After a gap of five years due to the pandemic, the Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) and the tourism department will going to relaunch the popular tourist destination bus service from 15 August, similar to the Delhi Darshan Hop-On Hop-Off (Hoho) service, albeit with a fixed loop and dedicated stoppages.

IndiGo announced the extension of its codeshare agreement with KLM, the Netherlands’ carrier. The agreement will allow IndiGo to place its code on KLM-operated routes to 30 destinations across these regions, via Amsterdam.

Akasa Air has launched visa services in partnership with Udaan India, offering seamless end-to-end visa assistance for over 100 countries. Integrated into its website, the service is designed for both business and leisure travellers. As an introductory offer, the airline is providing a 20% discount on visa fees using code EVISA20 till 31 December.

From August 30, all tourists visiting Mussoorie must register on a portal launched by the Uttarakhand Tourism Department during check-in from 30 August. Hotels, homestays, and guest houses must first register themselves and then their guests. Brijendra Pandey, District Tourism Officer, stated that the initiative aims to control overcrowding, ease traffic and provide real-time tourist footfall data in the hill town and hoteliers and owners of similar facilities have been asked to comply with the new rule.

Manoj Samuel, CEO & Director, Riya Travel, noted that inbound tourism remains slow and infrastructure gaps persist. He highlighted Mumbai’s potential with its new airport and emphasised the need for improvement. “We are actively boosting trade engagement through roadshows and joint promotions, targeting not just tier I cities but tier II and III markets as well”, he said.

In a written response, Kirti Vardhan Singh, MoS, External Affairs, informed the upper house that India has granted over 96 lakh e-visas to foreigners from 2020 till July 20 this year, the government informed Parliament. The number of countries eligible for the e-visa facility has increased from 171 in 2020 to 181 in 2025, she added.

Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, Tourism Minister, GoI, informed Rajya Sabha that the MOT extends financial assistance to approved tourism service providers (TSPs) under the MDA Scheme for overseas tourism promotion. However, no aid was granted to the states or UTs in the past three years. The scheme is currently under review to align with the industry’s evolving needs.

At the 12th Travel MICE and Corporate Show, Vikram Cotah, CEO, GRT Hotels & Resorts, emphasised that sustainability in hospitality boosts satisfaction, attracts ESG-focused investors, and drives higher bookings. Eco-certifications, now favoured by OTAs, enhance revenue and brand loyalty, making sustainability not a cost, but a smart, long-term investment for hotels.

Speaking at the ASEAN-India Forum in Bangkok, Pattaraanong Na Chiangmai, Dy Governor for International Marketing – Asia and South Pacific, TAT, said, “Within the ASEAN-India cooperation framework, tourism has long been a pillar of mutual growth. Thailand sees tremendous potential in strengthening two-way travel between India and ASEAN—delivering shared benefits across the region.”

IHCL join hands with Ambuja Neotia group to open 15 new hotels, expanding its presence in emerging destinations across East and North East India. This significant expansion, based on a capital-light model, will push the number of collaborative projects between IHCL and Ambuja Neotia to more than 40 hotels.