Digital travel platform Agoda collaborated with the Government of Goa and the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) to organize a Hotel Sustainability Training for industry professionals in Goa. This two-day program brought together local hoteliers for a series of sessions led by influential industry experts, aiming to provide them with the competences and tools necessary to enhance their sustainability practices. Throughout the training, participants immersed themselves in real-world insights drawn from best-in-class sustainability practices and actual hotel case studies. Using as a checklist the GSTC Industry Criteria for hotels, attendees were empowered to assess their current performance and then set achievable short-, medium-, and long-term sustainability objectives. Krishna Rathi, Agoda Country Director India, Sri Lanka, and Maldives, sharing his views on the initiative, said, “We are honored to announce our partnership with the Government of Goa and the GSTC for the inaugural session of our Hotel Sustainability Training in India. This initiative, a modest yet important step, aligns with the Goa Roadmap and ‘Travel for LiFE,’ contributing to our collective vision. Agoda is committed to fostering responsible connections between people and destinations. Embracing sustainability practices is more crucial than ever for a more sustainable future in the hospitality industry. With the right knowledge and tools, we aim to accelerate this evolution.” Suneel Anchipaka, Director of Tourism (Goa), at the opening ceremony of the training, commented, “Our government has made sustainable tourism a top priority, and this initiative by Agoda aligns seamlessly with our vision. By equipping hotel professionals with the knowledge and skills necessary to adopt sustainability practices at their properties, we can create a more responsible and resilient tourism industry in Goa. I encourage all hotel professionals to take …

Concluding a tenure of 7.5 years as Regional Director (IMESA) at Singapore Tourism, GB Srithar, stated, “This year has been an interesting year for us. The arrival of Indian visitors has been steadily increasing post-COVID, month by month. As of November 2023, we have recorded 977,500 visitors and we anticipate surpassing 1 million by the year end.” He passes on the baton to Markus Tan from January 1, 2024.

Sharing his expectations from 2024, Ajay Prakash, President, TAFI, said, “We hope that in the new year, India will also look at liberalizing its visa regime so that foreign tourists will be able to travel to India more freely and with fewer hassles. Travel is increasing and India needs to get a fair share of inbound traffic.”

Union Minister of Civil Aviation, Jyotiraditya Scindia, led a meeting with key representatives from the airline industry on issues pertaining to performance and services provided by them. He laid emphasis on enhancing On-Time Performance of each airline, and instructed AAI to relook technical specs at VFR-equipped (Visual Flight Rules) airports to help enhance OTP of airlines. He also reviewed the self-monitoring mechanism with regard to airfares followed by each airline and stressed on keeping fares in check on select routes. The DGCA Tariff Monitoring Unit has been institutionalised to routinely monitor airfares on routes selected on a random basis.    

Cross Hotels & Resorts Bangkok is organising an exclusive webinar for the travel trade highlighting the offerings of the property in Bali on Thursday, 14 Dec 2023 at 3pm. Get ready to win exciting prices and register to attend the webinar. Contact jaspreet.kaur@ddppl.com or 9650196532.

The MTF Team is getting ready for an exciting day of picnic at a surprise location near Mumbai as a warm-up towards the main match day. Close to 200 trade members have registered for this that includes cocktails and lunch on Sunday, December 17. This will be followed by the main match day on Sunday, 14th January.

VFS Global, which has been a trusted partner for the UK Government since 2003, has won the global contract for overseas UK visa and Citizenship services. This award is the latest in a long line of wins for the world’s leading visa, passport and citizen services provider. During 2024, VFS Global will deploy 240 Visa and Citizenship Application Service (VCAS) Centres for the UK in 142 countries across Africa & Middle East, Americas, Australasia & Europe, China & Taiwan, and Asia & Asia Pacific regions. These centres will accept all categories of visa applications as well as UK passport applications in some locations. Combined, these new centres are estimated to process 3.8 million applicants every year. Beyond the scale of the deployment, VFS Global will invest to improve the customer journey and increase accessibility – including through new customer websites, and through updated in-person experiences. And VFS Global will deploy its latest technologies to maintain robust identity checks and ensure the integrity of the visa and passport application process. The new contract is expected to deliver savings to the UK Government. Zubin Karkaria, Founder and CEO, VFS Global, said, “We are delighted to win this contract and expand our partnership with the Home Office to become their service provider for all UK visa customers overseas. We are excited to begin operations in new locations, and to take the next step towards providing customers with a seamless, simple and secure visa and passport application experience. This win is a testament to our dedicated efforts to provide all our client governments with best-in-class services.”

Oman Air has revealed its newest range of luxury on-board amenity kits in collaboration with high fragrance House, Amouage. Featuring a bespoke selection of fragrance and skincare products, the finely crafted kits draw inspiration  from Oman’s nature and heritage, reflected in their soothing sand and cocoa tones. Available for guests in premium cabins, exceptional attention  has been given to the materials, ensuring their enduring appeal for in-flight use and beyond. With exclusive designs for men and women, the First Class kits feature iconic Amouage fragrances, Epic Man and Epic Woman, with a luxurious assortment of hand  &  body  lotion,  facial moisturiser and lip balm, as well as socks, eye mask, hand cleansing gel, mouthwash and 3M earplugs. The kit for Business Class passengers is a functional unisex folio design containing Amouage fragrance, Meander,   facial moisturiser and lip balm, in addition  to socks, eye mask, hand cleansing gel, mouthwash and 3M earplugs. Designed with sustainability as a key consideration, the stylish pouches are ideal for reuse and repurpose beyond the flight. In addition, all unnecessary packaging has been removed to ensure minimal waste. With a focus on unique products and high-quality service, Oman Air has garnered a global reputation  for exceptional in-flight  hospitality, marked by a string of awards, including most recently the 2024 Five-Star Major Airline rating by the Airline Passenger Experience Association (APEX).

Misha Gambetta, Director India for Switzerland Tourism, speaks about the India market and says that there are clear signs of a market that is not only recovering strongly after the pandemic, but with new trends. “There are now more individual travellers interested in staying longer in Switzerland, discovering new destinations and hotels, for a more active and quality holiday. The Indian market is strong, in buzz and oriented towards young, quality tourism,” he says. Switzerland Travel Experience India has just concluded where 23 Swiss partners had the opportunity to meet more than 450 Indian buyers during a week-long marathon in Mumbai, Delhi and Chennai.

Union Minister of Civil Aviation, Jyotiraditya Scindia, informed that there were 74 airports in the country in first 65 years, but now 149 airports/heliports/water aerodromes are now functional. He added that the viability gap funding provided for UDAN scheme has helped 1.3 crore people travel by plane. “It is the government’s endeavour that by the year 2030, India will have 42 crore people travelling by aeroplane,” he added.