The Global Tourism Film Festival shorts and feature film roster conjures up a thrilling journey of worldwide discovery. From the multicultural and majestic geographic diversity of Canada; to trekking lush forests of Brazil and breathtaking Himalayan mountains; to seeking the ancient Pyramids of Egypt and uncovering the lands of Vikings; to sub-marine worlds of the Australian great barrier reef; to unearthing cosmopolitan gems of Singapore; to expeditions through the plains of Africa and the stark polar wilderness of the Arctic, GTFF brings the world to North Bay. Enhanced by presentations from the National and Regional Tourism Boards of Canada, Middle East, Africa, Asia, Europe, and South America, the one-of-a-kind film festival allows participants to get inspired to see the world and get the absolute insiders’ perspective of the destinations, including upcoming attractions, to get out and explore. For Filmmakers, GTFF 2023 and its presentation partners, consisting of Canadian and Ontario Film Boards, open the door to discovering the multifaceted filmmaking opportunities provided by the province for filming in Northern Ontario. Independent features screened and highlighted during the festival include ‘Superheroes’. directed by Paolo Genovese, ‘Kumari’ directed by Nimal Sahadev, ‘Monkey Beach’ directed by L. Sarah Todd, ‘Blueback’ directed by Robert Connolly, ‘Tears of Persephone’ directed by Teppei Isobe, Yasuaki Genda, and the Northern Ontario filmed feature; ‘The Protector’, directed by Lenin M. Sivam, amongst festival selections. GTFF 2023 is held in association with the City of North Bay, Ontario with activities at Canadore College. Nestled between two of Northeastern Ontario’s most stunning lakes and surrounded by forests, North Bay, the ‘Gateway to the North’, is surrounded by the beauty of nature, art, and culture. Visitors for GTFF 2023 receive a taste …

The first truly authentic Italian luxury resort in the Maldives, Baglioni Resort is an enchanting 5-star hideaway on the island of Maagau in the stunning Dhaalu Atoll. Baglioni Resort Maldives pairs Italian elegance with the tropical natural beauty, turquoise waters, and velvet-smooth white sands of the Indian Ocean and boasts 85 villas and a 360-degree house reef filled with magnificent marine life. The Green Globe-certified Baglioni Resort Maldives best exemplifies tropical elegance. The elegant One and Two-Bedroom Beach Villas are exceptionally spacious, with direct beach access and private pools, and exquisitely designed to accommodate families of four or six with children up to the age of eighteen. A world of games and adventures is curated for our little guests at the Baglioni Kids Club, allowing them to have a lot of fun while discovering the wonders of the island. The range of Water Villas is ideal for couples in search of a romantic stay. Baglioni Resort Maldives has recently transitioned to a luxury ‘All-Inclusive’ resort, offering guests the opportunity to discover the wonders of their palate in the stunning restaurants and bars. One of the many benefits of the new Luxury All-Inclusive status is the availability of a variety of premium beverages and the option to dine around, à la carte or buffet-style at three magnificent restaurants and the elegant Pool Bar. “All-Inclusive is not a new concept but we have seen an upward trend in the recent past due to the extra regulations, additional expenses, and ever-increasing airline costs that have highlighted the benefits of a hassle-free trip. The customer is really looking for no surprises when it comes to what’s included. They want to just pay once so …

Vishwendra Singh, Minister of Tourism, Government of Rajasthan, said, “Under our newly introduced Rural Tourism policy, we are going to re-develop 23 air-strip with private sector support. This will provide a big impetus to tourism in Rajasthan, especially in rural areas and create humongous employment opportunities.”

Marriott will open 15 hotels this year in South Asia across its luxury, premium and select brand segments. It also plans the brand debut of Moxy in India with the anticipated openings of Moxy Bengaluru Airport Prestige Tech Cloud and Moxy Mumbai Andheri West in 2024.

CAPA India has said that the aviation policy should plan for airport capacity that will last for a generation and beyond, and which is developed ahead of demand. “Delhi and Mumbai need to start planning for 3rd airports, for which land acquisition should commence immediately,” it was stated at its 35th Research Briefing.

Passenger Load Factor (PLF) for leading airlines like Interglobe Aviation, Spicejet, Air India, and GoFirst has dipped. DGCA revealed Air India’s market share for March dipped from 8.9% to 8.8%; while Spicejet’s went from 7.1% to 6.4%. Vistara saw a jump from 8.7% to 8.9% and Indigo’s went from 55.9% to 56.8%.

Arvind Singh, Secretary, Tourism, will be superannuating on 31 May, 2023 and the position will be taken up by V. Vidyavathi, lAS, who is currently serving as Director General, Archaeological Survey of India, Ministry of Culture. She has been appointed as Officer on Special Duty, Ministry of Tourism in the rank. Vidyavathi is an IAS officer of Karnataka Cadre, 1991 batch and joined as DG-ASI in May 2020.

Rajni Hasija, CMD, IRCTC, has said that many times in PPP model, private players don’t have much technical knowledge of the subject. “Thus, handholding of the private partner is must, which IRCTC has been doing and we have been able to perform well also by delivering,” he said.

SMA Sheeraz, Director, Sheeraz Tours, has said, “Travellers from Tier II & III cities want to explore places with longer itineraries for this summer, eg. Yas Island in Abu Dhabi, ALULA in Saudi, or destinations like Hua Hin & Chiang Mai in Thailand & Malaysian Kota Kina Balu, Radang. Regular itineraries are not trending anymore.”

Rajiv Mehra, President, IATO, thanked the membership for voting his Dream team at the elections and said that their focus going forward will be to serve them in the best way possible. “We will do our best to fulfil the needs of tourism fraternity,” he said.