Proceedings under the registration of the tourist trade act has been initiated against cricketer Yuvaraj Singh for failure to register his villa with the tourism department.  The department issued a notice to the cricketer, which reads “It has come to the notice of the undersigned that your residential premises located at Varchawada, Morjim, Pernem, Goa is allegedly functioning as a homestay and is being marketed on online platforms like “Airbnb”. Every person intending to operate a Hotel/Guest House before operating it, must apply for registration to the Prescribed Authority in the Prescribed manner. And whereas, a surprise inspection was held by the Officials of this Department on 11/11/2022 at your Bungalow. Therefore, notice is hereby given to you as to why penal action should not be initiated against you for default in registration under the Goa Registration of Tourist Trade Act, 1982. Further, you are directed to appear before the undersigned on 08.12.2022 at 11:00 a.m. in the chamber of the Prescribed Authority for personal hearing, to defend your interest. If no reply is received within the said date mentioned in this Notice, it will be assumed that the grounds mentioned in this notice are correct and on such assumption under Section 22 or in violation of any of the provisions of this Act you shall be punishable with a fine which may extend upto Rs 1.00 lakh.”   

In conjunction with PITE 2022, Penang Convention & Exhibition Bureau (PCEB) signed a memorandum of understanding with Network of Indian MICE Agents (NIMA), in order to boost the business ties between Penang and India. “PCEB is regularly taking the initiatives to attract business event groups to visit Penang. Connecting with the Indian market is one of the efforts that are being done, especially with India being the key market for business tourism and events in Penang. In addition to the incentive group from India, we are making strenuous efforts to organise association meetings as well in Penang” quoted Ashwin Gunasekeran, the Chief Executive Officer of Penang Convention & Exhibition Bureau.

Spree Hospitality is known for its luxurious and elegant hotel chain to live and relax in; spaces that are comfortable and enjoyable in equal measure, now strengthened its footprint in Maharashtra with the launch of the new hotel in Waluj, Aurangabad. Spree Hospitality, part of EaseMyTrip, the portfolio has 30 plus properties across India in the business of Hotels, Clubs and Guest houses with more than 7 hotels in the pipeline. This 4 – star property is located near Waluj Industrial area, 16 km from the airport and 8.7 km from the railway station. Expressing happiness on the latest addition in the portfolio, Vice President of Spree Hospitality Mr. Sagar Khurana said “Spree Hospitality is proud to announce its presence in the vibrant city of Aurangabad which expands our footprints in Maharashtra. We are delighted to partner with Mr. Sandesh Zambad. Aurangabad is a popular tourist hub with UNESCO World Heritage Sites like the Ajanta and Ellora caves. Apart from its cultural and historic significance, Aurangabad is one of the fastest developing cities for business and industry. Waluj Industrial Area was having a huge gap in providing premium Mid-Market Segment Hotel and so with the addition of Spree hotel this gap will get filled. We have already started receiving great response from the close by companies.” Offering guests a comfortable stay and pleasant experience, the hotel feature multi-cuisine restaurant, state -of – the art Banquet Hall for conferencing and social gathering and fitness centre. Spree Hotel Aurangabad soon to open lounge, rooftop banquet hall, board room and rooftop lounge. The hotel boasts aesthetically designed 32 room’s ideal for business and leisure travellers alike categorises namely Executive Room and Deluxe Room …

Riaz Munshi, President, OTOAI said, “Sports tourism is an integral part of tourism. It is one of the verticals that greatly benefits the host country, as it attracts tourists from all over the world. We have noticed that Indian travellers are now quite keen to travel for sports events.” 

The civil aviation ministry in its latest order, announced that the use of masks is not compulsory during air travel but passengers should preferably use them amid the declining number of coronavirus cases. Till now, the use of masks or face covers while travelling on flights was mandatory.

“We expect the hotel investment climate to remain buoyant in 2023 as hotel performances continue to strengthen. Hotels across major business and leisure destinations are performing either at par or at a higher level than the pre-covid RevPAR (revenue per available room) levels. This recovery has renewed confidence in the sector resulting in more development and investments. We believe this momentum will continue through the year-end,” said Jaideep Dang, managing director, hotels and hospitality group, India, JLL. 

Rajiv Bansal, Secretary, Civil Aviation, said that by December, India will have inaugurated six new airports in a span of 12 months. “Two new airports – one in Itanagar and one in Goa will be inaugurated in coming weeks,” he said. 

Black Turtle has recently announced their partnership with Fiyavalhu Maldives – located in South Ari Atoll blessed with whale shark and manta ray sightings almost guaranteed and great diving spots as well. Fiyavalhu which also means “Footprints” is a concept of the “first resort on a local island” that creates a unique experience for guests on the island. The resort is ideal for wellness retreats, detox vacations, corporate getaways, and also just a relaxing leisure holiday with family and friends. It has tremendous potential to provide the authenticity of an all-island experience with comfort and nature.” adds Karishma Kazi Founder – Black Turtle 

If you are to go by what studies suggest, football matches are not the only reason why millions of fans travel from all over the world to watch the World Cup…  Millions of fans arriving for the FIFA World Cup, which takes place every 4 years look to explore tourist attractions and learn about the cultures of the host country and the region. Winning the world’s most popular sporting championship can only be surpassed by the privileged experiences that the “football fans” have in and outside the stadiums, in activities directly related to football in the fan zones, or indirectly by getting to know the landmarks and cultures of the region and geographically close countries, their tours not being limited to the cities where the World Cup is held. In less than a month, the FIFA World Cup finals will begin in Qatar, for the first time in the GCC region. Preliminary estimates are that more than 1.2 million international visitors will travel to watch the tournament. In addition, the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) has announced that some three million tickets have been sold for the matches so far. A large proportion of these has been bought by locals and people from the region, with international ticket purchases not limited to the 32 countries whose national teams have qualified for the finals. FIFA fever extends beyond the host country, as most of its neighbours in the GCC region have made extensive preparations to support the State of Qatar in hosting the World Cup. The Sultanate of Oman’s capital Muscat is among the accredited cities to host fans, and has developed an integrated programme to welcome World Cup fans …

The Department of Tourism, Government of West Bengal is going to introduce exclusive Tourist Pick-up and Drop Points across the city of joy. Tour Operators in Kolkata often faced difficulties due to the traffic restrictions in and around the city while dropping off or picking up tourists in front of places of tourist interest or hotels. To address this issue and to facilitate the free movement of tourist vehicles across the city of joy, the Indian Association of Tour Operators – IATO recommended introducing pre-specified Pickup- Drop points in different strategic locations across Kolkata with specific signage where only commercially registered tourist vehicles operated by ATSP should be allowed to pick-up-drop tourists. Considering the above the Department of Tourism – Government of West Bengal has initiated a joint inspection to finalize the proposed Tourist Pickup and Drop Points along with the representatives from Kolkata Traffic Police Kolkata Municipal Corporation, Department of Transport, and Chairman IATO on 26th July 2022 and 4th August 2022 respectively. It has been proposed that the commercially registered tourist vehicles with a seating capacity of up to 10+1 will be allowed for 05 minutes and vehicles above will be allowed to stop for 10 minutes at the respective TP&D points for operations. The Department of Tourism – Government of West Bengal has already initiated the required action with the competent state government departments and a notification has been issued on 3rd November 2022 to implement this at the earliest. The idea is to facilitate the recognized tour operators and tourist transport operators to ensure seamless movement of tourists across the city of joy and position Kolkata as a Tourist-friendly City. Super happy to be a part of this …