‘VINAYAKA BULLETIN’– 24th Addition.

***News dated from 30th APR – 06TH MAY,2023***

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1. Thailand Tourism Fee (TTF) to be postponed from June to Sept 1, 2023

According to the Tourism and Sports Minister, P Ratchakitprakarn, the starting date of the Thailand Tourism Fee (TTF) has been postponed to ensure that the TTF system will operate smoothly, while discussions are continuing with airlines to determine the appropriate collection method, following the rules of IATA. Foreign arrivals by air will be charged 300 baht, while those who do so by land and sea pay 150 baht.

2. Uttar Pradesh to promote palaces and forts as destination wedding sites.

The UP govt has taken the initiative to give a fillip to the state’s economy. The initiative has been taken under the tourism policy- 2022, and the tourism department has identified 100 places in the state, with 10 historical-mythological places, such as Chunar Fort of Mirzapur, Chattar Manzil of Lucknow, Jal Mahal of Barsana of Mathura, and Barua Sagar of Jhansi.

SAUDI LAUNCHES E-VISA SERVICE

3. Saudi scraps visa stickers in passports, launches e-visa service.

Instead of the visa sticker on an individual’s passport, QR codes are now used to read the data. The system has been in placed from May 1 in Saudi Arabia’s missions in the UAE, India, Egypt, Bangladesh, Indonesia, and the Philippines. The move comes as part of efforts to automate consular services.

4. Domestic air travel surpasses pre- COVID average in April: Ministry.

India’s domestic air traffic reached a new height with an all-time high on Sunday when a total of 9,13,336 passengers travelled on 5,947, flights.” India’s domestic air travel has continued to grow robustly and as of February, it was a mere 2.2 per cent shy of reaching pre-pandemic.

5. Visa application volume from Kolkata reaches 85% of pre-pandemic level.

The visa application volume from Kolkata has reached 85% of the pre-pandemic level as travellers from here give vent to revenge travel made easier by re-opening up of borders and easing of COVID restrictions, said Prabuddha Sen, COO South Asia) of VFS Global.

6. Sri Lanka targets two million Indian travellers by end of 2023.

“Sri Lanka is experiencing a significant rise in tourist arrivals, particularly from India, which has now secured the top spot. In the first three months of 2023, we welcomed 46,432 Indian tourists. With an ambitious promotional campaign underway, we are aiming to attract 2 million Indian tourists this year. We expect to generate $3 billion in tourism revenue this year,” said Hon. Harin Fernando, Minister of Tourism.

⚫ DUBAI LAUNCHES ITS LATEST SUMMER CAMPAIGN FOR INDIA MARKET.

⚫ INDIGO ANNOUNCES FLIGHTS TO SINGAPORE AND BANGKOK FROM BHUBANESWAR.

⚫ GO FIRST SUSPENDS FLIGHT BOOKINGS TILL 15 MAY, DGCA ORDERS TIMELY REFUNDS TO PASSENGERS.

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