Tourism Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat said that India will develop the North and South Blocks of Delhi’s Raisina Hill complex into the world’s largest museum in 2025 which will be almost double the size of France’s Louvre museum. An agreement has been signed between France and India for this purpose, the tourism and culture minister said, adding that he was fortunate and proud to be part of the opportunity to execute the world’s largest museum project.

Coorg, tops domestic tourism with a 1910% increase in hotel bookings, followed by Varkala (400%), Goa (366%). Velankanni (200%), and Jodhpur (179%), stated RateGain, Factors driving this surge include scenic beauty, cultural appeal, and enhanced transportation options, boosting tourism from July to September with bookings made between January and mid-June 2024.

Sanjay Kumar, President & CEO, InterGlobe Technology Quotient said, “Indian aviation for the next 5-10 years is poised to grow significantly. We anticipate a growth rate of 10-12% in the domestic market and 13-15% in the international market. Over the next 5-10 years, our fleet size is projected to increase to 2,000 planes, up from the current 700”. 

Aloke Singh, MD, Air India Express said, “In terms of capacity, we are going to be adding almost 40% compared to last year’s capacity. We have about 30 aircraft coming in by December alone. Additionally, we already have 20 aircraft that have joined the fleet. Another 30 are on the way, and then next year, we will enter another phase of growth”. 

Recently, two MOUs were signed at UP Tourism Directorate, Lucknow, aiming to boost rural tourism and livelihoods in Uttar Pradesh. The first agreement between UP Tourism and UPSRLM focuses on infrastructure development, community empowerment, and financial services access. The second MOU with Manyawar Kanshiram Institute targets sustainable food enterprises. These partnerships aim to transform Uttar Pradesh’s tourism sector, benefiting both tourists and locals by promoting authentic rural experiences. 

As per WeddingWire India report, Indian wedding industry, valued as the second-largest globally. The average cost of hosting a wedding celebration in India surged to Rs 28 Lakhs in 2023, representing a significant increase from Rs 25 Lakhs in 2022. This indicates a substantial 12% growth in wedding expenditures within just one year.   

Rajiv Mehra, President, IATO said, “We are requesting that, after the new government comes in, it’s fine for promotions to be done from the embassy. However, like officers from the Ministry of Commerce or other such departments who are posted in embassies or high commissions abroad, at least in the 20 key market embassies or high commissions, people at the rank of Deputy Director General (DDG) should be posted there under the overall supervision of the ambassador or high commissioner. Only then will we be able to achieve our goals because these are the people who understand what tourism is.”

The International Congress of Event Industry (ICEI), in collaboration with Resorts World Cruise; Fort Rajwada, Jaisalmer; Wedding Vows; and Black Rock Hotels & Resort will organise Cruisesthan 2024 in Singapore. The aim is to showcase the immense potential of cruises as spectacular venues for future weddings and conferences

India’s passenger Load Factor Level reached 86.6% in April 2024 as per IATA with a year-on-year change of -1.7% in load factor. Additionally, revealed that the total passenger demand, measured in revenue passenger kilometers (RPKs), was up 11.0% compared to April 2023 as global passenger demand rose to 15.8%  and domestic demand rose to 4%

Sharing his comments on the increase in Schengen visa fee from June 11, 2024, Ajay Prakash, National President, TAFI, says, “People don’t mind paying it if they get visas on time. But if you charge more money and still make people wait for a visa, you are shooting yourself in the foot. But it is not a huge increase to push people away to other countries. It is not about the cost alone, it’s also about the speed and ease of visas.”