TUESDAY


DAY TWO WTM LONDON 2016


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In the last 18 months, India’s


government has invested more than U$400 million in developing tourism infrastructure around the country. The minister said the government is expanding its e-Visa scheme to make it easier for overseas visitors to travel to India, and is tackling issues of safety and cleanliness. A new free 24/7 helpline has been established for visitors to call for answers to travel queries in one of 12 languages, and themed tourism circuits are being developed across the country to encourage special interest travel.


The minister also launched a website for a new Incredible India Global Tourism Mart in New Delhi next February. India expects foreign tourist arrivals to rise 10% year-on-year in 2016, taking visitor numbers to a projected nine million. There were 870,000 UK visitors to


India last year and the UK market is seeing strong growth – numbers over the past three years have risen by almost 100,000. New flight routes from Manchester and increased airlift from Birmingham will enable more UK travellers to reach India in 2016 and 2017.


AVIATION FOCUS ON BREXIT Brexit was a common theme across the seminar programme, as the UK and global travel industry awaits the actual terms of the UK withdrawal from the EU. Aviation expert John Strickland told the Forecast Forum about a possible issue arising in terms of flying rights if the UK is not part of the EU Open Skies agreement – UK airline easyJet is allowed to fly within France and Spain while Ryanair can operate in the UK with an Irish airline operators certificate as a result of the EU Open Skies agreement.


PORTILLO SUPPORTS EGYPT UK broadcast journalist and former member of parliament Michael Portillo urged the UK government to reassess its travel warnings on Egypt and take a measured and balanced approach. Speaking at a press conference, Mr Portillo noted that the these warnings have had an adverse effect on both Egypt’s tourism and the British traveller.


Mr Portillo, now perhaps best known for his railway travel documentaries on the BBC, was joined by Tourism Minister Yehia Rashed who stated that Egypt’s airports are certified as having met international standards of security, according to an e-mailed ministry statement. Egypt’s ambassador in London noted that the agreement with Thomas Cook to resume flights to Sharm El Sheikh continue to be contingent on UK authorities lifting the warnings.


WTM Review 2016 37


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