The Ministry of Heritage and Tourism, Sultanate of Oman, in partnership with Ritz Carlton Al-Bustan Palace, Mark Tours, and Oman Air, invites the Indian travel trade to an exclusive webinar on Oman’s destinations and product offerings. Gain valuable insights and updates for your clients on 18th September at 3 PM IST. Don’t miss the opportunity to win exciting prizes! For more information, contact jaspreet.kaur@ddppl.com or call 9650196532. 

Resigning from his post as MD of Global Panorama Showcase (GPS), Harmandeep Singh Anand, MD, Jagsons Travels, said, “Due to pre-occupation and other commitments, I resign as MD of GPS. Rishiraj Singh Anand takes over as the show’s MD. Sharing updates for GPS, Rishiraj says, “We have the roadmap for GPS till 2026 ready with 14-city shows. We will have 8 cities every year with 4 key cities of Nagpur, Ahmedabad, Kolkata and Kochi, as constant. We also have our EDWIN planned, including Spain in November, Turkiye in December, Bali in March, etc and Ladakh and South Africa will continue year-on-year.” 

VFS Global was honoured with the ‘Process Excellence in Visa Outsourcing’ award at the India Travel Awards. Ragini Abichandani, General Manager, Operations & SPOC, IRCC South Asia, and Kersi Dastoor, GM, Operations, received the award. VFS Global operates over 3,400 centers in 153 countries, processing 292 million applications since 2001.   

Padraic Gilligan, Chief Marketing Officer, Society for Incentive Travel Excellence (SITE), recently unveiled the results of SITE’s Incentive Travel and Motivational Events Global Survey. One of the major takeaways from the survey is the dominance of the finance and insurance sectors in using incentive travel programmes. According to Gilligan, “Finance and insurance have consistently been the largest users of incentive travel, and this year is no different.” These two sectors accounted for 35% of all responses, underscoring their ongoing reliance on incentive travel to drive performance and engagement. 

People are increasingly seeking out lesser-known destinations and more meaningful travel experiences. In response, Viacation is positioning itself at the forefront of these trends. Jatinder Paul Singh, Co-Founder & Global CEO, Viacation, said, “We’re expanding our offerings to include eco-conscious and wellness-focused travel packages, and using AI to offer personalised itineraries.” 

Predicting growth patterns in India’s tourism story at the ongoing ITB India show, Vishal Suri, Managing Director, SOTC India, says, “From a sixth-largest global spender on tourism, India will be the fourth-largest, to be among the top five in the list in the next four to five years. The question is whether we can manage that kind of growth, and are the stakeholders ready for it. Almost two-thirds of our spends will be on domestic travel, which is a very large chunk.” 

BS Prashanth, President, Mysuru Travel Association, appeals to the state government for support for local travel agents. He points out that online platforms can be misleading and lack personalized service, whereas local agents provide expertise and direct interaction. To level the playing field, he requests the creation of a common online platform for agents, an extra tax on online platforms, and a reduction in GST and interstate taxes for local agents. These measures would help them offer competitive prices and effectively promote Mysuru tourism. 

K S Sachin, Director of Sales & Marketing at Gokulam Grand Hotel & Spa, Bengaluru, was honored with the Sales & Marketing Professional of the Year award at the India Travel Awards. With over 19 years of experience in sales, marketing, and revenue management, Sachin has played a key role in numerous pre-openings, market readiness analysis, and data-driven decision-making. 

The Travel Trade Association of Uttar Pradesh (TTAUP) successfully held its 08th Annual General Meeting (AGM) from 21st to 23rd August 2024 at The Fern Surya Resort in the picturesque town of Kasauli. The event brought together key stakeholders, members, and industry leaders from across the state to discuss and strategize the future of the travel trade in Uttar Pradesh. The AGM was inaugurated with a welcome address by the TTAUP President, who highlighted the association’s achievements over the past year and outlined the roadmap for the upcoming year. The event featured insightful presentations, panel discussions, and workshops on critical topics such as sustainable tourism, digital transformation, and the impact of government policies on the travel industry. Aviation officials from all major airlines, including Air India, IndiGo, Saudi Airlines, Flydubai, Akasa Air, Flynas and Salam Air, participated in the AGM, providing valuable insights into the current trends and future prospects of the aviation sector. Their presence underscored the importance of collaboration between the travel trade and aviation industries in driving growth and innovation. Members of the TTAUP Core Committee—Mohd Azam, Sandeep Srivastava, SMA Sheeraz, Vivek Pandey, Rajiv Arora, Arshad Zaidi, Pradeep Chaurasia, Aakash Khanna, Manoj Rawat, and Meraj Zaidi—dressed in formal attire with blue or black blazers, played an instrumental role in facilitating discussions and ensuring the smooth conduct of the event. The AGM also provided a platform for networking and collaboration, fostering stronger relationships among members and industry partners. The serene ambiance of The Fern Surya Resort provided the perfect backdrop for the AGM, offering attendees a blend of professional engagement and leisure. The event concluded with a gala dinner, where members celebrated the association’s milestones and discussed the …

Travelling by public transport in Switzerland is the best way to enjoy its unparallel panorama. And, the all-in-one ticket, Swiss Travel Pass, grants travellers unlimited access to Switzerland’s public transport network. During this webinar, you will get to learn about the Swiss Travel System and its various offerings. Attend all webinars for a chance to win a trip to Switzerland in 2025! For more information, write to jaspreet.kaur@ddppl.com or 9650196532.