Archive January 2018

According to the reports, the government introduces 325 more routes to airlines as well as helicopter operators under its regional connectivity scheme (RCS) to enhance flight services to hilly and remote areas, including Kargil.  

Ministry of Civil Aviation, 56 new airports and helipads are being connected to 36 existing aerodromes. The routes have been awarded to 15 airlines and helicopter operators after the bidding process for the second round of RCS, also known as UDAN (Ude Desh Ka Aam Nagrik), which aims to connect tier-2 and tier-3 cities and take flying to the masses. Among the major domestic carriers, out of total IndiGo has bagged 20 proposals, SpiceJet got 17 while Jet Airways won four.

"In the second round, we have given RCS routes to helicopter operators also. In all, we got 141 proposals for 502 routes (for both planes and choppers). Letters of award have been given to 90 proposals for 325 routes. Out of these, 129 routes are in a newly created category of 'priority areas' that include Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal, Uttarakhand, North East, Andaman and Nicobar Islands and Lakshadweep Islands," R N Choubey, Secretary, Civil Aviation said.

As per the scheme, RCS flights' fares are capped at Rs 2,500 per hour of flight for fixed-wing aircraft and for 30 minutes on a helicopter. This clearly give aviation industry a great height.

source: Travelbizmonitor 

Government's Digital India initiative, Minister of State for Tourism and Minister of State for Electronics and Information Technology, K.J Alphons launched the Incredible India digital calendar in New Delhi on Wednesday.

Along with the digital Calendar, he also launched the Incredible India wall and desk calendar for 2018. The calendar has an application that enables users to know about the events and festivals happening in India on the go. The digital calendar App can be downloaded on Android and iOS platforms.

It contains all the information about the festivals and events happening in the country and will also allow the user to plan their personal events accordingly. It helps the user by notifying the upcoming festivals and events, allow set up of customize reminders for individual events, share the events with friends and contacts, etc.

The calendar contains all exclusive features making it a perfect travel planner on to go. The calendar is designed in such a way that, each day the user will get a different experience, stunning images of different tourist destination from all across India. which can be shared on various social media platforms also. Incredible India Desk calendar 2018 profiles has 12 different kinds of travelers that suggests the great destinations for them.

The theme of the Desk Calendar is designed as "India for Everyone" showcasing India's incredible destinations for travelers.

In 25th GST council meeting FAITH had made 9 major demands to the GST council in meeting with the ministry of finance. On 17th January 2018.

FAITH  statement says-
“To push through the remaining recommendations, FAITH and its member associations will keep on engaging with the central and state policy-makers to hone in the realization that a strategic GST regime is very critical for competitiveness of our tourism & hospitality industry and consequently for higher employment in India,”

FAITH pay gratitude to honorable Finance Minister Arun Jaitley and pay special attention to the two main bottleneck points in the GST council meeting -

1. Tour operator to tour operator GST to be made available as it was earlier in the service tax regime.This will prevent the tax on tax in the tourism distribution value chain.

2. Administrations like elephant rides, camel safaris, event congregations and such others are at 0% rating. Elephant rides, camel rides, Amusement parks, joy rides have been brought down to 18% from 28%.  

Complete Highlights of the Meeting are-

• IGST be made accessible for ardent properties for tourism convenience such as for hotels, cruises, campgrounds and for eateries (restaurant).
• Trade profit in tourism benefits as fares and give a zero rating or an extraordinary rating of 5%.
•  Exchange esteem and not Declared Tariff ought to be the reason for rate arrangement of lodgings.
•  Hotels above 7500 charge 28% GST,  will be rationalized.
•  An option to discharge under presumptive model may be extended to travel agents, tour operators who are booking hotel accommodation/ any other tourism products/ tour packages (1.8% for B2C & 0.9% for B2B)
•  Tour operator to tour operator GST to be made available as it was earlier in the service tax regime.
•  Travel and Tours administrations outbound from India ought not draw in GST as they are in the nontaxable domain.
•  Administrations like elephant rides, camel safaris, event congregations and such others be at 0% rating.
•  Special arrangement and administrations account code of experience for visit administrators.