Author: P Krishna Kumar

When Lemon Tree Hotels Limited (LTHL) announced the appointment of Neelendra Singh as MD and CEO last October, it raised a lot of excitement because of his non-hospitality background. One year into his leadership role in LTHL, former Adidas MD Neelendra Singh feels at home and in control as he discusses the proposed strategic demerger, an asset-light growth agenda, deeper domestic expansion and the company’s evolving business models. P Krishna Kumar Neelendra Singh, Managing Director and CEO of Lemon Tree Hotels Limited, completed his first year at the helm of the hospitality company after spending two decades with Adidas, where…

TBM Staff | New Delhi According to the Ministry of Tourism, Government of India, over 200 travel and tourism stakeholders will participate in the 14th annual edition of International Travel Mart (ITM) for the North Eastern Region, which will include over 40 international buyers drawn from 22 countries of the world. The three-day annual event will get underway in Tawang, Arunachal Pradesh, today. As part of the event, Union Tourism Minister, Gajendra Singh Shekhawat will chair a meeting of the tourism ministers of the north eastern region in Tawang. The International Tourism Mart is an annual flagship event of the…

Although grand action plan was designed at the aegis of ICAO as contained in the 2022 Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA) to lead the global aviation industry to Net-zero emissions 2050 targets, as per the latest Sustainability State of the Industry Report released by Centre for Aviation (CAPA) and Envest Global, these plans have failed to convert into tangible collective actions so far. According to the latest report, global aviation carbon emissions have risen by 10% since 2019, and 6.2% in the last two years alone. For the first time, carbon emissions from the aviation industry…

Kerala Tourism is looking to spread the benefits of tourism more evenly across the state by diversifying its destination portfolio beyond the established tourism centres of south and central Kerala. Destination diversification, with a focus on northern Kerala and experience-led travel, is among the key priorities for state tourism, says Sumit Kr Thakur, Additional Director General, Kerala Tourism, and Managing Director, Kerala Tourism Development Corporation (KTDC). Speaking to the media during Kerala Tourism’s annual sales mission in New Delhi, Thakur said the department was working to provide more opportunities for destinations across the state. The initiatives include the proposed “Brand…

Despite an increase in international arrivals over the past decade, India’s share of global tourism remains marginal, its international destination rankings have slipped in key categories, and its visitor profile continues to be dominated by older age groups. India is yet to establish itself as a priority destination for young international travellers. The age profile of foreign tourists visiting the country remains skewed towards middle-aged and senior visitors. According to the latest India Tourism Statistics report released by the Ministry of Tourism, the share of international travellers in the 25–35 age group declined over the past decade, even as overall…

Maliekal Heritance, a beach and backwater resort in Cherai near Kochi, no longer measures its competition against hotels in the destination or even Kochi taking into account its premium setting and exclusive offerings to most discerning guests and event planners. According to Lenin Peter, Founder and Managing Director of Hiero Hospitality, which operates the resort, its competitive set today is the premium resort market in destinations such as Marari and Kumarakom. “When a client goes into the INR 20,000 plus range, we are the only one in Kochi,” says Peter, describing the market position the resort has carved out over…

EVA Air, the national carrier of Taiwan, will be commencing 5-day-week direct service between Taipei and Delhi Taiwanese tourism stakeholders pin high expectations on India inbound as their national carrier, Eva Air, is set to commence direct flight between Taipei and Delhi starting December 1. They hope that Taiwan as a destination would be able to cash in on the only direct connectivity as Indian leisure travellers are looking for newer destinations and experiences. Taiwan is not a destination on the priority list for Indians now, agrees Angus Tsai, Vice President of Inbound division of Top International Travel Services,…

For Jose Dominic, the transformation of Jew Town in Mattancherry is not merely about restoring a few old buildings. It is about bringing back the character of a neighbourhood that was once a vibrant residential hub of the Jewish community and giving it a new life as a distinctive heritage tourism destination. The veteran Kerala hotelier, who built CGH Earth into a globally recognised responsible luxury brand, has restored two historic Jewish residences in Jew Town and converted them into boutique heritage stays. His intervention is now beginning to inspire other property owners in the neighbourhood to look beyond the…

As artificial intelligence moves from being a supporting technology to becoming a core part of the travel journey, tourism enterprises will need to fundamentally rethink their business models, systems and processes to remain relevant, experts said at a panel discussion at Kerala Travel Mart (KTM) 2026. The discussion assumed added significance as UN Tourism brought the AI agenda to the forefront of global tourism as part of the World Tourism Day 2026. Participating in the KTM panel discussion on ‘Application of AI and Disruption by AI in Tourism Industry’, Dr Saji Gopinath, Vice Chancellor of Kerala Digital University, said AI…

Cherai is seeking to carve out a distinct niche in Kerala’s tourism map by positioning itself not merely as a beach destination, but as a convenient base to explore the history, heritage, culture and living traditions of the wider Muziris Heritage. The destination’s collective tourism body, Cherai Beach Hotels and Resorts Development Forum (Cherai Tourism), formed in 2010 as a non-profit organisation, is bringing together hotels, resorts, homestays, local communities and experience providers to promote Cherai as a destination in its own right. According to Founder President Vinoj MV, Cherai’s biggest strength is its unusual combination of sea, lake, rivers,…