Radisson Hotel Group considerably expanded its presence in India final yr with the signing of 21 lodges. During the yr, the group signed the debut Radisson Collection hotels in the country, with three properties underneath the model within the pipeline.

The firm additionally signed as many as 10 new properties underneath the Radisson model in 2023. In 2023, Radisson Hotel Group additionally signed Park Inn by Radisson Ayodhya, which grew to become the primary worldwide branded lodge to open within the metropolis in January.

Accelerated progress in India: During the yr, the corporate’s signings targeted away from tier 1 cities, with growth in tier 2 and three cities, comparable to Raipur, Sonipat, Sonamarg, and Dera Bassi being pushed by the upscale Radisson model.

India-focused model Park Inn and Suites by Radisson expanded its presence within the southern area. The group can also be anticipating a first-mover benefit in pilgrim cities of Vrindavan and Ujjain with new lodges quickly to be opened. According to KB Kachru, chairman emeritus and principal advisor, Radisson Hotel Group, South Asia, the corporate is strategically specializing in solidifying its presence in untapped elements of India.

Himachal Pradesh Is India’s Most Welcoming Region: Booking.com

Himachal Pradesh is essentially the most welcoming area in India, in accordance with Booking.com’s twelfth Annual Traveller Review Awards. In 2023, the state had stood on the fifth spot within the record. In this yr’s rankings, Himachal Pradesh is adopted by Goa and Kerala. On the opposite hand, Mararikulam in Kerala was named essentially the most welcoming metropolis in India, adopted by Rajasthan’s Jaisalmer and Bir in Maharashtra.

Towards the tip of 2023, lodges in Himachal Pradesh had been working practically at full capability, whereas Christmas Eve had report inflow of 65,000 vacationers on the Atal Tunnel, together with greater than 12,000 automobiles. According to Booking.com’s rankings this yr, as many as three cities from the state, together with Manali, Dharamshala, and Kasol, discovered a spot within the record of prime 10 most welcoming cities. Last yr, no metropolis from Himachal Pradesh was featured within the record.

Domestic Air Travel in January Witnesses Monthly Decline of 5%

Indian credit score rankings company ICRA Limited has estimated that the home air passenger site visitors in January 2024 stood at 13.1 million, about 5% decrease than the December 2023 determine of practically 13.8 million. The company, nonetheless, famous that this projected determine was 4.5% greater than the home air site visitors recorded in January 2023, in addition to 3% greater than the pre-Covid stage of passenger motion recorded in January 2020.

In the primary 10 months of the 2023-24 fiscal yr, the home air site visitors stood at 127.6 million, marking a year-on-year enhance of 15%, and a progress of 5% over the pre-Covid ranges recorded between April 2019 and January 2020.

ICRA, which falls underneath the umbrella of Moody’s Corporation, had a steady outlook on the Indian aviation trade after its January 2024 estimates, affected by components comparable to fast-paced restoration within the 2023 fiscal yr and until January 31 this yr within the 2023-24 monetary yr.

Korea Tourism Organization Launches Incentive Scheme for Indian Travel Agents

The Korea Tourism Organization is seeking to promote South Korea as a journey vacation spot to the Indian market. As a part of its efforts, it has launched the Ok-incentive Scheme 2.0 for Indian journey brokers. The program is designed to reward the brokers who promote journey to the nation with prizes as much as $30 per passenger.

The group additionally goals to help the brokers by facilitating fast in addition to hassle-free tour visas for vacationers to South Korea between February and September 2024.

Myong Kil Yun, regional director, India & SAARC Countries, KTO, said that India is among the many most necessary supply markets for South Korea. The Southeast Asian nation has a purpose to welcome 200,000 Indian vacationers in 2024, and the choice to incentivize sale of South Korea journey packages is part of the plan to realize this goal.

Indian Tourists Can Now Make UPI Payments in Sri Lanka and Mauritius

India’s Unified Payments Interface (UPI) companies have been launched in Sri Lanka and Mauritius. With this, Indian vacationers touring to the 2 nations would be capable of use UPI settlement companies, whereas Mauritian nationals would additionally be capable of use the companies on their go to to India.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who attended the digital occasion marking the launch, mentioned that with this, there could be a rise in tourism between India, Sri Lanka and Mauritius, as Indian vacationers are prone to favor locations the place UPI is obtainable.

UPI is an instantaneous fee system developed in India, and firstly of February, France became the first European country to accept payments via UPI when it allowed Indian vacationers visiting the Eiffel Tower to purchase tickets utilizing the system.

GB Srithar Takes Over as Head of Tourism Services at VFS Global

GB Srithar has joined as Head of Tourism Services at VFS Global with impact from February 1, 2024. Set to help the group in providing specialised journey, commerce, and tourism companies to VFS’ shopper governments, Srithar was beforehand with Singapore Tourism Board because the regional director for South Asia, Middle East & Africa (SAMEA). He was with the Singapore Tourism Board for 27 years.

VFS Global, which focuses on outsourcing and know-how companies for governments and diplomatic missions, has 67 shopper governments to which it gives visa utility processing and consular companies.

Photo Credit: Radisson Hotel Raipur