The contribution of the tourism sector to the country’s gross domestic product (GDP) for 2022-23 stood at five per cent, the Union Tourism Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat said in a written reply in Lok Sabha on Monday. The tourism sector’s contribution to India’s GDP saw a spark rise from 1.50 per cent during the Covid pandemic to 5 per cent in FY 2022-2023. Further, the tourism minister quoted initiatives taken by the Centre to enable the lawful inward movement of foreigners including foreign tourists. According to Shekhawat, the government has implemented the facility of e-Visa for 07 sub-categories i.e., e-Tourist…
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Two things are happening in stark contrast of each other, and unsavory to both, India’s inbound trade and the Government. The gulf between inbound and outbound has continued to widen. In 2019, India’s best tourism year in terms of Foreign Tourist Arrivals (FTAs), the country received 10.9 million visitors against 26.9 million outbound Indian tourists. India was producing 2.5 tourists for every single tourist it received. In 2023, which was the first Covid-free travel year, India’s outbound tourism bounced back strongly, registering a record 27.1 million outbound visitors. However, inbound was different story. In the absence of any credible plan…
IntrCity SmartBus has entered into a strategic partnership with CheckMyBus, the world’s foremost bus travel metasearch platform, to offer premium bus services to domestic and global travellers. As CheckMyBus’s first Indian partner, this collaboration is set to drive significant business growth by attracting international travellers, particularly from key markets like the US, UK, and Europe, and providing them with budget-friendly yet high-quality transportation options. Through this partnership, CheckMyBus users will gain direct access to IntrCity’s extensive network of over 630+ routes across popular destinations such as Delhi, Kasol, Dharamshala, Shimla, Manali, Lucknow, Hyderabad, Chennai, and Bengaluru. IntrCity’s reputation for elevating…
Union Minister of State for Civil Aviation, Murlidhar Mohol, has announced positive developments for Pune Airport’s expansion. The Obstacles Limitation Surface (OLS) survey, conducted by the Airports Authority of India (AAI) for the proposed runway extension at Lohegaon, has been favorable. This paves the way for international flights to soon begin operating from Pune after resolving some technical issues. In a high-level meeting in Delhi, Pune MP Mohol discussed various aspects of the runway extension, including land acquisition, transfer of land from the Ministry of Defence, and the extension of the apron and runway length. These efforts…
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved a USD 162 million loan to support tourism development projects in Himachal Pradesh. Vivek Vishal, Senior Project Officer, ADB, said this project will enhance the state’s tourism potential by upgrading and preserving heritage and cultural sites, establishing new facilities, and strengthening the tourism sector. ADB has approved a USD 162 million loan to support sustainable and inclusive tourism development projects in Himachal Pradesh. The Sustainable and Inclusive Tourism Development Project in Himachal Pradesh will promote heritage and cultural centers in the districts of Mandi and Hamirpur, restore the Naggar Castle in Kullu, beautification…
Digi Yatra, a cutting-edge Self-Sovereign Identity (SSI) based ecosystem utilising face biometric technology for contactless and seamless passenger processing at airports, has announced the launch of its d-KYC Campaign. It is going live on today. Under the banner ‘Don’t Know Your Customer,’ the campaign highlights Digi Yatra’s commitment to addressing customer needs without storing or accessing their personal information. In a world where data breaches and misuse are increasingly common, Digi Yatra’s approach sets a new standard for secure and responsible data management. At the core of Digi Yatra’s operations are the principles of Self Sovereign Identity (SSI) and adherence…
Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal yesterday launched ‘Cruise Bharat Mission’ from the Mumbai Port, aimed at boosting the potential of cruise tourism in the country and doubling of cruise passenger traffic by 2029. The mission, which also aims to excel India’s vision to become a global hub for cruise tourism and promote the country as the leading global cruise destination, targets three key cruise segments — the ocean and harbour, river, inland and island. It will be implemented in three phases, starting today, and will continue till March 31, 2029. Launching the mission on board cruise ship “Empress,” Sonowal, who is…
All business operations which falls under Ebixcash India entity, Ebixcash Limited, remains unaffected by the decisions taken at the Board Meeting of Eraaya Lifespaces Limited held on Friday, September 27, 2024. There are no disruptions in the day-to-day business and the business is being held as in the usual course T.C.Guruprasad continue to head Ebixcash Limited as its Managing Director. He also continues to head the Payment Solutions verticals comprising the Foreign Exchange, Money Transfer and Domestic Payments businesses as its CEO & Managing Director along with the respective Key Management Teams. With an illustrious tenure of 30 years, Guruprasad…
TripJack has appointed Subhodeep Bhattacharya as its Chief Human Resources Officer, effective May 2024. He will lead a major HR transformation initiative at TripJack, driving growth and innovation across the company. With a rich background in HR leadership, Bhattacharya joins from DreamSetGo by Dream Sports, where he played a key role in building the organization and leading strategic HR initiatives. Before that, he served as the Head of Business HR and Talent Acquisition at TransUnion CIBIL and Head of Corporate HR at Aditya Birla Sun Life Mutual Funds. Beginning his career at Larsen & Toubro as part of the Chairman’s…
The San Francisco Travel Association, the official destination marketing organization for the City and County of San Francisco, has announced the appointment of Anna Marie Presutti as President and CEO, effective immediately. Presutti has been serving as the interim President and CEO since mid-May. In her new role, Presutti will lead one of the nation’s oldest and largest membership-based tourism promotion organizations. San Francisco Travel works to promote the city globally, attracting conventions, meetings, and leisure travelers. Tourism plays a vital role in San Francisco’s economy, generating significant outside revenue. In 2023, visitor spending reached $9.3 billion, contributing nearly $610…
