Travel & Tourism

Key tourism events of 2024: 'Chalo India' and Kaziranga international mart

Inauguration of the country's first sunken museum at the Humayun's Tomb complex in Delhi, launch of a global campaign that seeks to make diaspora members ambassadors of Incredible India and an international mart at Assam's Kaziranga were some of the highlights of the tourism sector in 2024. With the upcoming Maha Kumbh in Prayagraj next year and a humongous number of pilgrims expected to gather in the holy city for the religious congregation, the tourism ministry is also eyeing to showcase and celebrate the cultural diversity of the country aiming to draw both domestic and international tourists. Held every 12 years, the Maha Kumbh this time will be from January 13 to February 26. The year also saw major changes in the top leadership of the ministry with senior BJP leader Gajendra Singh Shekhawat taking charge as the Union tourism minister after the 2024 Lok Sabha elections succeeding G Kishan Reddy who was allotted the portfolio of coal. Soon after taking charge, he had said his

Ayodhya overtakes Taj Mahal, becomes UP's top tourist destination in 2024 | Travel & Tourism

Hotel rates hit all-time high in 2024, driven by domestic tourism, weddings

In all, India's metro cities remain the strongest hotel markets, and the strong rate growth experienced last year was largely driven by these markets

Premium stays and solo escapes among India's year-end travel trends: Report

Goa, UAE shine as top domestic and international travel destination for Indians this season, with more people opting for holiday packages, reveals MakeMyTrip report

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, ...

Indians plan to travel, shop, spend more this festive season: Amex Trendex

Domestic travel remains popular, with 88 per cent respondents opting for trips within India, while international travel is on the radar for 61 per cent

Movies, reels & celebs: How 44% of Indians pick their travel destinations

49% are eager to engage in activities they've seen in a film or show

UK tycoon Mike Lynch missing: How a luxury yacht sank in freak Sicily storm

The luxury British superyacht was carrying 22 people onboard when it was hit by a sudden tornado-like storm on early Monday in Sicily and then sank in water, reportedly trapping six people inside

China's senior tourists could be a silver lining for travel companies

Companies inside and outside of China, and local travel authorities, are starting to tailor their services to the needs specific to this growing cohort

Annoyed by visa cancellations? This AI tool boosts approval chances by 80%

Atlys' Visa Probability Evaluator tool uses advanced AI and machine learning models to predict your chances of getting a visa

Airbnb partners with Financial Crimes Investigators to combat travel scams

Airbnb has implemented several measures to safeguard its customers' information and bookings

Tourism sector witnessed revival, foreign arrivals went up: Eco Survey

Public policy should pay particular attention to boosting the tourism sector, Survey notes

Japan attracts record 3.14 mn visitors in June as weak yen draws tourists

The number of foreign visitors for business and leisure was 3.14 million last month, exceeding the previous monthly record of 3.08 million set in March

Travel credit card fintech records 30% rise in travel bookings this summer

Women solo travellers grew at the rate of 47%, whereas solo travellers who were men grew 39%

Thailand changes visa rules for tourists, students: What you must know

Over the years, Thailand has become a popular destination as it offers beautiful pristine beaches, nature reserves, rustic countryside and hillside towns

Discounts, eco-packages lure Indians towards green tourism: Survey

Do you prioritise sustainability while planning your travels? If you do, you are among the 87% of Indian travellers who care

India a travel powerhouse; Agoda will continue accelerated expansion: CEO

Global digital travel platform Agoda will continue the accelerated rate of onboarding of accommodation properties in India, its fastest-growing market and a global travel powerhouse, its CEO Omri Morgenshtern said on Tuesday. The company is also looking to enhance partnerships with local firms in the travel and hospitality sector in the country to tap the huge potential of inbound and outbound traffic from the country. "India is the fastest growing country for us, by far, faster than anybody else. So, we are acquiring (onboarding) properties in India much faster than anywhere else," he told PTI in an interview from Bangkok. On the significance of adding more accommodation properties, he said, "We recognise that bringing more properties in, is a part of localisation because if you want to cater to more Indian travellers from different geographical areas and also from different income levels, then you need to grow". Beyond the metros with four and five-star hotels, he said Agoda is .

Airlines expected to report lower loss of Rs 3,000-4,000 cr: Report

Airlines are projected to report a lower net loss of Rs 3,000 to 4,000 crore in the current as well as next financial years, helped by healthy passenger traffic growth and pricing discipline, a report said on Monday. For February, credit rating agency Icra in its report said domestic air passenger traffic was estimated at around 127.5 lakh. The aviation sector has also been grappling with supply chain challenges and issues related to Pratt & Whitney (P&W) engines. IndiGo grounded more than 70 planes due to P&W engine problems. "It is estimated that 24-26 per cent of the total fleet of Indian airlines in operations will be grounded by March 31, 2024. Considering the bulk recall of the engines globally by P&W and other existing issues with the OEM's engines, the testing by P&W is likely to take longer at 250-300 days," the report said. Meanwhile, it said the pace of recovery in industry earnings is likely to be gradual owing to the high fixed-cost nature of the ...

World's most powerful passports 2024: Europe catches up with Japan, S'pore

South Korea, Sweden and Finland all climbed one spot to take joint second place, with access to 193 locations

Hyderabad most travelled city in 2023, UP most visited state: Oyo

As remote working and flexibility declined, travelers sought to maximize their vacations and extended long weekends this year