It is not easy for an airline to turn a profit in India and a lot of issues such as fare caps and high taxes on aviation turbine fuel (ATF) have to be resolved, said an IATA official at the 78th AGM. 

Arvind Singh, Secretary, Tourism, has said that the MOT will be organising a national conference of tourism ministers in July to work on a strategy for promoting India as an important destination to the rest of the world. “The agenda will be how to project India and the states to different parts of the world to attract both domestic and international tourism in the years to come,” he added.  

Ajay Singh, Chairman and Managing Director, SpiceJet said that the sharp increase in jet fuel prices and the depreciation of the rupee have left domestic airlines to raise fares and a minimum 10-15% increase in fares is required to ensure that cost of operations are better sustained. 

Thailand’s Centre of COVID-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) approved the removal of the Thailand Pass registration scheme and an US$10,000 health insurance requirement for foreign visitors, effective 1 July, 2022.  

The global business travel market is estimated to be USD 706.14 bn in 2022 and is projected to reach USD 1324.21 bn by 2027, growing at a CAGR of 13.4%, reveals ResearchAndMarkets.com in a fresh report, which features American Express, BCD Travel, and Expedia among others. 

Ajay Prakash, President, TAFI said that they have written to the major European consulates asking them to resolve the visa issues on priority since it has become a damper in the revival of travel. They have asked them to add any additional staff if required without any delay so that the tourism can get back. 

Gaurav Dogra, Hon. Secretary, TAAI-Northern region, has stepped down from his position to focus on his company Plan Your Holiday. Dogra has been in this position since 2017 and was the Treasurer of the chapter before that. Currently, the TAAI-NR team is headed by Neeraj Malhotra, who revealed that the term for the team will be over in 2 months and elections are due for the new team.  

Mike Barrera, VP, Product Management, Low-Cost Carrier Segment, Sabre said that LCCs need to prioritize choosing a technology partner which offers security and reliability; ensuring their chosen technology is easy to use and train, especially given staff shortages and high turnover rates in the current travel industry; and selecting best-of-breed technology that has scalability and modularity so offer management systems can interact seamlessly with order systems. 

PATA CEO Liz Ortiguera, said “Safety, wellness and smooth travel experiences are top of mind as needs for post-pandemic travellers.  It’s important to provide clarity in processes and deliver good customer support in the face of ever-changing circumstances. Recognition should go to all the travel and tourism staff that are enabling efficient and great travel service delivery and experiences in the face of all these challenges. We need to respect and applaud their efforts as the backbone of the industry through these challenging times.” 

Air India recently started permitting Indian travel agents to issue tickets on their Canada route. Ajay Prakash, President, TAFI said “It was an unfair decision earlier and I think they have finally realised that agents are an intergral part of the airline booking process and I’m glad that Air India has finally woken up to this. Let’s hope that Air India will continue to be proactive and will keep the agents’ fraternity involved and engaged as they go forward embarking on trying to revive Air India.”