Category Archives: Associations

UN World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili said that the organisation supports PM Modi’s efforts to promote tourism in India, a country rich in culture with “huge potential” to attract more investment in the sector and promote more tourism because “India is one of the richest countries in the world with its cultural assets, and it means that tourism is here.” UNWTO has signed an MoU with Indian government on the sidelines of G20 Tourism Working Group meeting in Goa that includes many projects.

The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) gathered leading Travel & Tourism stakeholders and G20 Ministers in a Public-Private Dialogue in Goa today to address the sector’s vast potential and challenges. Joined by India’s Minister of Tourism, the Hon. G. Kishan Reddy, and UNWTO Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili, Julia Simpson, WTTC President & CEO commended India’s Ministry of Tourism for its leadership during India’s G20 Presidency and highlighted Travel & Tourism’s substantial contribution not only to the global economy but to employment. Currently representing 9.2% of the world’s GDP and supporting one in every 11 jobs globally, the sector is experiencing remarkable growth, outpacing the global economy by growing twice as fast. Julia Simpson, WTTC President & CEO, said: “It is proven where governments and the private sector work together in Travel & Tourism the economy is stronger, jobs are created, and people get to enjoy and understand other cultures. “Together, businesses and governments can build back a better, stronger, and more resilient sector. Governments also heard first-hand the value of having streamlined visa processes, digital borders, and a strong focus on sustainability. We need each other to achieve this”. During her address, Simpson emphasised the opportunities for investors, governments, and society to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) through collaboration. India’s impressive expansion in Travel & Tourism was praised as a prime example. The sector is projected to contribute over INR 16.5TN to India’s economy this year, create 1.6MN new jobs, to reach a total employment figure of nearly 40MN people. By the end of the decade, tourism is forecast to contribute approximately 7% of India’s economy. Simpson addressed three key challenges facing the industry: Visa backlogs pose a significant obstacle, with excessive …

With over 5,000 global businesses signed up to the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) and committed to taking various steps regarding climate action, for many, environmental impact is a critical consideration – alongside the traditional financial priorities – when making travel decisions. To empower clients, FCM Consulting has joined forces with CAPA – Centre for Aviation (CAPA), one of the most trusted sources of market intelligence for the aviation and travel industry and their partner, Envest Global, to unveil a new, first in class approach for clients to help them address their environmental aims when planning business travel. Launching today, FCM’s team of sustainability experts have devised an industry-first service that pairs their methodology alongside insights from the CAPA-Envest Airline Sustainability Benchmarking Report which goes beyond the typical single CO2e metric typically used for sustainability calculations. FCM is the only Global Travel Management Company to currently have access to this valuable data which provides comparable ranking of airlines incorporating over 10 ‘sustainability parameters’ and is regarded by CAPA as the industry’s single source of truth on emissions, benchmarking airlines and their performance as they transition to net zero operations. As companies become more astute on all things-sustainability related, FCM understands that the industry must keep pace. According to Glenn Thorsen, Sustainability Lead – FCM Consulting, he believes TMCs must be able to provide deeper and more accurate analysis on travel impact with measurable benefits. “As sustainability has risen to the top of the agenda, we make it our business to be a step ahead in the evolution of emissions measurement and reporting so that we can help our clients get the best out of their programmes and achieve their goals,” …

FCM Consulting along with CAPA & Envest Global, to unveil a new approach for clients to address their environmental issues when planning business travel in order to empower clients. Over 5,000 global businesses have signed up for the Science Based Targets initiative. Committed to taking initiatives for climate action & environmental impact alongside traditional financial priorities whilst making travel decisions. Glenn Thorsen, Sustainability Lead, FCM Consulting, believes that TMCs can provide deeper and more accurate analysis on travel impact with measurable benefits. He said, “As sustainability has risen to top of agenda, our business is step ahead in the evolution of emissions measurement”. Marco Navarria, Corporate Travel Community, Global Content & Marketing Director, CAPA said that CAPA and Envest Global remain committed to provide objective, data-driven assessment of  environmental sustainability performance of the world’s largest airlines, and being the single source of truth for key industry stakeholders. As companies become more sharp sustainability related issues. FCM’s team of experts have devised an industry-first service and also insights from CAPA-Envest Airline Sustainability Benchmarking Report.

Sharing association update, Ajay Prakash, President, TAFI says, “All chapters need to finish their elections before July 15, 2023 because this is the election year for TAFI. Before September 13, 2023 we are required to complete our national elections as well.”

Lauding upcoming projects in Maharashtra, Chetan Mehta, VP, HRAWI, says, “It is crucial to enhance room capacity to meet rising demand. Maharashtra has around 3,40,000 rooms and with the number of projects in the pipeline, we will require at least double the capacity of hotel rooms. Subsidy for establishing hotels at specified tourist locations, along with incentives for eco-friendly hotels and electricity subsidies, will provide the necessary impetus for the growth of the sector.”  

An IATA report revealed, India has the right vision and well-timed strategy for the aviation sector and its still a long way to go, especially with good economic growth and high population, but it should also be ensured that the positive impact is not curtailed by too many taxes.

According to a recent report by IATA, India witnessed a significant surge , with RPKs surpassing 2019 levels by 14.7 % and experiencing an 18.3 % year-on -year increase. Growth in international air traffic continues to be stable this month.

Based on a survey of 4700 travelers in 11 countries, IATA reported high levels of confidence among travelers for the 2023 summer season. Forward booking data from 1Q2023 for travel between May-2023 and Sep-2023 is tracking at 35% above 2022 levels.

Commenting on the monthly domestic passenger traffic data for April 2023, ICRA states that numbers for April 2023 is estimated at 129 lakh, similar to that in March 2023, though 22% higher in comparison to 105 lakh in April 2022 and 17% higher than pre-Covid levels of 110 lakh in April 2019. It added that despite a healthy recovery in passenger traffic, the domestic aviation industry continues to face challenges on account of elevated ATF prices and depreciation of the INR vis-à-vis the US$ compared to the pre-Covid era, both of which have a major bearing on the airlines’ cost structure. While the ATF prices have witnessed a sequential decline over the past four months, they still remain at elevated levels as compared to the pre-Covid era. The airlines’ efforts to ensure fare hikes proportionate to their input cost increases will be key to expanding their profitability margins.