Category Archives: NTO (National Tourist Offices)

Collinson International’s 2024 Travel Benefits & Engagement report reveals that millennials in India are spending as high as USD 6,031 per annum on travel – the highest when compared to other generations. Travel is one of the highest credit card spend categories for survey respondents in India, accounting for almost a third (27%) of annual expenditure.

With a strategic intent to capitalise on the strong and growing demand from Kolkata, Thomas Cook (India) with its own store in the city. Rajeev Kale, President & Country Head – Holidays, MICE, Visa, Thomas Cook (India), said, “Kolkata is an important source market for us. The top traveller segments include multi-generational families, couples, millennials and GenZ, as well as GenS (seniors).”

The German National Tourist Office (GNTO), India, in collaboration with Visit Berlin, hosted an exclusive press event at AER, one of Mumbai’s most stylish and vibrant locations. The evening showcased Germany as a premier travel destination, highlighting Berlin’s cultural and vibrant attractions for Indian travellers. Guests indulged in traditional German cuisine, sampling local flavours. Attended by leading media personalities, influential influencers, social media engagers, and content creators from Mumbai and beyond, the event witnessed remarkable participation. Key representatives from Visit Berlin, Burkhard Kieker, CEO and Ralf Ostendorf, Director, Market & Media Relations presented encouraging statistics, revealing a significant growth in Indian visitors with 59.800 overnights until July 2024 with a growth of +25% compared to the year 2023. The evening highlighted Berlin’s upcoming festivals, Festival of Lights 2024 from October 4th to 13th. The 20th anniversary is illuminating the theme ‘Celebrating Freedom’. 35 years later, Berlin will commemorate the fall of the Wall, official ceremonies are planned for 9 November 2024. “Germany has a wealth of experiences awaiting Indian travellers,” stated Romit Theophilus, Director, German National Tourist Office, India. “From vibrant cities to stunning landscapes, Germany as a travel destination offers an unparalleled blend of culture, history, and entertainment.” In 2023, Indian travellers undertook 15.25 million outbound trips, with 2.8 million heading to Europe, including 311,000 to Germany which ranked as the 3rd most popular European destination. Tour holidays and city breaks are the top choices for Indian travellers but Germany’s scenic landscapes also make it a dream destination for Indian honeymoon trips, capturing the magic of Bollywood-inspired love stories. The numbers show 440.577 overnight stays from January to June 2024, a significant improvement from the 6.9% decline in June …

India’s travel industry is experiencing a remarkable rebound, with over 2 billion travel-related searches on Google platforms annually. This figure highlights a significant recovery from the 70% dip in travel interest during the COVID-19 pandemic. Encouragingly, travel demand continues to grow, with a 12% increase year-over-year into the first half of 2024. The resurgence is further supported by a notable rise in app downloads, with travel-related apps witnessing a 40 million average monthly active usage, reflecting an increasing consumer appetite for travel planning and bookings.

More than ever, cultural exploration will be a priority for travellers in 2024. Skyscanner is seeing a broad spectrum of cultural curiosity in travel, from gig trippers, jetting off to see their favourite artists, to budget bougie foodies seeking the very best food experience. The cost of living, though, remains top of mind. Travellers also want to enhance their holidays in a cost-effective way too with ‘luxe-for-less’ holiday experiences trending. There’s a continued willingness from travellers globally to upgrade their holiday experience on everything from better quality food on board flights (29%) to upgrading to business or first class (20%).

Philip Dickinson has announced that, after four years, he has left his role of Vice President of International Markets, MICE Sports & E-Sports for Qatar Tourism, to pursue new opportunities. Dickinson said: “When I joined Qatar Tourism in 2020, the world was a very different place. The pandemic had put global travel on hold, so it was a particularly challenging starting point from which to build on the country’s ambitious tourism growth targets. However, since then, the country has flourished, not least thanks to the hosting of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022tm, which brought an influx of new visitors to experience Qatar’s excellent hospitality and attractions. “I’m very proud of the work my team and I have achieved at Qatar Tourism over the past four years, putting Qatar on the tourism map and delivering remarkable tourism growth from 2.1M international visitors in pre-pandemic 2019 to 4.05M in 2023. Also continuing that momentum in 2024 with 2.6M international visitors in H1 a 28% increase on the same period in 2023. I would also like to personally thank all the travel trade partners in India and from around the world for their great support with this tremendous growth. “I wish the whole team at Qatar Tourism all the best and very much look forward to working with my friends and trade partners again soon in my next role”.

As part of their shared commitment to highlight Oman as a preferred tourist destination, Oman Air and the Ministry of Heritage and Tourism have joined forces for a special stopover promotion for passengers transiting through Muscat. Available until 30 November 2024, the offer provides a free one-night hotel stay for premium class passengers when booking a stopover in Muscat, while those traveling in Economy Class can enjoy two nights for the price of one. In addition, guests have access to exclusive discounts on tours, car hire, and other services, making it the perfect opportunity to explore Oman’s charming capital and beyond.

New Zealand’s tourism industry is facing a storm with the government’s recent decisions on increasing visa fees and the International Visitor Levy (IVL). Higher prices for tourist visas kick in from October 1, going from $131 to $211. Meanwhile its International Visitor Conservation & Tourism Levy (IVL) will also go up from $22 to 62 from October 1.

Tourism Office of Spain in India invites the travel trade to attend an exciting webinar on Ibiza, it’s biodiversity and it’s culture as it celebrates 25 years as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The top scorer of the Ibiza quiz will win a self-drive trip in Ibiza, sponsored by Ibiza Tourism Board. For more information, contact jaspreet.kaur@ddppl.com or call 9650196532.

On a visit to India to promote the destination, H.E. Azzan Qassim Mohamed Al Busaidi, Under Secretary, Ministry of Heritage and Tourism, Sultanate of Oman, revealed, “Last year we saw an increase of 70% in visitors from India and we are expecting this growth to continue. In fact, the first five months have already seen a healthy growth with 260,000 visitors from India. Our campaign is targeting different cities in India.”