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Wonderful Indonesia returns to delight Indian travel enthusiasts

The Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy/Tourism and Creative Economy Agency of Indonesia (MoTCE) is set to reengage with India at the Outbound Travel Mart (OTM) from 8-10 February 2024, Held at the Jio World Convention Centre in Mumbai. Located in Hall 2, Booth K100, the pavilion will showcase the iconic Borobudur and Prambanan temples alongside traditional Javanese décor under the “Keep the Wonder” theme, highlighting Indonesia’s dedication to showcasing its 5 Super Priority Destinations. The showcase will include 25 Indonesian travel and hospitality entities, ranging from travel agencies and tour operators to DMCs, hotels, restaurants, and tourist attractions. Notably, Marriott Indonesia and Atlas Beach Club will feature as the official partners of the “Wonderful Indonesia” pavilion. India emerges as a significant market for Indonesian tourism, with 606,439 Indian visitors in 2023, marking a 125.8% increase from the previous year. India is the 6th largest source of foreign tourists to Indonesia and the 2nd largest to Bali in 2023. A key focus for 2024 will be promoting green tourism. To this end, MoTCE is collaborating with the Indonesian creative industry, Dus Duk Duk, to create eco-friendly focal point decorations. These include replicas of the Borobudur temple stupa, Prambanan temple gate, and the Javanese Gunungan, all crafted from 100% recycled cardboard, underscoring Indonesia’s commitment to sustainable tourism practices. Ni Made Ayu Marthini, Deputy Minister for Marketing of the MoTCE, said Indonesia, especially Bali, has become top of mind for Indian tourists for the family, honeymoon, wedding, MICE and luxury segments. So, apart from that, the MoTCE is promoting other wonderful Indonesian destinations to Indian travellers and offering these destinations as filming locations for the Indian film industry. “We know that the Indian film industry is huge, and Indonesia has various destinations with beautiful landscapes and unique cultures that will be very interesting to display for the Indian film audience. We have recently launched a filming location ecosystem platform called the Indonesia Film Facilitation (IFFa) www.iffa.id, as convenient access for international filmmakers to various beautiful film locations in Indonesia. Promoting destinations through film can introduce more Indonesian tourism destinations and encourage more Indian travellers to visit Indonesia.”

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Drones as entertainment: From Disneyland Paris to Guinness World Records, spectacular shows take flight in 2024

While the year 2024 has a number of astronomical events lined up for night viewing, namely the penumbral lunar eclipse in March, total solar eclipse in April, and meteor showers throughout the year, night drone parades and shows are a brand new way to light up the sky. Night time drones are the latest attraction, catching one’s attention in vibrant colours, mesmerising videos, clear sounds and designs. The latest being Disneyland Paris, which has introduced a series of exciting experiences starting January this year. The show is called the Electrical Sky Parade and includes a night time drone parade in the sky with synchronised drones, video projections, lights and fountains across Sleeping Beauty Castle. The sky breaks into a palette of colours with up to 500 drones above the castle. The night viewing is on till September this year. The schedule is available on the official mobile app of Disneyland Paris which has access to the list of shows and parade times with an interactive map. This January, the Australian government hosted a night sky show with drones and night markets at Lake Burley Griffin, Canberra. The event used about 600 drones to show a vast array of Australian experiences and stories across a trilogy of shows. The drone choreography included a soundtrack, ensuring a multi-sensory experience. Busan in South Korea will celebrate the Lunar New Year starting in February as the Year of the Dragon, with a dazzling display of blue dragon made up of thousands of drones in the sky. So will Hanoi in Vietnam, which will use 2,024 drones to welcome the Lunar New Year on the night of February 9. This year, Ras Al Khaimah has set two new Guinness World Records for drone display, that lit up the skies along a 4.5 km stretch of waterfront to make the ‘longest chain of aquatic floating fireworks’ for a grand total of 5.8 km and the ‘longest straight-line drones display’ for a total length of 2 km. The show featured groundbreaking techniques that have never been attempted before using a combination of 1,050 LED drones, a ‘carpet’ of aquatic floating fireworks and acrobatic pyro planes display inspired by Ras Al Khaimah’s natural wonders — the desert, the sea and the mountains — all choreographed to music especially composed for the celebration. The night viewing phenomena is not new, and has been ruling the skies in the past. Last year, at the Mid-Autumn Festival in September, Chengdu City, southwest China’s Sichuan Province, saw a mesmerising poetry-themed light and drone show. In India, the spectators at the Narendra Modi Stadium last year witnessed a mesmerising drone show ahead of the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023 final between India and Australia. The drones opened up in a sphere-like formation lighting up the night sky in blue colours. French start-up Dronisos has created a spectacular drone show at the Odisha Hockey World Cup opening ceremony in 2019, besides the Hamdan Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum International Photography Awards (HIPA) Award Ceremony in Dubai. The startup is said to have delivered a total of 10,000 drone shows around the world so far with a specialisation in indoor and outdoor drone shows and has connections with several French and American attractions and theme parks. Dubai too concluded its 500-drones display as part of the Dubai Shopping Festival.

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New York City expects to welcome 3,83,000 Travellers from India in 2024

New York City anticipates a 14 per cent increase in Indian visitors this year, reaching approximately 3,83,000 travelers, as it celebrates a 93 per cent recovery from its 2019 record visitation levels. The City saw an influx of 3,36,000 Indian travelers in 2023, according to a statement from New York City Tourism + Conventions. In 2023, New York City achieved an overall recovery of 93 per cent, welcoming a total of 61.8 million travelers, positioning it on track to host 64.5 million visitors this year, aligning with its pre-pandemic visitation levels. Highlighting the importance of the Indian market, Makiko Matsuda Healy, Senior Vice President of Tourism Market Development for New York City Tourism + Conventions, expressed her pleasure in returning to for their annual sales mission. "We were pleased to be back in India, a rapidly growing feeder market for New York City tourism, for our annual sales mission," she said. Matsuda Healy emphasized their commitment to engaging the Indian travel trade effectively through initiatives like the Travel Trade Academy program, which now includes Hindi subtitles. This addition aims to empower the trade to adeptly respond to evolving consumer demands. The recent visit to India by the New York City delegation, in collaboration with Turkish Airlines, was part of their annual sales mission conducted from January 29 to February 3 in Mumbai, Ahmedabad, and Delhi. The mission focused on strengthening ties with the Indian travel industry and positioning New York City as a premier travel destination. In 2023, the United States processed 1.4 million Indian visas, a record number that resulted in a 75% reduction in visitor visa appointment wait times. With demand soaring across all visa categories and an astounding 60% increase over the previous year, Indians now make up one tenth of all foreign applications for US visas. "In 2023, the US Embassy and Consulates in India processed a record-smashing 1.4 million US visas. Demand across all visa classes was unprecedented, with a 60 per cent increase in applications compared to 2022. Indians now represent one out of every ten US visa applicants around the world," the US Embassy and Consulates in India said last month.

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Indian Carriers Inducted 112 Aircraft in 2023: India Report

The aggressive increase in the fleet size of airlines is accompanied by rapid expansion of operations. The Indian travel industry is rapidly growing, driven by the middle class. Indian airlines inducted 112 aircraft in 2023, according to the Union Ministry of Civil Aviation. The ministry added that with this, the total number of aircraft in the fleets of scheduled airline operators stood at 771 as on December 31, 2023. Budget airline Indigo, which has the largest market share in the country, operates the biggest fleet with 342 aircraft as of 2023. This is followed by full-service carrier Air India with 124 aircraft, and Tata’s Vistara with 66 aircraft. And then there are the airline orders. Air India, which rebranded itself last year post its acquisition by the Tata Group, placed an order for 470 aircraft in 2023. Indigo ordered 500 A320 aircraft last year. India’s newest airline Akasa Air also placed an order of 150 B737-8s this year as part of its expansion plans. Expansion of Operations: The aggressive increase in the fleet size of airlines is accompanied by rapid expansion of operations. The Indian travel industry is growing rapidly, driven by the middle class, which is young, has funds to travel, and is willing to spend it instead of just saving it. Furthermore, hybrid and remote working trends allow this population to avoid migrating to metros. Airlines are not only rushing to connect to more tourist destinations, but are also expanding their operations to smaller towns, which are now home to the earning youth that is willing to spend for travel. Increasing Number of Women Pilots: While the airlines are undertaking rapid expansion driven by the travel boom in India, the country has also noticed a significant uptick in the enrollment of female pilots. The Ministry of Civil Aviation reported that there was a 22% increase in the number of commercial licenses issued to women pilots in 2023. Currently, women pilots account for about 14% of the total flight crew strength employed by various scheduled and non-scheduled operators.

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Sri Lanka witnesses an influx of Indian tourists post India-Maldives’ diplomatic row

In January 2024, a diplomatic dispute between India and the Maldives led to Indian tourists shifting their travel preferences towards Sri Lanka, resulting in Sri Lanka surpassing the Maldives in tourist arrivals for the month. The rift stemmed from critical remarks made by Maldivian ministers against Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and India, prompting Indian tourists to initiate a ‘boycott Maldives’ movement. As a consequence, Sri Lanka experienced a significant surge in tourist arrivals, with Indian visitors leading the influx. The spike in Indian tourists visiting Sri Lanka was cited as a primary factor contributing to the surge in tourist arrivals, with the number of Indian visitors more than doubling from 13,759 in January of the previous year to 34,399 in January 2024. In contrast, the Maldives witnessed a decline in Indian tourists, with their numbers dropping from 17,029 to 15,006 during the same period. Indian tourists are flocking to Sri Lanka for several reasons. Firstly, a diplomatic dispute between India and the Maldives prompted Indian travelers to seek alternative destinations, leading to a shift in preferences towards Sri Lanka. Additionally, Sri Lanka offers a diverse range of attractions, including stunning beaches, rich cultural heritage, and scenic landscapes, making it an appealing destination for Indian tourists seeking leisure and exploration. Also, Sri Lanka's proximity to India and the ease of travel, coupled with improved connectivity through direct flights, have facilitated increased tourist arrivals from India. Sri Lanka's hospitality sector has also been actively promoting the country as a tourist-friendly destination, offering various packages and experiences tailored to Indian visitors' preferences, such as culinary tours, wellness retreats, and cultural festivals. India emerged as the leading source of tourists for Sri Lanka in January, while its position in the Maldives shifted from being the top tourist group to the fifth position. The top source countries for tourists visiting the Maldives in January were Russia, Italy, China, and the UK, with India slipping to the fifth position. Over the past three years, Indian tourist arrivals in the Maldives had consistently surpassed 2 lakh annually post-Covid but experienced a decline in recent weeks, with only 13,989 Indian tourists recorded in January 2024.

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Indians can now travel to Iran for 15 days without visa

The Iranian government has abolished visas for Indian citizens from February 4 subject to four conditions Iran approved the new visa-waiver programme for 33 countries, including India, Russia, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Indonesia, Japan, Singapore, Malaysia, Brazil and Mexico, in December. Iranian culture minister Ezzatollah Zarghami had said the move is aimed at boosting tourism and neutralising “Iranophobia campaigns”. Discover the thrill of cricket like never before, exclusively on HT The 4 conditions set by Iran are: The Iranian government has abolished visas for Indian citizens from February 4 subject to four conditions, the Iranian embassy said in a statement. According to the new conditions, Indians with ordinary passports will be allowed to enter Iran without a visa once every six months, with a maximum stay of 15 days that cannot be extended. The visa abolition specifically applies to Indian nationals who enter Iran by air. It also applies only to Indians going to Iran for tourism. Indian nationals wishing to stay for a longer period or make multiple entries within a six-month period or requiring other types of visas must obtain necessary visas from Iranian missions in India, the statement said. According to the World Tourism Organization, Iran’s foreign tourist arrivals during 2022 rose 315% from a year earlier. Data showed some 4.1 million tourists came to Iran in 2022, up from 990,000 in 2021. Moslem Shojai, who heads the Iranian tourism ministry’s foreign tourism marketing and development office, said in December that there had been a “notable growth” in travellers from India in 2023. A total of 31,000 Indians visited Iran in the first six months of 2023, marking 25% growth compared to the same period in 2022. Most foreign travellers visit Iran for tourism, trade, medical treatment, and pilgrimage, Shojai said.

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