In-the-Issue

Tourist guides: Collateral damage

Tapan Kumar Mishra, National Tourism Awardee for Best Tourist Guide (Odisha), discusses the plight of tourist guides across India who have no work since March 2020. He questions if the Ministry of Tourism is willing to lose the pool of expert tourist guides as collateral damage due to the pandemic? …

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Sustainable tourism is viable

WTTC and faculty and scientists of the Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health have released two case studies on sustainability leadership by The Travel Corporation (TTC) and Intrepid Travel. This collaboration has encouraged the sharing of best practices and has supported sustainability as a core strategic priority to ensure …

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App-based taxis for Goa

Two trade bodies – one a state-wide travel association and the other a regional hospitality association – have voiced their support for App-based taxi operators in Goa which they think will benefit the end-travellers by way of cheaper rates and better service to begin with. Hazel Jain Showing support for …

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The present is a wake-up call

  ‘The second wave has been a wake-up call for India, pushing the government to increase its spending on strengthening the medical infrastructure in the country,’ says Mandeep Lamba, President (South Asia), HVS ANAROCK. In the last decade, India has emerged as one of the leading medical tourism destinations globally. …

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We are paying for being so lax

With the number of COVID cases and deaths rising every day, Goa could be looking at another lockdown. But Serafino Cota, President, Small & Medium Hotels Associations, says that the state government along with the travel trade brought this problem upon themselves. Hazel Jain The state had become a holiday …

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Apply for ‘Industry’ status

  Government of Maharashtra has now announced the criteria for levying taxes and charges at the industrial rate for non-classified hotels in the state that are eligible for ‘Industry’ status. The application process is now open on the official website of Maharashtra Tourism. In a landmark decision to bolster the …

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Times are changing

The industry needs to tighten its seatbelt and remain mentally healthy and strong for the next few months, says the trade. Mahendra Vakharia, EC Member & Immediate Past President, OTOAI and MD, Pathfinders Holidays I strongly believe that for the next few months, we will have to tighten our seatbelt …

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Vaccinate to revive

The latest research from ForwardKeys reveals that vaccinations appear to hold the key to reviving international travel. Three origin markets, Israel, the US and the UK, where vaccination campaigns are particularly well advanced, have seen outbound flight bookings climb more steeply than elsewhere. Greece, whose economy is highly dependent on …

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Register yourself with MOT

In a marathon session of Q&A for its members, TAAI discussed their woes while answering and guiding them on some of their queries. From Air India to bank guarantee, MOT and IATA, this was a no-holds-barred virtual meeting. Hazel Jain In a marathon session that lasted about three hours, the …

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A new trajectory for tourism

The ever-evolving hospitality industry has seen some unimaginable ups and downs in the last year. What impact will this have on education and how have the opportunities evolved? TRAVTALK finds out more. Neha Rawat Sommet Education in collaboration with the World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) hosted a virtual webinar titled ‘Hospitality …

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