Government endorsements for this order are also first time for Indian aviation. It augurs well for air connectivity as the Modi government seems to say that while roads and trains are being developed, air transport is also equally important for the country. Air India’s order is set to change the game in this region, for the entire aviation eco-system. Air India has placed an order for 470 aircrafts, the biggest ever single order in the …
50 Model destinations, new airports, rail and road connectivity on the one hand, PPP mode and state and central coordination can all come together under one single authority – this can herald a new beginning for tourism in our country. Convergence is the key word for success but somebody has to oversee it! The Union Budget made a historical departure from many in the past, with the significant mention of ‘tourism’ as an industry, when …
The writing has been on the wall, and predictably and surely a confident IHCL has registered its best ever quarter till date. MD Puneet Chhatwal has not only provided strong leadership but also motivated his entire team to work in tandem. The group’s impressive showing is also reflective of the buoyancy in the business, which has now seen domestic tourism as the base for future growth. We interview Chhatwal for his comments on the success …
Radhe Shyam Saraf, the founder and moving spirit of Saraf Hotels passed on last year. We present a modest tribute to this iconic person who set up Nepal’s first modern five star hotel, and later went on to build an empire of as many as 14 deluxe properties, each iconic and market leader in their city. On a recent visit to Kathmandu I had the opportunity to catch up with the Saraf family and requested …
It is a good decision, not an easy one. An effective alternative machinery that works transparently for inbound tourism, is the need of the hour. India has decided to close down all its tourist offices overseas. Effective end March 2023, the shutters will be down globally signalling a new era for Indian Tourism marketing. The debate has been on going for last few years, some offices had closed recently, and this time around, the decision …
It augurs well for tourism in our region. Chaudhary is a firm believer in facilitating businesses, promotes the concept of regional tourism, will work towards India and Nepal together in tourism. Leading business magnate and hotelier from Nepal, prominent tourism and hospitality industry leader in South Asia, Binod Chaudhary has entered the country’s parliament in the recent national elections, contesting and winning as a senior member of the ruling National Congress, the single biggest party in the new parliament. Given his love …
With a fresh lease signed, IHCL has put into place a re-imagined property that builds upon its rich legacy of four decades. It has been work in progress in the last year or so, with a phased development of its public areas, services and its rooms. Taj Man Singh, as it is popularly referred to, is a popular landmark in the history of New Delhi’s hospitality industry, a landmark that has grown in esteem over …
In an exclusive interview with Destination India, IHCL MD and CEO, says the industry has the appetite for another 175,000 rooms in branded category during the next 10 years. He says supply is limited and given a definitive push from the government, at the centre and in the states, this can happen to fill the gap in this essential infrastructure sector. NB: People are saying they have not seen this kind of a golden period. …
Former ITDC senior executive, Prasoon Mukherjee has signed the first ever master franchise agreement for TGI Fridays’ for as many as 75 outlets in the next 10 years. The U.S. based company has partnered with Master Franchisor, Universal Success Enterprises, to bring an authentic Fridays experience to over 75 new locations in South and Southeast Asia over the next 10 years. The deal, which is expected to drive over $500MM in revenue for the U.S. based …
It is a Moment in Time. IHM Pusa has made a sterling contribution to professionalism in the service industry, not just hospitality. It is time to look ahead and plan for the next 25 years. With the Hon’ble minister for Tourism, Culture and North Eastern Region as Chief guest, IHM ushered in its 61st year of service to the nation and hospitality industry in particular. Several celebrity alumni who have done the country proud were …
Dr Sanat Kaul, leading aviation analyst, has brought out his book on this important subject. Released recently, the event featured an important panel discussion on the real time possibility! Former senior IAS officer Sanat Kaul, who has served as JS in the ministry of civil aviation, MD in Delhi Tourism and was Indian representative at ICAO in Montreal, has released his book on India’s aviation and Foreign Policy. An interesting and unusual spin on two …
The Travel Agents Federation of India (TAFI) has taken the lead in pushing for tourism to bounce back. Its theme is appropriate to Build Again and Better! The convention promises to achieve these objectives given the enthusiasm in the industry to start doing business again. TAFI has taken the lead in announcing its annual convention post the pandemic. Earlier in the year, TAAI had to cancel its convention in Colombo at the last minute, with a spate …
It is Not Just History of a Given Period. The experience is very Modern and International. It captures the Best Traditions in Indian Hospitality. •Imagine recreating history as in the books to bring alive a global and yet quintessential Indian experience. Of an era long remembered for its extravagance and artistic successes. But it harks back equally to an architecture that one sees across so much of Rajasthan’s forts and palaces. Of courtyards, landscapes and …
India promises to regain its eminence as a tourist generating market for Singapore, says Srithar, Regional Director for India, Middle East and South Asia for Singapore Tourism. He has spent more than a decade in this region and is conversant with both the market as well as its key drivers. Effective 1st April, Singapore is fully open to tourism. “Presently, 14 Indian cities have direct air connectivity to Singapore. More than 50% of the pre-Covid …
Life has been strange in numerous ways, for want of a better expression, over the last two years. With bouts of hope and depression giving way to a sustained new burst of energy, that all too familiar is coming back as the new experience of a happier times. It has been over two long years since eating out has been taboo. It’s both looking back and looking ahead, with hope and expectancy for better times …
DI interviews the CEO, Anuraag Bhatnagar on what’s brewing at the hospitality chain, committed to the core values originally set by the legendary founder Capt Nair. We are meeting for the first time, since the last wave when we had multiple restrictions in place. As the world is opening, we caught up, to understand what’s new at Leela, that was bought over by asset management group Brookfield, just a few months before the first lockdown …
