Category: India

In an act of precaution, the Maharashtra state government has decided to make Covid-Negative Certificate (RT- PCR test) mandatory for visitors to Maharashtra from the states of Delhi- NCR, Rajasthan, Goa, and Gujarat since a spike has been observed in the covid 19 cases at these states. Maharashtra, once badly hit by Covid, is now on a path of recovery and these guidelines are meant to keep a check and to avoid a relapse. The rule will be applicable to passengers coming in both flights and trains, who will have to produce the negative test results before boarding from their ... Read more

One of the leading associations of the Indian Tourism & Hospitality Industry, FAITH (Federation of Associations in Indian Tourism & Hospitality) has submitted its recommendations for the tourism, travel, and hospitality industry of India ahead of the Union Budget FY 21 -22. The vision is Tourism – Made in India. India should be aiming of becoming one of the most preferred Tourism destinations both for domestic and international tourists offering best-in-class tourism experiences, infrastructure & services and enabling the tourism entrepreneurs of India to create value for all their stakeholders. Adhering to this vision, FAITH has proposed the following Budgetary ... Read more

Yatra Online Inc India’s leading corporate travel services provider and one of India’s leading online travel companies, announced today that it has received a letter from the Listing Qualifications Department of the Nasdaq Stock Market, Inc. notifying the Company that it has regained compliance with the NASDAQ Capital Market’s minimum bid price continued listing requirement. The letter noted that for at least 10 consecutive business days, from November 9 through November 23, 2020, the closing bid price of the Company’s ordinary shares has been at $1.00 per share or greater. Accordingly, the Company has regained compliance with NASDAQ Marketplace Rule 5550(a)(2) and NASDAQ considers the matter ... Read more

Ministry of Tourism is planning an array of promotional activities to help tourism gain its ground, majorly in the domestic market. Ms. Rupinder Brar, Additional Director General, Ministry of Tourism sounded very positive speaking about the campaigns and the outcome. “We are planning to Bring some promotional material at the key airports. We’ve had extensive discussions with the airport’s authority of India and will also be entering into discussions with the private concessionaires at some of the airports to see how the message of Dekho Apna Desh and all the different products of our Incredible India can be showcased to ... Read more

Bollywood icon Shah Rukh Khan (SRK) and his celebrated interior designer wife, Gauri Khan have officially become Airbnb hosts by offering a once in a lifetime stay in their Delhi home. In homage to Shah Rukh’s signature pose from over 30 years of Bollywood superstardom, the campaign will give residents of India a chance to stay in the Khan family’s genteel home. Located in the leafy neighborhood of Panchsheel Park in South Delhi, the Khan’s home is exquisitely designed in Gauri’s warm, inimitable style. Though the power duo now resides in Mumbai, their Delhi home remains a special place of ... Read more

Delhi, 04 November 2020: Vistara, India’s finest full-service carrier and a joint venture of Tata group and Singapore Airlines, today announced special, non-stop flights between Delhi and Doha, the capital city of the state of Qatar, from 19 November 2020. The airline will operate its Airbus A320neo twice a week between the two cities, on Thursdays and Sundays, as part of the bilateral ‘transport bubble’ agreement between India and Qatar. Bookings are being progressively opened on all channels, including Vistara’s website, mobile app, and through travel agents. Mr. Leslie Thng, Chief Executive Officer, Vistara, said: “We are pleased to strengthen ... Read more

In an interactive session with Mr. Prahlad Singh Patel, Minister of State for Tourism and Culture (IC), Government of India, the tourism industry leaders of the FICCI Tourism Committee yesterday requested the government for urgent support for survival and revival of Indian Travel, Tourism, and Hospitality Industry. FICCI Tourism Committee members submitted key recommendations for the survival of the industry which includes extending the moratorium for another 1 year; period of restructuring for hotels should be extended till March 2024; payment of the Service Exports from India Scheme (SEIS) scrips which is due to the tour operators for the financial year ... Read more

FHRAI has appreciated the decision of the Maharashtra government for granting industry status to Tourism and for efforts to simplify the licensing process for Hotels & Restaurants. Mr. Gurbaxish Singh Kohli, Vice President Federation of Hotel & Restaurant Association of India ( FHRAI) thanked the government for the support and expressed hope that there will be a single-window licensing process. He said “We have been following up with every successive government in the Union, in the center as well as and in various states to get this travel, tourism, hospitality basically tourism, as an industry. We are very thankful to ... Read more

When it comes to hospitality no country comes closer to perfection than Thailand offering something for every one of diverse interests, every age, and every budget. From pristine sandy beaches to lush jungles, bustling busy cities to traditional villages, Michelin star menus to roadside noodle stalls, historic Buddhist temples to 21st-century skyscrapers, Thailand is truly amazing! Amazing Thailand also has Amazing Golf facilities. Ideally located more than 250 golf courses throughout the country, by the sea, by the mountains, by the lakes, inside the cities even besides the airports. Top-quality courses, reasonable green fees, friendly caddies. From the beach resorts ... Read more

The positive signs from the domestic tourism market have prompted the MOT to draft more synergized protocols for domestic travel. As per Ms. Rupinder Brar, Additional Director General, Ministry of Tourism, Govt of India “There was so much of domestic demand. Yes, there was a worldwide crisis, a lot happened but, yet because of the sheer ability of the domestic market to create its own demand India was kind of sort of saved of a lot of crisis. So while the demand might be very small, to begin with, because we are working on making the harmonization of the protocols. ... Read more

Antique idols smuggled out of the country in the 70s were recovered and handed over to the idol wing of the custodian state, Tamil Nadu by the union minister of tourism and culture at a function held in New Delhi. Precious bronze idols of Characters of Ramayana, Lord Rama, Sita, and Lakshmana, believed to be stolen in the 1970s from a temple in Nagapattinam, Tamil Nadu was recently recovered from a private collector in London, UK. In Jun 1958 a Photo-documentation of these sculptures was done at the temple, which meant that the idols were believed to be stolen and ... Read more

In a welcome move, the Union Culture & Tourism Ministry has announced that all monuments, except the 27 World Heritage Monuments coming under the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) would be opened for videography, photography, and movie shooting free of cost. This facility commences on the 25th of DEC’20 which is the birth anniversary of Shri. Atal Behari Vajpayee, India’s former Prime Minister will last till 15 Apr’21 and can also be seen as a wonderful Christmas Gift. Shri. Prahlad Singh Patel, the Union Minister for Culture & Tourism while announcing the facility at a function in New Delhi said ... Read more

As per unofficial reports, the elections for IATO (Indian Association of Tour Operators) new leadership will be held in the first half of March’21. The elections which were initially finalised for 25 APR 2020 however had to be called off due to the lockdown announced by the central government in view of the pandemic. The nomination submission and the scrutiny were already over however the withdrawal of nominations and the further procedures are still pending. As per sources the present committee of IATO had conducted a meeting last week in the presence of Mr. Homa Mistry, the newly appointed returning ... Read more

Pinning hopes on the upcoming festive season as the best medicine to escape the pressures of lockdown and keeping an eye on the rising urge for travel, Thomas Cook (India) Ltd., and its Group Company, SOTC Travel Ltd., have launched Crazy Deals in partnership with IndiGo Airlines offering great deals on holiday travels within India and other nearby international destinations currently open to tourists. A wide range of domestic destinations including  Goa, Udaipur, Jaipur, Kerala, Himachal, North East, Ranthambore, Mussoorie, Rishikesh, Chittorgarh, Andaman, along with other popular spots, can be visited as part of the air inclusive package where prices ... Read more

Seen as a welcome move, India’s national carrier Air India will be operating additional flights between India and UK from 11 DEC’20 till 27 MAR’21 under the air bubble agreement. Every Friday there would be a flight to Delhi-Amritsar-Birmingham and on every Saturday there would be a return flight on the route Birmingham-Amritsar-Delhi. The new flights to UK are in addition to the existing flights in operation. The bookings for flights to UK are presently open. It is expected that the additional flights would come as a major relief for the large population of Indian expatriates in UK, especially Birmingham ... Read more