Hazel Jain

Tourism can create job opportunities for youth in the North East and across India: Meghalaya CM

Speaking at ITM 2023 in Shillong, Conrad K Sangma, CM of Meghalaya, stated, “The kind of economic growth that we’re witnessing in the northeast is unprecedented. There is a strong and special focus to ensure that the northeastern states progress in unison with the rest of the country and to ensure economic development reaches this region. In a small state like ours, with a population of 3.8 million people, roughly about 80,000 youths join the workforce every year. Therefore, the government must strategise to create job opportunities for these youths. These numbers will continue to increase in the future. Hence, all governments in the northeast and across the country face a tremendous challenge in generating job opportunities for our young population. Tourism is one sector that can create these opportunities for our youth. Therefore, as a state government, tourism has been one of the main pillars of our economic policies and programs.”

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Cruise tourism is managed tourism; ship visits are planned 2-3 years out: CLIA MD

Joel Katz, MD (Australasia), CLIA, has said that cruise tourism is managed tourism. “Ships don’t just turn up. Visits are planned 2-3 years out and in coordination with local port authorities who manage the port bookings. Cruise tourism contributes to the economic vitality of ports, neighbouring communities and local residents.”

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India increases incentive for foreign film production from 30% to 40%: Min of Information & Broadcasting

Union Minister of Information & Broadcasting, Anurag Thakur has said that the government is going to announce a new filmmaking policy. “The incentive for foreign film production has been enhanced from 30% to 40%. The incentive for foreign film production in the country stands today at 40 % of the expenses incurred with an increased cap limit of Rs. 30 crore and an additional 5% percent bonus for Significant Indian Content (SIC). This step will give further impetus to India’s efforts to attract medium and big-budget international film projects to the country.”

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After almost two months, India resumes e-visa services for Canadian nationals

India has resumed e-visa services for tourists of Canadian nationals after a pause of almost two months. The resumption of services for all categories of visas comes hours ahead of Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s participation in the virtual G20 Leaders’ Summit. Earlier in September, the Indian Mission in Canada suspended visa services for Canadian nationals until further notice, citing operational reasons.

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‘Opening of e-visas for Canadian national a booster shot for our inbound tourism’: Rajiv Mehra, IATO President

Sharing his views on the resumption of e-tourist visa for Canadian nationals, Rajiv Mehra, President of IATO, says, “We are happy and pleased with this development as opening of visas for Canada which is one of the largest source market for India, will be a big booster shot for our inbound tourism. Hopefully, the tourist flow from Canada will begin by January. Also, we will urge the government to allow e-visa for Chinese visitors. While other visas are open for the Chinese travellers, the absence of e-visa is still an impediment for them. Hopefully, the government will consider this as well.”

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Vietnam’s Tourism Minister calls for short-term visa waivers for major markets like India

After Sri Lanka and Thailand, Vietnam may be the next destination to allow entry of Indian travellers without the need for a visa. Vietnam’s Minister of Culture, Sports & Tourism, Nguyen Van Hung has called for short-term visa waivers for major markets like India to drive tourism recovery. In the first ten months of this year, Vietnam received nearly 10 million international visitors, marking a 4.6-fold rise compared to the corresponding period in 2022 and surpassing the targeted goal for 2023.

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In a world enamored with valuations, profitability often doesn’t get the spotlight: Nishant Pitti

Sharing his views on the current startup landscape, Nishant Pitti, CEO & Co-Founder, EaseMyTrip says, “Over the years, we’ve seen a startling paradox. Loss-making companies often receive astronomical valuations, while bootstrapped, profitable ventures garner relatively modest market caps. In a world enamored with valuations, profitability often doesn’t get the spotlight it deserves.”

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Ladakh launches revised Homestay Policy 2023 that boosts rural and border tourism

Given the government’s focus on rural and border tourism and developing tourism infrastructure in rural areas of Ladakh, the Administration of UT of Ladakh plan to establish 10,000 homestays over the next 5 years. It has recently released its revised Ladakh Homestay Policy 2023 to strengthen its rural economy. It is drafted based on feedback from stakeholders.

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