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Travel Services Market in India 2020-2024 | Introduction of Low-Cost Airlines to Boost Growth

The travel services market in India is expected to post a CAGR of close to 19% during the period 2020-2024, according to the latest market research report by Technavio. The introduction of low-cost airlines has been a relief for travelers and holiday and tour package service providers. This has also encouraged companies from the SME business sector to opt for air travel for business trips. Thus, the growing investments in the development and introduction of low-cost airlines are further expected to augment the travel services market in India during the forecast period. Online mode of booking accounted for the largest travel services market share in India during 2019. The segment will continue to dominate the market due to the extensive penetration and geographical reach of online travel providers including MakeMyTrip, IRCTC, Yatra, and TripAdvisor. Also, advantages such as secured transactions, convenient return policies, centralized customer service, multiple payment options, and 24/7 shopping convenience are expected to attract more and more customers to opt for online mode of booking in the upcoming years.

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Greater Noida’s India Expo Centre to host SATTE’s 27th edition from Jan 8.

The 27th edition of South Asia Travel and Tourism Exchange (SATTE), organised by Informa Markets in India (formerly UBM India), India's leading B2B (business-to-business) exhibition organiser, will take place at the India Expo Centre, Greater Noida, Delhi – NCR, between January 8 and 10, 2020. Over 1,050 exhibitors and buyers and travel professionals from over 50 countries and 104 Indian cities, are set to visit the show.The show equally offers platforms to players of the inbound, domestic and outbound markets. With a focus on building new business partnerships and announcements, the three-day expo promises to deliver and discuss current trends in the industry. With an exciting line-up of conferences, SATTE 2020 will host a series of sessions and workshops, presented and lead by high-profile speakers and industry stalwarts, covering topics from all aspects of the industry. The United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) representatives will present the first panel discussion on Global Economic Scenario and Tourism Trends on Day 1. Day 2 of the SATTE 2020 Conference will again be a Corporate Travel Day, powered by the Corporate Travel Community (CTC) that is set to organise two powerful sessions on Airline Programmes + NDC Education Forum and The Accommodation Outlook and Technology Innovations Education Forum. Apart from these, the Network of India MICE Agents (NIMA) will organise a set of five sessions and two workshops on MICE tourism. Speaking on the expectations from SATTE 2020, Yogesh Mudras, managing director, Informa Markets in India, said, “Every year, we put in our best efforts to make SATTE bigger, and this year, we aim to reach new milestones with the continued support from our exhibitors and partner countries and states.”

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Eilat in Israel becomes first to ban disposables on beaches.

Eilat has become the first city in Israel to ban disposables on beaches. The southernmost city of Israel took the brilliant decision to save the Red Sea from more plastic dumping. With this decision, beach lovers won’t be allowed to carry disposable items on the beach. This applies to any item made using plastic, cardboard, paper or even aluminium. The city has put a ban on selling these items at kiosks or restaurants in proximity to the sea or on the shore. The bylaw still needs approval by the interior ministry before taking effect. The proposed fine for offenders is up to 730 Shekels (INR 14835). Maya Jacobs from an environmental NGO has dedicated her life towards the protection of Israel's seas and rivers. She praised the city’s move and called it a “groundbreaking” step. We all are well aware of the situation that coral populations across the globe is going through. Because of bleaching and global warming, the coral is dying everywhere. However, the situation here at the northern Red Sea has been stable given its unique heat resistance. Thus, it needs to be protected all the more.

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Uttarakhand to provide more facilities for pilgrims visiting Kedarnath.

Uttarakhand government has chalked out a plan to provide more facilities to pilgrims visiting Kedarnath shrine. The work will start next year and estimates of Rs 150 Crore have been planned out from corporate social responsibility funds said Dilip Jawalker, secretary tourism, Uttarakhand. Facilities will include tourist lounge, facilitation center, a small hospital and waiting lounges, changing rooms along with well-equipped toilets. The shrine town will also have a public address system which will be used inform the pilgrims about the history and importance of all important areas in Kedarpuri and regulate the crowd in the temple. The road from Bhim Bali to Kedarnath would be reconstructed which will have facilities for the pilgrims travelling to the temple. Work has been on in the holy town to transform it with facilities squaring to smart city. The reconstruction is said to directly monitored by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Reconstruction of the holy town is said to be his 'Dream Project' which is said to have 'state-of-the-art' facilities.

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Not enough tourists for Koh Samui hotels.

Hoteliers in Koh Samui are suffering from oversupply, dragging down the occupancy rate.The occupancy rate on the island during the final quarter this year, as of Dec 20, has plunged to 30% from 50% in the same period of 2018. He attributed the low figures to the strong baht and trade war, as major markets such as the Chinese flock to cheaper beach destinations in Vietnam, the Philippines and Indonesia.The slowdown will linger into the first quarter next year, considered the high season for the island. There are about 40 flights to Samui airport, operated by SET-listed Bangkok Airways, with 3,000-4,000 passengers per day. Mr Vorasit said he would like the airline to consider providing cheaper airfare to attract more tourists to Koh Samui, especially during the off-peak season of October-November and suggested lowering the landing fee at the airport to draw more chartered flights. Mr Vorasit said to facilitate tourists, a cruise pier at Koh Samui is necessary to serve cruise ship travellers, a segment that has potential to increase tourism spending and add to the occupancy rate when they stay overnight. This year 55 cruise ships are expected to visit Koh Samui, averaging 2,500 tourists, with 60% spending their time on the island shopping and sightseeing. Another 62 cruise ships are projected to dock at the island next year, with 48 ships scheduled for 2021.

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British Airways reveals its most popular destinations for holiday travel.

British Airways estimates that during the time, it’ll fly more than one million passengers. And for those who are travelling with the flag carrier, BA has some festive treats in store. On Sunday, the airline revealed that its most popular long-haul destinations this year are Cape Town, Johannesburg and Los Angeles. A little closer to home, Paris is the airline’s most popular short-haul destination, with many travellers opting to spend both Christmas and New Year’s Day in the French capital.On Christmas Day itself, there will be fewer flights in the air than a normal day. BA will operate a reduced scheduled of 210 flights, while New Year’s Eve will see 721 flights take to the skies. On Christmas day itself, BA says that it’ll serve over 100,000 traditional Christmas dinners. That’s 360,000 roast potatoes, 11kgs of turkey and 450,000 brussels sprouts.The airline’s IFE has also been sprinkled with tinsel and festive cheer. Passengers can choose from around 50 hours of festive-themed entertainment, including classics such as “Home Alone”, “Elf” and “The Holiday”.

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