Indians spent $12.51 billion on overseas travel between April-February of fiscal 2022-23, a rise of 104 per cent compared to the same period of the last year, the latest data released by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) showed. In April-February of FY2022, total amount spent by domestic travellers on international destinations was $6.13 billion under the RBI’s Liberalised Remittances Scheme (LRS) for resident individuals. Under the LRS, Indian residents can remit up to $250,000 every financial year. International travel was restricted during 2020 and 2021 due to the Covid pandemic. As the travel restrictions were removed and flights resumed…
Author: Prasenjit Chakraborty
The US is on track to issue more than a million visas to Indians this year, a senior official has said, assuring that the Biden administration is committed this summer to make sure it processes all of the student visas for Indians whose school starts this fall. US Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asia Donald Lu also told in an interview that they are also prioritising work visas: H-1B’s and L visas, the most sought-after by IT professionals from India. The H-1B visa is a non-immigrant visa that allows US companies to employ foreign workers in speciality…
TravelBiz Monitor organised familiarisation trips to the newly-opened Mayfair On-Sea, Morjim Goa recently. The familiarisation trips were undertaken in three phases, and around 70 select travel agents from Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad, Pune, and Nagpur participated in seeing the property. The trip assumed significance against the backdrop of tourism recovery post-pandemic. Besides this, Goa has always been very close to the heart of the tourism industry. Naturally, the participants during their trip took keen interest in the property. After the trip, TravelBiz Monitor spoke to people from across the cities to ascertain their views and they are unanimous in…
According to a report by The Business Line, the Ministry of Civil Aviation is preparing to launch UDAN 5.0, with a focus on heliports, sea aerodromes and regional airports, in the next few weeks. The new round will also recalibrate old, non-operational routes and also introduce new routes. Additionally, the rules of UDAN (Ude Desh ka Aam Nagrik) are set to be revamped to define the role of exclusivity in certain routes, after concerns were raised by industry players. More routes Planned According to one of the two ministry officials contacted by businessline, UDAN 5.0 is expected to be launched…
Sri Lanka Tourism is all set to organise a series of roadshows in key Indian cities from 24th – 28th April 2023. The first road show will be held at Chennai (24 April), followed by Cochin (26 April) and Bangalore (28 April). According to the release, Sri Lanka is witnessing a considerable increase in tourist arrivals with India leading the way and securing the number one position. The event also focuses on promoting a myriad of tourism experiences while focusing on converting potential travellers to make booking and highlight the positive message that Sri Lanka is open for Leisure, Business…
Sodexo signed an MoU with Tourism & Hospitality Skill Council (THSC) and Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Grameen Kaushalya Yojana (DDU-GKY) under the umbrella of NSDC and India Skill Development Initiative by the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, India, to provide first-time employment opportunities to the frontline workforce, engaged in food & catering and facilities management spaces. Sodexo was represented by Annick de Vanssay, Chief Human Resources Officer, Sodexo Group, Anusoorya Themudu, SVP HR, Sodexo APMEA and Sambit Sahu, Managing Director, Sodexo India; while THSC was represented by their CEO, Rajan Bahadur and DDUGKY by their senior leadership team during the…
Globus Holidays has appointed Ashish Saran as its Business Head with effect from April 12, 2023. Saran brings a wealth of experience in travel retail, marketing & sales, destination/ product representation reaching across continents. He will be instrumental in expanding the existing business, as well as create, develop & implement new business avenues for Globus Holidays group going forward.
The Tamil Nadu government would create a separate wing to disseminate information on temples, major festivals, pujas and relevant particulars to devotees, flexing the latest technology, Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Minister P K Sekar Babu said. A separate team comprising content creators, technical staff and experts would be set up to bring out the above information in a “cherishing manner,” he said while winding up the debate on the demand for grants for his department in the Assembly. “It is indispensable to create a separate wing at the office of the Commissioner, HR & CE, to disseminate the temple…
The meetings of the Group of 20 (G-20) are expected to boost growth of inbound-travel in 2023, according a real estate consulting firm. The Indian hospitality sector is expected to see an accelerated growth in 2023, in spite of ongoing global headwinds and the uncertainty brought on by the occasional Covidscare. This will be driven primarily by buoyant domestic demand and the revival of inbound travel. India’s G-20 presidency will be an additional boost for the sector, according to HVS Anarock. Over 200 G-20 meetings are expected to be held across 55 destinations in the country during India’s G-20 Presidency…
The Japanese government will introduce a new, simplified system for granting highly skilled professional visas to foreign workers to attract overseas talent, the Immigration Services Agency said. Under the new measure, the government will grant the visa to foreign applicants and introduce preferential treatment for those who meet certain conditions, such as having an annual income of 20 million yen and a master’s degree. Under the government’s current points-based system, points are allocated according to categories that include academic and employment backgrounds, as well as annual income. But the move has been seen as overly complicated as the global race…
