Tourism Sector

South Africa holds great tourism potential for Indians: SA minister

South Africa holds immense potential as a as premier travel destination for the Indian market, Tourism Minister Patricia de Lille said after returning from a recent visit to India. De Lille led a South African delegation on a mission to directly engage with Indian tourism traders, tour operators and associations, business leaders and the media to work in closer collaboration to improve tourists from India to South Africa. This mission was aimed at building relationships through interactions and engagements with tourism trade, captains of industry as well as other relevant stakeholders in the tourism value chain, whilst emphasising tourism as a tool for economic growth, de Lille said as she also commented on showcasing South Africa's tourism offerings during the country's G20 presidency. South Africa took over the presidency of the G20 grouping from Brazil on December 1 this year. India, as a key partner and one of South Africa's most dynamic tourism markets, holds immense potential

Indian tourism sector to double to $523 years in 10 years: WTTC chief

The Indian tourism sector is expected to double in size to USD 523 billion in the next 10 years, according to World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) President and CEO Julia Simpson. WTTC works with governments on issues of the travel and tourism industry, and is the global authority on the economic and social contribution of the sector. The travel and tourism sector employs 45 million people in India, and is going to double in its value. In 10 years, the sector is going to be worth USD 523 billion in India, more than double the present size of USD 256 billion, Simpson told PTI in an interview. In 10 years, the tourism sector in India will be providing jobs to 63 million people, she said. India is one of the most beautiful and amazing countries in the world, Simpson said. Tourists and visitors across the centuries have been attracted to its shores and wonderful cities. India continues to welcome the world with open arms and the Indian hospitality is incredible, she added. Tourism

As tourists discover Finland's Santa Village, locals call for crowd control

Shuffling across icy ground on a cold December afternoon, lots of tourist groups poured into Santa Claus Village, a winter-themed amusement park perched on the edge of the Arctic Circle. They frolic in the snow, take a reindeer sleigh ride, sip a cocktail in an ice bar or even meet Saint Nick himself in the capital of Finnish Lapland, Rovaniemi, which happily calls itself the official hometown of Santa Claus." The Santa Claus Village theme park, which attracts more than 600,000 people annually, is especially popular during the holiday season. This is like my dream came true, beamed Polish visitor Elzbieta Nazaruk. I'm really excited to be here. Tourism is booming in Rovaniemi which has hotel and restaurant owners, as well as city officials, excited as it brings lots of money to the town. However, not everyone is happy about the onslaught of visitors, 10 times the town's population, each year at Christmas time. We are worried about the overgrowth of tourism. Tourism has grown so .

Cong MP files adjournment motion to discuss tourism infra of Tamil Nadu

Congress Lok Sabha MP Vijay Vasanth said the current infrastructure was inadequate to handle the growing number of visitors

25% discount on GMVN hotels for tourists in winter season, says CM Dhami

The Chief Minister directed the officials to promote the winter tourist destinations and other hidden destinations in the state

40 tourism projs get approval to boost lesser-known destinations in India

Forty projects worth over Rs 3,295 crore and spanning 23 states have received nod from the Centre for developing lesser-known destinations into iconic sites and promote a more balanced distribution of tourists across the country. As per the directives of the Department of Expenditure, the Ministry of Tourism issued operational guidelines for Special Assistance to States/Union Territories for Capital Investment (SASCI) for the development of iconic tourist centres, officials said. The Ministry of Tourism circulated the SASCI guidelines to the state governments with a request to formulate and submit the project proposals to the ministry, which are iconic in nature and can create impactful destinations, they said. By the last date of submission, October 15, 2024, a total of 87 project proposals were received costing more than Rs 8,000 crore, a senior official in the ministry said. Thereafter, the Ministry of Tourism in line with the guidelines and as per the procedure or criteria, ...

SC grants 8 weeks to Manipur govt to respond to plea against ILP in state

The Supreme Court on Wednesday granted eight weeks to the Manipur government to respond to a plea challenging the system of Inner Line Permit (ILP) in the state. Manipur is the fourth state after Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland and Mizoram where the ILP regime is applicable. To visit ILP-regime states, outsiders, including people from other states of the country, need permission. A bench of justices Hrishikesh Roy and SVN Bhatti gave time to Manipur after the counsel for the state government sought time. The top court on January 3, 2022 had issued notices to the Centre and the Manipur government and others on a plea filed by an organisation called 'Amra Bangalee'. The plea contended that the ILP provides unrestrained power to the state to restrict entry and exit of non-indigenous people or those who are not permanent residents of Manipur. "The draconian ILP system is fundamentally opposed to the policies of social integration, development and technological advancement in the area beyo

Middle income, affordable housing book is growing fast: TFCI MD & CFO

Bali discussed the huge opportunities in hotel financing in the tier 2 and tier 3 cities

Medical tourism revenue takes a hit after govt stops visas for Bangladeshis

According to a recent CareEdge Ratings report, Bangladesh accounts for around 50-60 per cent of India's total medical tourism inflow

Rajasthan's tourism industry seeks a dedicated board in new policy

The state government recently presented a draft of the new tourism policy and invited suggestions from the industry. Almost all stakeholders have given their inputs

Man claims foreigners 'avoiding' Goa; state responds with police complaint

The Goa tourism department has lodged a police complaint, alleging that entrepreneur Ramanuj Mukherjee 'disseminated false data' to 'undermine' Goa's image

Karnataka eyes Rs 1,500 cr investments in state with new tourism policy

The Karnataka cabinet on Monday cleared the new tourism policy for the state, with the government eyeing investments to the tune of Rs 1,500 crore in the sector. Karnataka plans to attract 20 lakh foreign tourists a year to be among the top five states in this category, and with respect to domestic footfalls it wants to be among the top three states with a target of 48 crore local tourists, Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister H K Patil told reporters after the Cabinet meeting. "The cabinet after detailed discussion has given its nod to announce the Karnataka Tourism Policy 2024-29 and to release subsidies, grants under the policy," Patil said. He further said the new tourism policy wants to promote tourism in the state under themes -- adventure, agriculture, caravan, coastal, beach, cuisine, cultural, traditional, environment, education, film, golf, sports, tribal, wedding destination, health tourism among others. "... apartment, hotel, service apartments, aquarium, beach shacks

Germany expects 10% rise in Indian tourist arrivals in 2025: GNTB

Germany is eyeing a 10 per cent increase in the Indian tourist influx into the European nation next year, an official said on Tuesday. The German National Tourism Board (GNTB) expects the Indian tourists to clock one million (10 lakh) overnight stays in Germany this year itself. "I am quite hopeful that we will reach 1 million overnight stays this year (by Indian tourists) and an additional 1 lakh nights next year so an additional 10 per cent (in 2025)," Petra Hedorfer, CEO of GNTB, said. According to estimates, about 1.75 lakh Indian tourists visited Germany from January to July this year, spending about 5,23,076 overnight stays in the country. The number of Indian tourists who visited Germany in 2023 stood at over 2.32 lakh. "We are expecting a 10 per cent-plus for next year from your market," she said when asked about the likely influx of Indian tourists in 2025. The flow of travellers from India to Germany has been growing steadily for many years. Post-pandemic, Indian tourist

Travel tip: Use prepaid forex card when abroad, avoid currency fluctuations

Avoid dynamic currency conversion by paying in the local currency instead of Indian rupees

Jan-Jun FTAs in India at 4.78 mn, B'desh, US top sources: Tourism ministry

Foreign tourist arrivals (FTAs) in India from January to June stood at nearly 4.78 million, with Bangladesh and the US being the top two source countries, according to official data issued by the Ministry of Tourism. The data sheet was shared on Friday on the occasion of the World Tourism Day and figures showed that inbound tourism in the country is trailing the pandemic levels. The ministry shared the figures for the month of June as well as for the January-June period. The FTAs in June 2024 were 7,06,045 as compared to 6,48,008 in June 2023 and 7,26,446 in June 2019 registering a growth of nine per cent and a fall of 2.8 per cent with respect to 2023 and 2019 respectively, according to the data. "The FTAs during the period January-June 2024 were 47,78,374 as compared to 43,80,239 in January-June 2023 and 52,96,025 in January-June 2019, registering a growth of 9.1 per cent and minus 9.8 per cent with respect to 2023 and 2019 respectively," it added. According to a data chart on t

World Tourism Day 2024: Date, theme, history, significance and more

Started in 1980 by the UNWTO, World Tourism Day celebrates the global impact of tourism. The day is dedicated to the significance of tourism in promoting cultural exchange and economic growth

Rajasthan's marriage gardens want a pie of big fat wedding market

Apart from havelis, which double up as wedding venues, grand hotels, marriage gardens too have emerged as an attractive option

Bridging the gap: How upskilling initiatives can boost tourism job creation

The tourism industry has immense potential to drive economic growth and generate millions of jobs

Rajasthan must announce tourism policy before investor meet: Industry execs

Investors will know about government facilities and subsidies for investments in tourism

Sri Lanka to boost tourism, approves free tourist visas for 35 countries

The country of 22 million people, famed for its beaches, ancient temples and aromatic tea, saw its tourism industry pummelled first by the COVID-19 pandemic and then by a severe financial crisis in 20