of the Hon’ble Prime Minister of Portugal António Costa who is presently in Goa on a state visit. The knowledge exchange programme between the two countries will see a collaborative effort in the fields of research, trainings, teaching-learning methods and other aspects in the near future. The MOU valid for 2 years, mutually agrees to conduct student training and teacher mentoring modules in addition to institutional support. The MoU focuses on a shared vision, to encourage and develop the training and qualification of human resource personnel working in the field of tourism, as well as to coordinate and execute professional training for students and faculty. Professor Irfan Mirza, Director, V.M. Salgaocar Institute of International Hospitality Education, said, “Together we can collaborate and enhance the quality of education we offer to our students. At our institute we offer a unique curriculum, internationally trained faculty and world class infrastructure to prepare the students for the ever changing needs of the hospitality industry. Our goal is to make this institute the center of excellence for the hospitality industry in India and we believe we have come one step closer to that goal with the signing of this MoU.”

Stayzilla signed a MoU with the Tourism Department of Odisha in order to provide online booking facilities and promote homestays in various tourist places across the state. Stayzilla has tied up with around 80 homestay accommodations in the state and the facilities will start functioning from Bhubaneswar, Konark and Puri in the first phase. “The tie-up would meet the shortage of rooms in accommodation sector in budget category and bridge the infrastructure gap,” said Nitin Jawale, Tourism Director, Government of Odisha. Ankit Rastogi, Vice President, Stayzilla, informed, “Odisha has huge potential as a tourism destination. Apart from promoting safe homestay facilities Stayzilla will jointly promote various tourist places of the state and its unique culture and food. We work as facilitators and ensure safety and quality stay for tourists. Stayzilla will provide an application to all homestay owners that will function without internet facilities where they can upload all details which people across the globe can see and book online. We have plans to start operation in important destinations like Raghurajpur and Nuapatna and will also go to tribal hinterlands soon.” Source: Times of India

Air India and VietJetAir have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) over their proposed cooperation on flights between India and Vietnam. Under the terms of the partnership, VietJet and Air India will both commence direct flights between the two countries with the first route to be Ho Chi Minh City-Delhi Int’l. Moreover, both airlines will also cooperate in the expansion of their sales distribution capabilities, the implementation of tourism and trade promotions between Vietnam and India; and the exchange of expertise through collaborative personnel training. “We are very delighted at the agreement with Air India,” VietJetAir Vice President Dinh Viet Phuong said “We hope that Air India’s aviation experience and capabilities will help Vietjet to better our access to India – a potential market with a young and dynamic population of more than 1.2 billion people. The cooperation is also expected to contribute positively to a higher development of partnership in economy, trade and tourism between Vietnam and India.” The move comes amid warming ties between India and Vietnam. During Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Hanoi in September he and his Vietnamese counterpart, Nguyen Xuan Phuc, signed twelve MOUs covering the sectors of defence, space, IT, health, mutual recognition of standards, and cybersecurity.

The Travel Agents Association of India (TAAI) has signed an academia-industry partnership MoU with the School of Tourism and Hospitality at DY Patil University in Nerul in Mumbai’s Navi Mumbai region. It was signed on December 2, 2016 between Vandana Mishra Chaturvedi, Director, School of Hospitality and Tourism Studies, DY Patil University and Jay Bhatia on behalf of TAAI at the second International Conference on Tourism and Hospitality held for the students at the university campus. Bhatia shall also be on the advisory board of DY Patil University. Sampat Damani, Chairman Western Region, TAAI, said, “We are continuing with our agenda to educate and mentor Generation Next with relevant training and making the curriculum more to the industry specific. It is a historic day for the industry when two giants the DYPU and TAAI have signed an MoU to ensure students and the future of the tomorrow are so keen to be a part of the tourism and hospitality industry.”

Yatra.com has signed an MoU with Uttarakhand Government to promote homestays in the state as well as highlight the state’s unique tourist attractions. Yatra will promote all the state tourism approved homestays, wherein guests (travellers) can rent a room in the home of a local family (host) or the entire house. Enhancing the segment further, Yatra and Uttarakhand Tourism together will organise an orientation session for homestays where the villagers will be trained in guiding, cooking, hospitality and the cultural and natural heritage of the state. This partnership will give the tourists a chance to experience the hospitality of various families throughout Uttarakhand and enjoy wonderful home cooked food. Speaking on the partnership, Sharat Dhall, COO (B2C), Yatra.com said, “We are delighted about this strategic alliance with the Government of Uttarakhand to boost the state’s tourism. With the peak season rolling in, we see this an opportunity to promote the rapidly growing Homestays segment in sync with the needs of travellers. Yatra is also seeking more such partnerships with other State Governments to promote local tourism and offer a taste of Indian hospitality and a very unique traveller experience.” As a part of this partnership, Yatra will list over 500 homestay properties on its website and encourage the growth of homestays in Uttarakhand, giving tourists a very homely experience.

Government of Telangana and O2 Skills Academy have signed MoU to train 1,260 men and women between the ages of 18-35 over the next 3 years. This collaboration will aim to provide employment linked, market-oriented vocational training that will enable filling in the gaps the spa and hospitality industry faces by providing trained resources. The role of O2 Skills Academy will be to ensure effective mobilisation, training, certification and finally placement into apt jobs. This agreement is within the purview of the Telangana Employment Generation and Marketing Mission (EGMM) which falls under the Department of Panchayat Raj and Rural Development. The first batch of students under this program starts classes from the 17th of October 2016. A maximum of 35 students per batch will undergo practical and theoretical classes for 3 months with an option of being trained in Wellness therapies, Hair and Beauty treatments in addition to Hospitality (F&B and Housekeeping).The curriculum is designed and approved by the Government of Telangana (EGMM).

In order to boost tourism facilities in Rajasthan, the Government of Rajasthan has signed two Memorandums of Understanding (MoU) with Singapore. “Singapore has been a close friend and partner of Rajasthan in infrastructure and tourism development. With these MoUs, we aim to deepen this association and develop the state as a world-class, global tourist destination with advanced urban infrastructure,” said Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje. The MoU seeks to aggregate Singapore’s expertise through tripartite collaboration between the government, tourism institutions and industry partners to strengthen Rajasthan’s ‘knowledge capabilities.’ Rajasthan is also seeking to utilise Singapore’s public and private sector proficiency in the development of tourism. The otheragreement focuses on enhancing Rajasthan’s international appeal and connectivity, facilitation of private sector participation in a bid to rejuvenate the state’s heritage areas and critical urban and smart solutions. The MoU will also train 100 Rajasthan tourism officials. The 36-month programme is supported by the Temasek Foundation International with a $484,000 grant, and co-funded by the Rajasthan tourism department. Singapore will also share expertise in areas like inter-modal transport integration, waste management solutions and affordable wireless connection.