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Thailand Hosts 8,000 pax Incentives Group from India

TAT Governor, Thapanee Kiatphaibool calls Indian incentives tourists highly potential and significant market segment in order to achieve its arrival target of 2 million visitors from India Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) has welcomed a substantial number of Indian tourists, 8000 pax delegation, who arrived today, April 18, 2024, as part of an incentives group organised by Brilvoice International. Commenting on the group, TAT Governor Thapanee Kiatphaibool, said that the Indian incentive tourists are a highly significant potential group that TAT must actively support and promote in order to increase the number of tourists to reach the target of 2 million people by the end of 2024. Thailand is well-prepared with products, services, and facilities to cater to this group of tourists, offering them unique travel experiences. Brilvoice Ltd., a prominent Indian travel management business, is responsible for organising incentivise training programs globally. According to company spokesperson, “Aiming to attract a substantial number of Indian visitors, we have organised a Product Training & Sale Motivational Programme activity in Bangkok from 18-23 April 2024”. This event involved the participation of over 8,000 Indian tourists from 25 different nations. Additionally, certain participants have intentions to explore popular tourist destinations in Thailand. The group was welcomed by TAT Governor along with the Deputy Governor for International Marketing (Asia and South Pacific), Chattan Kunjara Na Ayudhya; Phuriphan Bunnag, the Senior Vice President of The Thailand Convention & Exhibition Bureau (TCEB) and Police Major General Phongsayam Meekhanthong, the Deputy Commissioner of The Tourist Police Bureau, at the state-of-the-art Challenger Building, IMPACT Exhibition and Convention Centre, Muang Thong Thani. In 2023, Thailand received a total of 817,914 international tourists who were visiting for MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions) purposes. Out of this number, the Indian tourists accounted for more than 231,120, which represent almost 28% of the market share. Furthermore, starting with the onset of 2024 up until now, a total of 564,024 Indian visitors have visited Thailand, placing them among the top 5 international tourists to go to the country. Thus, India can be regarded as a significant market that consistently generates huge revenue to Thailand.

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Doha’s Hamad International Airport crowned as the best airport in the world

In a recent research conducted by London-based research firm Skytrax, Hamad International Airport in Doha has been named as the best airport in the world. While Changi Airport held the prestigious crown previously, it has been shifted to the second spot. The 2024 World Airport Awards was held in Germany on April 17. It was held at the Passenger Terminal Expo in Frankfurt. The third spot was taken by South Korea's Incheon International Airport. Changi Airport, however, maintained its supremacy in Asia and earned further acclaim for its immigration services, hailed as the finest globally. Notably, the Crowne Plaza Changi Airport snagged the title of best airport hotel, marking its ninth win in this category. These accolades were the outcome of a comprehensive global survey conducted by Skytrax between August 2023 and February 2024. Travellers provided feedback on various aspects of their airport experience, encompassing check-in procedures, arrivals, transfers, shopping, security, immigration, and departure processes. Hamad International Airport's victory marks its third time clinching the top spot, having previously won in 2021 and 2022. Meanwhile, Changi Airport had secured the title in 2023, marking its 12th win as the world's best airport. Expressing gratitude for the recognition, a spokesperson from Changi Airport Group (CAG) commended Hamad International Airport for its achievement and expressed appreciation for the support received during the challenging period of the COVID-19 pandemic. She said, “Most of all, we thank our passengers and airport partners for their continual support. They remain our key inspiration to create the best travel experiences to all we serve at Changi Airport,” she said. The spokesperson emphasised the important role of passengers and airport partners in inspiring Changi Airport to continually enhance travel experiences for all visitors.

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Thailand’s extended Songkran festival sees millions celebrate

Thailand is in the middle of its Songkran celebrations, marking the country’s traditional New Year, which have millions participating in the world’s biggest water fight. Thai officials and business owners have welcomed the festivities that increase the country's soft power and boost its economy. In many areas of Thailand, including the capital, Bangkok, Songkran public water fights usually last for three days starting on April 13. But this year the festival began a day earlier as Thailand enjoys a long public holiday weekend. In some areas, like the northern city of Chiang Mai, the public water fighting rituals tend to last longer. Millions of domestic tourists and foreign visitors celebrate the occasion, boosting business for Thai companies in the tourism industry. Chan Holland, owner of travel agency Canary Travel Thailand in Bangkok, said she believes this Songkran festival has attracted more visitors. “More people come to Songkran this year; it’s busier for both Thai and [international] tourists” she told VOA. “There are concerts and shows, parades at the royal grounds in front of the Grand Palace. The Thai government is trying to promote the festival more internationally.” May Kung, a part-owner of Ruen Thong restaurant in Bangkok, said bookings have increased. “My restaurant [bookings] are better than last year. About 20% [busier],” she told VOA. Thais enjoy the festivities by visiting temples, cleaning Buddha statues, and engaging in public water fights, which are seen as cleansing rituals. In Bangkok, excited revellers from Thailand and abroad began with the water dousing as early as Thursday. People in the capital wore colorful, flowery shirts, armed themselves with toy water guns and buckets of water, and drenched each other from morning until night. Authorities closed major roads for the crowds, but it was still shoulder-to-shoulder in popular areas like the Silom district, Khao San Road and the Sanam Luang field near the Grand Palace. The Siam Songkran Music Festival is another major event taking place over the weekend. The Thai government says the Songkran celebrations, officially the “Maha Songkran World Water Festival,” will be extended this year. This comes after UNESCO designated Songkran as an Intangible Cultural Heritage in December. “To honor its recent UNESCO designation, the 2024 festival will be celebrated [for up] to three weeks, from April 1 to 21, uniting all 77 provinces in a celebration of unmatched scale,” Nithee Seeprae, the deputy governor for marketing communications at the Tourism Authority of Thailand, told VOA. Confusion from some international visitors has put a damper on the celebrations. Some international visitors thought that public water fights would last for the entire three weeks, prompting the Thai government to respond by saying the celebrations would not all take place simultaneously. But the festival does come at a time when Thailand has fewer concerns than recent years. The Southeast Asian country has been marred by political unrest, military coups and the COVID-19 pandemic in the last decade. “It’s the first year under civilian government and without real fears regarding COVID-19,” Pravit Rojanaphruk, a veteran journalist at Khaosod English newspaper, told VOA. Thailand is now led by Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin after nine years under military governance. Songkran shows Thailand’s soft power, officials say. “The Srettha government is very keen to promote it as a key festival on the global calendar and in this regard, Thailand is succeeding, despite the fact that Songkran is also celebrated in Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and even parts of China,” Pravit added. While the Songkran festival is one of the biggest holidays on the Thai calendar, the nationwide event significantly boosts the economy, which relies heavily on tourism. The industry provides around 20% of jobs in the Southeast Asian country. Thailand saw 28 million tourist arrivals in 2023 with 35 million expected in 2024. “We estimate that there will be over 500,000 international tourists in Bangkok and around for the Maha Songkran World Water Festival 2024 from April 11 to 15, joining locals and domestic travelers at the extravaganza at the heart of this year’s celebration,” Nithee Seeprae said. “For economic benefit, this constitutes 8.76 billion Baht (around $240 million) from international tourism and 15.66 billion Baht (around $428.3 million) from domestic tourism with 510,000 visitor arrivals and 4.29 million domestic trips,” he added. Tourism analyst Gary Bowerman said he believes Thailand’s government will want to maximize Songkran but must be cautious about overdoing the festival in the future. “Essentially, Thailand is seeking to ‘extend the franchise,’ and make Songkran a three-week festival around the country to promote water-themed tourism activities,” he told VOA. “The timing is important, as this is the start of the traditional off-peak season, and the [Tourism Authority of Thailand] doesn’t want the momentum that developed in the first quarter to drop significantly, as it has set itself an ambitious full-year visitor arrivals target. “The risk is that, ultimately, you could dilute the cultural resonance of Songkran, and turn it into a less meaningful event across a longer period. There will be a lot of learnings from this first year of making it an extended festival. Next year will likely see further changes based on the 2024 Songkran experiences for the tourism sector across the country,” he added.

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Vrindavan to soon have a 70-storey skyscraper temple to boost tourism

A towering 70-storey skyscraper temple, known as the Vrindavan Heritage Tower or Vrindavan Chandrodaya Mandir, will soon grace the landscape of Vrindavan, Uttar Pradesh. If reports are to go by, this temple is being built at an estimated cost of $80 million (₹668.64 crore). Referring to this, a prominent ISKCON leader said that it is poised to become a prominent structure showcasing Indian culture on the global stage, and thereby bolstering tourism in India and the local economy. Chanchalapathi Dasa, Vice Chairman and Co-Mentor of the Global Hare Krishna Movement, as well as Senior Vice President of ISKCON Bangalore, stressed the pivotal role of religious infrastructures in boosting India's tourism sector. While talking to the media, he cited what Prime Minister Modi stated earlier to the Indian diaspora to bring foreigners, particularly Americans, to India to experience its spiritual essence. Dasa stressed that alongside modern amenities such as airports, there exists a palpable demand among visitors for spiritual experiences. Thus, the development of spiritual and religious infrastructures of exceptional quality becomes imperative to effectively showcase India's rich heritage to the world. Highlighting the significance of Vrindavan in this endeavour, he added the importance of crafting a world-class infrastructure around the teachings of Krishna. The ISKCON leader expressed optimism regarding India's heritage infrastructure's potential to attract renowned intellectuals and leaders from across the globe, which would lay grounds for profound philosophical discussions and cultural exchanges. Describing the layout of the Vrindavan Heritage Tower, Dasa detailed its octagonal design featuring four main temples along with three additional temples and a memorial dedicated to Srila Prabhupada. Additionally, Dasa disclosed plans for the temple complex to offer comfortable accommodation facilities, catering to the anticipated surge in visitors. Quoting estimates from the Uttar Pradesh government's tourism department, he revealed projections indicating a fivefold increase in visitor numbers to Vrindavan over the next six to ten years, reaching a staggering 100 million. To accommodate this influx, the temple complex is set to feature one of the largest parking facilities, multi-level parking capable of accommodating up to 3,000 cars concurrently. Overall, the Vrindavan Heritage Tower will represent a significant endeavour aimed at not only preserving India's cultural legacy but also providing the required boost to its tourism industry to reach new heights on the global stage.

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Dubai Airports Issues Travel Advisory Amid Heavy Rain

Dubai: Dubai International (DXB) is advising passengers not to come to the airport, unless absolutely necessary due to the unprecedented weather conditions in the country. In a statement, Dubai Airports said that flights continue to be delayed and diverted. Passengers are advised to contact their respective airlines for the latest information on flight status. Dubai Airports assures passengers that they are working hard to recover operations as quickly as possible in very challenging conditions. On the same note, Emirates Airlines has decided to suspend travel procedures for passengers departing from Dubai starting from 8:00 am on Wednesday, April 17th, until midnight on April 18th, due to operational challenges resulting from adverse weather conditions and road conditions. Emirates Airlines added that procedures for passengers arriving in Dubai and transit passengers will continue.

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Over 10 lakh Indians face years of wait time to acquire a US Green Card!

In a recent visa update, it was found that over 10 lakhs Indians are facing longer waiting time than Chinese nationals to get a US green card! The information was shared by US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) data. The long wait is because of a cap on the number of green cards provided to people from a specific nation and a low annual quota. The data also shows that there are several highly skilled professionals from India, including doctors, engineers and scientists, who are facing more-than-expected long wait times, potentially decades! As per reports, nearly 838,784 Indians are in the waitlist. The data shows this backlog has increased significantly in recent years. As per reports shared by Forbes, the National Foundation for American Policy (NFAP) performed a study of the USCIS data as of November 2. It was discovered that more than 1.2 million Indians are currently waiting for green cards in the top three employment-based categories. across the top three employment-based categories. This includes individuals awaiting clearance in the EB-1, EB-2, and EB-3 preferences, with wait times particularly extensive for Indian applicants compared to those from other nations. "The USCIS data from 2020 suggest that the Indian backlog in the EB-2 category rose by more than 240,000 or 40% in approximately three years," according to the report. Reasons for the longer wait time for Indian applicants? The surprising thing is that the wait time for Indians is much longer than for applicants from other nations such as China and the Philippines. It is due to a limit on the number of green cards given to people from each country known as the "per-country limit". Extended wait times for Indians often coincide with the likelihood of having spouses and children, resulting in an underrepresentation of dependents. As per NFAP, nearly 148,000 Chinese professionals along with their dependents are waiting in the employment-based green card backlog, with 83,000 in the second preference and 41,000 in the third preference. As of now, Indians are in the second spot, their application must have been filed before May 15, 2012, to be eligible, according to the State Department!

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