In-the-Issue

The Outbound Tour Operators Association of India’s convention to be held from March 15-18 in Antalya, Turkey, will focus on ways to capture and cater to the growing segment of millennial travellers that lists travel as a priority experience. Hazel Jain The Outbound Tour Opera- tors Association of India (OTOAI) …

The deadly coronavirus outbreak continues to hurt tourism as travel plans are being suspended even to destinations that claim to be safe. We spoke to a few travel advisors to find out how they have been affected amidst this chaos. EM Najeeb, Senior VP, IATO “While this is the initial …

The proposed amendment in Section 206C of the additional tax on remittances made outside India might make outbound tours costlier. The outbound trade fears this would divert customers to OTAs outside India. They explain… Riaz Munshi, President, OTOAI “We are going to write to the government about it and try …

From improving hinterland connectivity and promoting Indian heritage to organising well-targeted conclaves and empowering tourist guides with certification programmes, Ministry of Tourism is keeping itself busy. Nisha Verma In recent months, Ministry of Tourism has under- taken a number of steps to boost visitor numbers to the country. Of these …

IATO is in talks with the Ministry of Tourism (MOT) to revise the guidelines of approval of inbound tour operators, allowing members with low turnover to also be recognised by the government. Nisha Verma The Indian Association of Tour Operators (IATO) recently organised its monthly luncheon, where it shared industry …

The famous Moroccan explorer Ibn Battuta once noted Nizwa as “a city enveloped by orchards and streams, with fine bazaars and splendid clean mosques.” Inder Raj Ahluwalia Ascenic drive from Muscat through stark, barren mountains, brings one to a little town that shoulders a long history. Sprawled across a water–fed …

PATA Nepal Chapter, in association with PATA India Chapter and PATA China Chapter, is all set to organise Nepal India China Expo (NICE) from February 22-25, 2020. The event is aimed at strengthening the tourism ties between the three neighbours and tapping their potential to the fullest. Nisha Verma Nepal …

After offering free e-visa to Indian tourists travelling to four regions of the Russian Federation, including St. Petersburg, Leningrad, Kaliningrad and Far East region, Russia is going to further simplify the process by offering an e-visa facility to all regions of the Federation by 2021. Manas Dwivedi The Federal Agency …

This year, Singapore Tourism Board (STB) will focus on M!CE and cruise travellers from India, and provide incentives to trade partners in the form of grants on cost of travel in Singapore, co-investment in marketing promotions and complimentary experiences to their clients. Manas Dwivedi Presenting Singapore Tourism Board’s scheme for …

Abhishek Hajela, Travel Photographer, Eastbound, talks about the growing impact of photography tours and how they started this division at Eastbound. Nisha Verma Eastbound is offering photography tours to its clients, and the main idea behind these tours, according to Abhishek Hajela, Travel Photographer, Eastbound, is to build strong community-based …