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Indian Railways launches ‘baby berths’ for passengers travelling with infants

Baby Berths in Trains: Indian Railways has taken a new step in a bid to make rail travel experience better for passengers travelling with infants. In order to make train journeys more convenient and comfortable for those travelling with babies, the national transporter has fitted foldable “baby berths” for infant passengers on the side of the lower main berths of the Lucknow Mail Train. The move is a part of a pilot project, a PTI report said. According to officials quoted in the report, plans will be drawn to expand the concept of baby berths to other train services, based on the feedback received by railway passengers on the new product. According to the report, the baby berths, which are fitted to the lower main berths of Lucknow Mail, can be folded as well as secured with a stopper when not in use. The baby berth has been is aligned with the main berth. On 27 April 2022, two baby berths which are 770 mm in length, 255 mm in width as well as 76.2 mm in height, were fitted to 12 and 60 main berths of the second cabins on both the ends of coaches on the Lucknow Mail train. An official from the Northern Railway zone was quoted in the report saying that this has been done on a trial basis. However, the move will be expanded once it gets positive feedback from railway passengers, the official said. Once the railway tries it out more and records the feedback, Indian Railways will put the necessary details on the Centre for Railway Information Systems (CRIS) where it can be booked by passengers on request, the official further said. The baby berth booking system will be like the one Indian Railways currently use to offer senior citizens lower berths. So, once a railway passenger says yes to travelling with a child, the national transporter will offer the berth to them. However, currently, it is at a nascent stage, the Northern Railway official added. At present, there is no mechanism to book the lower berth for women passengers who are travelling with babies.

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India showcases its tourism potential from culture to wellness in Dubai travel mart

India is showcasing its rich and diversified tourism potential at the Arabian travel market (ATM) Dubai-2022 which is being held between May 9th and 12th, 2022. The Ministry of Tourism, Government of India under its “Incredible India” brand line is showcasing the various tourism destinations and products to promote India as a ‘Must See, Must Visit’ destination. The India Pavilion was inaugurated in the august presence of Mr. Satpal Maharaj, Minister of Tourism, Government of Uttarakhand, Ms. Rupinder Brar, Additional Director General, Ministry of Tourism, Government of India, Dr. Aman Puri H.E. Consul General of India to Dubai, Mr. Sheo Shekhar Shukla, Principal Secretary, Tourism & MD, Madhya Pradesh Tourism Board and Mr. Kitto Zhimomi, Commissioner &Secretary, Government of Nagaland. India as being portrayed as a “365 Days Destination” i.e a year-round multi-faceted tourist destination that includes multiple facets from Culture, MICE, adventure, cruise, luxury, wellness and medical tourism etc. India Reopening as a theme has been amplified during the mart to showcase must-visit destinations of India to international travellers. Tour Operators, Travel Agents, Hoteliers/Resorts, the State Tourism Government of Kerala, Nagaland, Uttarakhand, Madhya Pradesh etc are present in the India Pavilion showcasing the diverse tourism products and services. India resumed international flights on March 27 after a gap of two years restoring confidence in travellers and now wants to lure foreign travellers to the country increasing tourism footfall. India is seeing a positive response from most of the source markets. The Gulf and the Middle East region is one of the most important markets for India with the availability of e-Visa facilities in three different segments that is tourist, business & medical segments. The Ministry of Tourism is undertaking campaigns to urge the Indian Diaspora to inspire at least five of their non-Indian friends every year to visit India, calling them ‘Rashtradoot’. the statement from the Tourism Ministry said Moreover, to showcase the tourism potential in the North East India region in domestic and key international markets, the Ministry of Tourism in association with the North-Eastern States organizes the International Tourism Mart annually in one of the North-Eastern States, the. the statement further mentioned. India is also trying to pitch itself as a Destination for Medical / Wellness Travel in Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries through the availability of world-class hospitals with the latest technology; cost-effective treatment from skilled Indian physicians and surgeons; less waiting time for availing of medical services as well as traditional healthcare therapies like Ayurveda & Yoga for holistic wellness.

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Yatra witnesses 90% of pre-Covid level hotel bookings

Online travel services provider Yatra on Monday said it has reached 90 per cent of pre-Covid level hotel bookings and the upswing continues with the return of travel normalcy following relaxation of pandemic-related restrictions and the recent restarting of scheduled international flights after two years. The arrival of the summer travel season coupled with the easing of restrictions has once again strengthened the travel confidence amongst people, Yatra said in a statement. After spending two consecutive summers in lockdown, 2022 will be seen as the first summer season wherein people will be able to travel without any restrictions and apprehension, it added. Yatra said with the resumption of international flights (on March 27) and travellers' confidence returning, it has observed an average increase in domestic flight bookings by 85 per cent and international flight bookings by 95 per cent of pre-Covid levels. While people prefer varied options for accommodation, this summer season 80 per cent of bookings are observed for hotels and 20 per cent for alternate accommodations such as villas, cottages and homestays, among others, the company said. "Overall we have reached 90 per cent of pre-Covid level for hotel bookings and the upswing continues," it added. Yatra Online Co-Founder and COO Sabina Chopra said that the arrival of summer season along with a positive outlook of travellers after two years has brought a sense of relief to the travel and hospitality industry. "With people exhilarated on taking trips to various offbeat destinations, we at Yatra.com have witnessed an increase in booking demands by 70 per cent especially for leisure cities," she said. Places like Ladakh, Himachal Pradesh, the Northeast and Kashmir are the leading domestic destinations that people are preferring to travel and explore, the company said. As for international destinations, Paris, Switzerland, Thailand, Singapore, Bali, Dubai, and Mauritius are the most preferred ones this summer, it said, adding, "for international travel, we have received 70 per cent of booking inquiries from honeymooners and leisure travellers".

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Over 1000 exhibitors from India and overseas to exhibit at SATTE 2022

The 29th edition of the SATTE, the largest travel and tourism expo for South Asia, which is scheduled from May 18 – 20 at the India Expo Mart, Greater Noida, Delhi-NCR, will see over 1000 exhibitors from both within India and overseas exhibiting their destinations, travel products, and services. According to organisers, Informa Markets, over 36,000 qualified industry buyers and trade visitors from the travel, wedding planning, corporate travel, hospitality, and leisure industries, as well as leading television and film production houses will attend the three-day event. At a time when the travel and tourism industry across the world is trying to reinvent and find its act together after over a two-year-long Covid-inflicted lull, the organisers of the event say that the region’s key B2B exhibition will provide a platform for fruitful communication between thought leaders and stakeholders of the industry. The exhibitors would comprise over 20 state tourism boards from India, over 20 international destinations, and more than 300 international participants. There will be parallel conferences and presentations running where experts from the travel and tourism industry will share their knowledge and experiences on different topics. Commenting on the event, Yogesh Mudras, Managing Director, Informa Markets in India, said, “SATTE is a lucrative opportunity to have wholesome and rich interactions about the recent trends and know-how of the travel industry. The travel sector worldwide went through a roughshod due to the effects of coronavirus and as it is swiftly opening up with India projected to see a rise of 53 million industry jobs by the end of 2029 and estimated to grow up to USD 125 billion by 2027.” He added, “With key international and domestic presence, turnkey facilities for business and content-rich conferences, and notable stakeholders' and associations' support, SATTE aims to help harness the strategy adoption discussions to revive the industry. This will help the sector go back to its topnotch form and even a scale higher, especially on potentially rich portfolios like cruises, adventure, medical, wellness, sports, MICE, eco-tourism, film, rural and religious tourism while comprehending the trends pivoted around them.”

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Travel trade facilitating inbound and promoting brand India: TAAI President

The recent visit of the Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi to Europe ignited the spark to once again push and promote India’s strength as the most favourable tourist destination in Asia. While speaking to the Indian diaspora, Modi urged Indians settled abroad to promote the ‘Chalo India’ campaign under which he sought support from Indians to advise at least five of their foreign friends to visit India and continue the practice on a year-to-year basis. Commenting on the success of the visit, Jyoti Mayal, President, Travel Agents Association of India (TAAI) expressed her gratitude to the PM and reiterated that the Indian travel trade will extend their best possible support to both foreigners and NRI travelling to India. Out of many advantages, she highlighted the developments made post-Covid. She said that scenario has changed drastically, with domestic tourism picking pace after Covid and, it has blessed domestic tourism in its own way. "We now have multiple unexplored and new destinations to showcase to travellers, and with the support of the Civil Aviation Ministry and State governments these destinations are easily approachable," Mayal added. "Be it wellness, ayurveda, leisure, religious, spiritual, adventure and many other forms of tourism, India has been doing fairly well as compared to other neighbouring destinations, Mayal explained. In the support of the statement, she referred to the initiatives taken by the Indian government, be it developing roads, railways, and airports or the awareness drives executed by municipal corporations, self-help groups or strongly monitoring the impact of Covid using IT infrastructure ie, Arogyasetu app; the government did its best to curb the menace caused by the pandemic," Mayal supplemented. From the perspective of safety and security of travellers, Mayal said that the travel trade has been doing its best to facilitate flawless and smooth travel for customers. In a recently concluded conclave by Women in Travel and Tourism (WITT), which is an integral part of the Travel Agents Association of India, similar issues and challenges were deliberated upon. She said with more than 50 per cent of entrepreneurs and the working class in tourism being women, we are working in tandem with them to provide them adequately and quality training to uplift the society and help the travel trade boom, Mayal apprised. "Being the oldest and apex travel trade body, we at Travel Agents Association of India (TAAI) work very closely with foreign missions and ensure the promotion of both inbound and outbound tourism," Mayal concluded.

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Tourism and economic agencies join forces to market Orlando

It's an idea that almost seems as compatible as Mickey and Minnie. Take the tens of millions of tourists who are thinking about visiting central Florida's theme parks each year and sell them on the virtues of moving their companies or businesses to the region. In the half-century that Orlando has been a tourism hub, it had not been done, until now. The quasi-public agencies that usually promote tourism and economic development separately in Orlando recently announced they are joining forces to market the region together under a single brand. With a tagline of 'Unbelievably Real', the branding plan will be aimed at tourists, meeting planners, conventioneers, business relocation specialists, site selectors, business owners and company CEOs. Around USD 23 million will be spent on it this year. The branding plan was announced as officials reported that 59.3 million tourists came to Orlando in 2021. That represents a 68 per cent increase over 2020's pandemic-stricken numbers, but it is still less than 80 per cent of 2019's pre-pandemic figures. "Looking at 2021, we started seeing some really strong numbers," said Casandra Matej, President and CEO of Visit Orlando. The branding plan highlights Orlando's economic strengths in digital game development and military simulation, combined with its tourist attractions, outdoor activities and its cultural, sports and food scenes. It will start Monday with television and digital ads in New York, Chicago and Boston, as well as a mural in Brooklyn, New York. The goal is tell "the entire story of Orlando," Matej said. "While we may have different target audiences, there's a lot of connection between those audiences." With the growth of remote working during the pandemic, the timing of the joint branding seemed right, officials said. "The same person making a corporate relocation decision is probably the same person bringing their family to Orlando and has probably attended a meeting here in the last couple of years," said Tim Giuliani, President and CEO of Orlando Economic Partnership. "When people come to us about relocating to Orlando, it's not their first time in Orlando. It's a global brand." Walt Disney World is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year, and a longawaited Guardians of the Galaxy ride at its Epcot park is opening later this month. But it's just not rides that stand to lure more visitors. Orlando International Airport is nearing completion on its largest expansion ever, adding 15 gates that can accommodate an additional 10 million to 12 million passengers annually. The private Brightline train service also is expanding within the next year to Orlando, offering a two-hour ride from South Florida to the Orlando airport. The expanded capacity at Orlando International Airport represents another synergy between tourism and economic development. Driven by the tourism market, the expansion will bring more airlines and travel routes to Orlando, making the area more attractive to companies or businesses that want to relocate, Giuliani said. "It creates tremendous connectivity," Giuliani said. "As more companies have global interests, concerns, connectivity, that ease in and out allows Orlando to compete with any city." The tourism numbers released Monday by Visit Orlando reflect the ways visitors coming to Orlando were affected by pandemic restrictions. The 2021 increase over 2020 was driven by domestic visitors, with business and international tourists lagging in growth. While domestic visitations grew by 70 per cent, it grew only by almost 54 per cent for business and 25.7 per cent for international travelers. In an effort to control the coronavirus, the US imposed border restrictions on non-essential travel from Canada and Mexico. Many of those restrictions were lifted last November, but international travelers are still required to be vaccinated and those traveling by air must show a negative coronavirus test. Domestic leisure visits in 2021 were 85 per cent of those in 2019, before the pandemic. The numbers in 2021 were two-thirds of those in 2019 for domestic business travel and less than a third for international visits. After the U.S. dropped some pandemic restrictions last November, Orlando started seeing upticks in international visitors from its most popular, Matej said. "As soon as the rules of engagement changed in November, we started seeing real interest from our core markets," Matej said. "We're expecting by 2023 for international to be 100 per cent recovered."

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