With the return to normalcy in the business environment, domestic passenger traffic grew by 94% on a YoY basis to ~9.7 million in July 2022 (5.0 million in July 2021) and was only ~18% lower compared to ~11.9 million in July 2019 (pre-Covid level). On a sequential basis, however, it was ~7% lower compared to ~10.5 million in June 2022, given some impact of the cyclicality in passenger travel, mainly arising from the lean period during monsoon coupled with impact on leisure travel due to hardening of air travel fares. The airlines’ capacity deployment for July 2022 was ~65% higher than in July 2021 (78,614 departures in July 2022 against 47,692 departures in July 2021). On a sequential basis, the number of departures in July 2022 were lower by around 5% compared to June 2022. Suprio Banerjee, Vice President & Sector Head, ICRA said, “For July 2022, the average daily departures were at ~2,536, notably higher than the average daily departures of ~1,538 in July 2021, and slightly lower compared to ~2,771 in June 2022. The average number of passengers per flight during July 2022 was 124, largely in line with the average of 126 passengers per flight in June 2022 and higher than the average of 105 passengers per flight in July 2019. ICRA believes that the domestic air traffic yields^ have moved up in the range of 25-30% over pre-Covid levels on domestic routes.  The industry earnings in FY2023 will continue to reel under pressure owing to the elevated ATF prices, coupled with the depreciation of the INR against the US$, given that around 35-50% of the airlines’ operating expenses are denominated in US$. Although removal of fare …

Inspired by the initiative of the World Tourism Organization to create its International Code for the Protection of Tourists, at Europamundo we have developed our own code, the Code for the Protection of Tourists, as a reference framework with minimum standards for the protection of tourists in emergency or extraordinary situations, such as those derived from the COVID-19 Pandemic of 2020 or situations of protection of rights as consumers. It marks a reference environment in the recovery of tourism after COVID-19 so that tourists and travelers regain confidence in tourism and feel safe when traveling again, in case any unforeseen or extraordinary situation could occur. In the preparation of this Code we have created four working groups, involving various departments of the company and its workers, managers, legal advice, and some of our distributors and collaborators: Internal Group: The Customer Service Department and the Corporate Social Responsibility Department Suppliers Group: Groups Department, Middle East Department, Hiring Department, Traffic Department and Department of Corporate Social Responsibility; Group of Guides Group of Distributors formed by the following: Kuality-Concha (CHILE), Status Travel (ECUADOR); Cielos Abiertos (COLOMBIA), Ola (ARGENTINA), Andes Reps (CHILE) and Aeromundo (URUGUAY). To make this Code we have taken as reference different frameworks related to the protection and assistance to tourists, duties of the agents involved in a trip, and different codes of conduct and ethics. In addition, the Code contains principles, definitions, recommendations, action criteria in relation to different actors involved in the provision of tourist services, protection in the event of insolvency of suppliers and distributors, and the criterio for the adherence. We are going to add a summary of the Code to the “My Trip” application used by …

After review of the current status of scheduled domestic operations viz-a-viz passenger demand for air travel, the Ministry of Civil Aviation has decided to remove the fare bands with effect from August 31. The airlines/airport operators shall, however, ensure that guidelines to contain COVID19 are strictly adhered to.

The government is working on mission mode to foster air, road, train and political connectivity in the North East region. Union Ministrer G Kishan Reddy said, “In the North East more than 80,000 cr has been spent on road connectivity, and 1190 km of railway track projects are underway. In the coming four years, the government plans to establish 100 more airports, and seaplane networks and increase airways connectivity to hilly regions.”

Highlighting the government’s efforts on increasing aerial connectivity, Union Civil Aviation minister Jyotiraditya Scindia, said that about 1,93,000 flights were started based on the viability gap funding in the last five years. “Under Udaan Yojana democratization of the aviation sector took place and 1,93,000 flights were started based on viability gap funding in the last 5 years where the government will also bear the cost for the tickets,” he said.

TAFI has recently announced a new chapter in Jammu Kashmir. This will be its 12th one in the country so far. Sarmad Hafeez, Secretary Tourism, said the initiative will help tourism. He said, “TAFI did not have a presence here until now. They also met some of our local tour operators and many of them have also become TAFI members now. I’m sure this will boost tourism here and the trade will benefit.”

As international tourism picks up momentum, Singapore Tourism Board recently hosted a multi-city travel trade roadshow series in India with the largest ever delegation of forty-five stakeholders to reconnect and engage with trade partners-friends. As part of the outreach, Singapore Tourism Board reached out to five key source markets – Kolkata, Ahmedabad, Pune, Hyderabad and Bengaluru. Accompanied by the expansive list of delegations, the trade engagements were aimed at deepening Singapore Tourism’s existing partnerships and fostering new ones with tourism stakeholders and the local travel trade fraternity.

India leads Asia-Pacific in its intent to travel in the second half of 2022 with 50% Indians expressing the desire to spend more money on booking a vacation in the world’s largest survey of travel intentions from Travel Lifestyle Network in a post-pandemic setting. While international travel remains a point of contention among many, with only 15% respondents willing to travel abroad, 29% people are planning to vacation in India. India emerged as the global leader in domestic travel with 24% people undertaking at least one vacation every month.

The development of rural clusters was taken up under Shyama Prasad Mukherji Rurban Mission (SPMRM), revealed G Kishan Reddy, Minister of Tourism & Culture. A total of 103 clusters covering 32 states/UTs including Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh have been approved for an investment of Rs. 492.31 crore – both under the CGF and Convergence under Tourism Promotion.

Carolyn Turnbull, Managing Director, Tourism Western Australia, We believe that a direct service will stimulate the market by around 50 per cent which is what we have seen in other destinations that have had direct services into WA such as Tokyo pre-covid. It saw an immediate stimulation of the market by around 50-60 per cent!” She says that if India was sitting at eleventh position before Covid, a direct service could unlock its true potential and we could see the India market fast-track to around fifth or sixth top market.