Page 14 - Tourism

Govt should work to simply visa process, safety concerns of tourists: Ficci

The government should work on simplifying the visa process by making it more user-friendly and address safety concerns of tourists coming to India to unlock the full potential of inbound tourism, a report said. The report by Nangia Andersen in association with FICCI said inbound tourism to India is expected to grow at a compounded annual growth rate of 12 per cent from 2022 to 2027, driven by rising disposable incomes, growth of the middle class, and increasing awareness of India as a tourist destination. Despite the challenges posed by the pandemic, India received 6.2 million foreign tourists in 2022, with a growth rate of 307.9 per cent as compared to 1.52 million in 2021. Moreover, the travel and tourism sector contributed 9.2 per cent to India's GDP in 2022, and generated 44.6 million jobs. "The future of inbound tourism in India looks promising, provided that the country continues to make efforts on multiple fronts to fully unlock the potential," the report 'Inbound Tourism in

612,000 Indians visited Dubai during Jan-Mar quarter, up by 62% YoY

Dubai hosted 6.12 lakh visitors from India during the January-March quarter this year, a sharp uptick of 62.76 per cent compared to the same period last year, Dubai's Department of Economy and Tourism (DET) said. The Middle East country had hosted 3.76 lakh visitors from India during the corresponding quarter in 2022, according to the latest data published by DET. Overall, Dubai welcomed 46.7 lakh international overnight visitors in the first quarter of 2023, compared to 39.7 lakh tourists during the same period in 2022, marking a 17 per cent YoY growth. "The remarkable growth in international visitation achieved in the first quarter of 2023 demonstrates the city's emergence as one of the key destinations leading the way in the rebound of the global tourism sector," Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of The Executive Council of Dubai, said. He said, the Dubai Economic Agenda charts an ambitious new path for Dubai to enhance its ...

Ahead of Arabian Travel Market, Abu Dhabi targets 24 mn visitors by 2023

The emirate received a total of 18 million visitors representing a 13% increase from the previous year

G20 event has potential to promote J-K as tourism destination: Official

The upcoming G20 event in Jammu and Kashmir has the potential to promote the Union territory as a global tourism destination, Tourism department secretary Abid Rasheed Shah said here on Friday. "There is a very important event that is going to be organised in J-K in the last week of May. The third tourism working group meeting of the G20 countries is going to be held in Kashmir," Shah told reporters here. The Tourism department held a model G20 summit -- a prelude to the main event which is scheduled to take place from May 22-24. The prelude event was attended by more than 60 students from various colleges and universities. The Tourism secretary said it is a massive event for J-K and has the potential to promote J-K tourism at the international level. The general public of Jammu and Kashmir, including students, are widely participating in various events in the run-up to the main meet. Tourism is the backbone of Jammu and Kashmir's economy and the maximum share of the Union territo

Pvt investment hotels, other tourism-related infra critical: G Kishan Reddy

Private investment, particularly in hotels and other tourism-related infrastructure, is critical, Culture and Tourism Minister G Kishan Reddy said Thursday while asserting that massive investment opportunities exist in the tourism industry for both start-ups and conglomerates. At a roadshow to raise awareness among stakeholders in the travel and tourism industry about the upcoming first Global Tourism Investors' Summit, he said the government is working in a dedicated manner towards the sustained growth and promotion of tourism in India. "Considering the plethora of experiences the Indian tourism industry offers, such as wellness tourism, adventure tourism, eco-tourism, rural tourism, spiritual tourism and several others, both the state and Central governments recognise the role that tourism can play in driving economic growth. Therefore, private investment, particularly in hotels and other tourism-related infrastructure, is critical," the minister said. Reddy said various ...

Third G20 Tourism Working Group Meeting to be held in Srinagar on May 22-24

The third G20 Tourism Working Group Meeting will be held in Srinagar from May 22 to 24, a move which will help in boosting tourist footfalls in Jammu and Kashmir, Union Tourism Secretary Arvind Singh said on Sunday. Addressing a G20 Tourism Expo held at a luxury heritage hotel in Jaipur, he said that under India's G20 presidency, the tourism sector is providing an "unparalleled opportunity" to highlight the country's tourism offerings and share its success stories on the global stage. Of the over 200 events to be held across the country during the presidency, more than 100 have taken place already, the Union tourism secretary said. "Two Tourism Working Group (TWG) meetings of the G20 have already taken place in Bhuj and Siliguri, and now the third will take place in Srinagar on May 22-24," he said. "A team from the Tourism Ministry and the G20 secretariat is currently in J-K to assess the preparedness that will be needed to host the event in May," he told PTI on the sidelines of th

Start-ups in tourism sector to receive a boost from Rajasthan govt

The government would also extend to all start-ups the benefits available under the Rajasthan Investment Promotion Scheme (RIPS), 2019

Airport clearance near Sabarimala great news for spiritual tourism: PM Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday welcomed the Civil Aviation Ministry's site clearance for a greenfield airport project at Kottayam and termed it as a "great news for spiritual tourism". The Civil Aviation Ministry had on April 13 informed the Kerala State Industrial Development Corporation Ltd (KSIDC) about the site clearance for the airport that would come up close to the famed Lord Ayyappa shrine at Sabarimala. The ministry also asked the KSIDC to proceed with preparation of a Detailed Project Report (DPR) and to send that along with an application for grant of 'in-principle' approval to it for further necessary action. Subsequently, the ministry tweeted: "After several rounds of engagement with the project proponent - KSIDC/Government of Kerala, MoCA has granted Site Clearance for a Greenfield Airport project at Kottayam (Sabarimala) which will enhance connectivity and development in the region." "The Kottayam Greenfield Airport project is proposed to be developed on ...

SL seeks relaxation of travel advisories to facilitate tourist arrivals

Amid the ongoing economic crisis, Sri Lanka witnessed an increase from tourism earnings with around $530 million being received in the first three months of 2023

Singapore arrivals two-thirds pre-Covid level as Indian visitors surge 350%

This is 62 per cent of 2019's first quarter figure of the 4.7 million people who visited Singapore in the first quarter of 2019

Himachal to undertake infrastructure development to boost tourism: CM Sukhu

The Himachal Pradesh government plans to undertake huge infrastructure development in an effort to encourage tourism and boost the state's economy, Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on Saturday. The government will also ensure that the state remains open to tourism during all seasons, he said in a statement issued here. Sukhu was referring to the closure of tourism activities in some scenic locations in Himachal Pradesh's tribal and remote areas following snowfall in the winter. The government is focussing on developing Kangra as the state's 'tourism capital', Sukhu said, and will spend Rs 390 crore allocated by the Asian Development Bank to strengthen the district's infrastructure. Kangra, which is home to the Dhauladhar mountain range and several historical temples, has immense tourism potential, he said. Sukhu said the government has already devised blueprints for various projects in the district to improve the experience of tourists and provide them with modern amenities.

127,999 regular tourist visas issued from Oct 2021 to Mar 2022: Centre

The government issued 1,27,999 regular tourist visas and 2,27,225 e-tourist visas from October 6, 2021 to March 31, 2022, the Parliament was informed on Monday. Union Minister for Tourism G Kishan Reddy said this in a written response to a query in Lok Sabha. In response to another query, he said the government has promoted green initiatives to advocate responsible tourism in the country during G20 meetings in partnership with states and industry. "The venues hosting G20 meetings adopt various green initiatives, including non-use of single use plastic, conservation of water and energy apart from other initiatives," Reddy said. The ministry had also launched Swadesh Darshan 2.0 scheme which will focus on sustainable and responsible development of tourist destinations. Greening of tourism sector for a sustainable, responsible and resilient tourism sector is one of the five key priorities of the Tourism Working Group. Asked if after the pandemic of COVID-19, the government has star

Government has prepared atlas of adventure tourism activities: Official

The government has prepared an atlas of places where water, land and air based adventure tourism activities can be performed in the country, a senior official said on Sunday. The atlas of water-based adventure tourism activities has already been notified while preparations are in final stages for land and air based activities, the senior official of the tourism ministry said. "We have prepared and notified one atlas for 21 water-based activities.... For example, we have identified all the places where kayaking is being practised in 20 states and UTs. For each activity, we have a map. An atlas for water sport activities has been notified while those for air and land based adventure tourism are in the final stages of notification, he told PTI. He said the atlas in one glance will give whole information about water sports in an area. "Its uniqueness is if you open an atlas and look for river rafting, in one glance you can see in which part of the country it is being offered, he said.

G20 Sherpa's meeting: Negotiations to begin on leaders' statement

There have been differences between the two groupings over the language used to criticize Russia's invasion of Ukraine

Strong demand to boost profits of travel operators by 6-7% in FY23,: Report

Leading travel and tour operators are expected to witness 6-7 per cent growth in operating profit and recover 90 per cent revenue in this financial year, mainly driven by efficient cost structure, a report said on Wednesday. After having reported losses for the past two fiscals due to Covid pandemic induced travel restrictions, travel and tour operators are expected to witness 6-7 per cent operating profitability in FY23 and FY24, Crisil Ratings said in a report. The revenue is likely to be 90 per cent of the pre-pandemic levels or FY20, mainly buoyed by strong recovery in both corporate and leisure travel segments in India and abroad, it added. "We expect operating margins to sustain at these levels next fiscal due to implementation of cost optimisation and automation initiatives undertaken by travel operators commencing from the pandemic period, even as revenues are expected to pass pre-pandemic levels next fiscal," the report stated. This marks a significant turnaround from ...

Indian Himalayas hub for spiritual seekers, religious practitioners: Report

The Indian Himalayas is a hub for spiritual seekers and religious practitioners, attracting a plethora of religious figures over time

Thailand targets 2 million Indian tourists in 2023, same as pre-Covid

In 2022, India was the second largest source of tourists to Thailand after Malaysia. Almost a million Indians visited Thailand last year out of a total of over 11 million foreign visitors

Is Venice, Maldives, Tundra on your travel bucket list? Make a move before it's too late

Tourism has same potential in India as agriculture, infrastructure: PM Modi

Addressing the gathering, the Prime Minister remarked that the new India of today is moving forward with a new work culture

Indians spent a record amount on foreign travel in 2022. Here's how much

An analysis of tourism data shows that India earns significantly more from foreign tourists coming to India than what Indians spend abroad