Tourise initiative launches AI project with focus on tourism safety

January 6, 2026

The Tourise Destination Initiative (TDI), a global effort by governments, international organisations, academia and the private sector to transform tourism destinations into living laboratories for innovation, has launched its first project, AI for Tourism Safety.

The scheme aims to provide practical guidance for TDI member destinations to leverage AI for the greater protection of their visitors and residents. It builds on insights from Surveillance or Safety? How Cities are Rewriting Tourism, a white paper by the University of Pennsylvania’s Penn Institute for Urban Research.

Ahmed speaking on the role of AI in strengthening safety and governance in urban tourism destinations; photo by Tourise

Authored by Mauricio Rodas, visiting scholar at the institute and former mayor of Quito, Ecuador, the research explores the ethical and operational challenges of AI in urban tourism. Only two per cent of cities worldwide are deploying AI for safety, “mainly due to a lack of policy and regulatory frameworks”, said Rodas, adding that the project can “close that gap by offering practical guidance for cities to protect everyone who calls a destination home, whether permanently or temporarily”.

“Urban destinations are the heartbeat of the global tourism industry, and it is imperative that no city, anywhere in the world, ever feels unsafe for its visitors or residents,” said Ahmed Al-Khateeb, Saudi Arabia’s minister of tourism and chairman of Tourise.

“We are calling on cities to lead with integrity. Safety innovations must be anchored in responsible governance. By applying technology with foresight, we protect travellers and reinforce the trust that defines the future of tourism.”

Founding members of TDI include representatives of UN Tourism, Singapore Tourism Board, the Tourism Ministries of the Maldives, Ecuador and South Africa, and the cities of Venice (Italy), Paris (France), Miami (the US) and Chefchaouen (Morocco).

Hong Kong welcomes new tourism lawmaker

By TTG India

January 5, 2026

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Vivian Kong Man-wai has been elected to represent the tourism functional constituency in Hong Kong’s Legislative Council following the 2025 Legislative Council General Election held on December 7, 2025.

Kong succeeds Perry Yiu, who held the tourism seat for the past four years. She secured 131 votes, defeating her sole opponent Ma Yat Chiu, who received 23 votes. Kong was the youngest lawmaker elected in the election.

Since August 2024, Kong has worked as assistant external affairs manager at the Hong Kong Jockey Club, where her responsibilities include promoting horse-racing tourism. On December 29, 2025, the government appointed her as a member of the Tourism Strategy Committee for a term running from January 1, 2026 to December 31, 2027.

Power of analytics

By Caroline Boey

January 5, 2026

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The Singapore Tourism Board (STB) has been helping tourism businesses plan strategically, make informed decisions, and build capability by harnessing data-driven insights since 2018 with the Singapore Tourism Analytics Network (STAN).

By analysing consumer behaviour, market dynamics and product performance, STAN plays a critical role in providing deeper understanding of visitor segments for stakeholders in supporting STB’s Tourism 2040 growth ambitions, according to Industry Technology Transformation, director, Chew Chien Way.

Chew continued: “For our next round of digital transformation, we envision building a collaborative data ecosystem where industry partners and STB can share data.”

This, she elaborated, will enable the industry to identify potential opportunities; make strategic adjustments when there is a need to pivot from existing segments; and measure product affinity to target segments, in terms of how destination offerings can drive purpose of visits and extend visitors’ length of stay.

“For the immediate next five years, we have identified three emerging technologies to monitor. GenAI for improving productivity and enabling more personalised experiences; XR (Extended Realities) for immersive attractions; and robotics for alleviating manpower constraints.”

The emerging technologies, she explained, will be explored through enterprise-level pilots, and STB is keen to have more industry partners come onboard to trial and adopt the proven solutions.

Since 2020, Mandai Wildlife Group has been using STAN. Its assistant vice president, digital & data, Srihari Puthanveettil, shared: “By combining STAN’s inbound tourism trends with our own ticketing and in-park transactional (F&B and retail) data, we have gained a clearer understanding of how visitors from different markets engage with our precinct.”

Data is also used to identify high-value market segments and estimate potential revenue from both ticket sales and in-park spending and to direct marketing efforts to attract them.

STAN’s overnight visitor numbers, Puthanveettil shared, serve as a reliable anchor point, to combine with other forward-looking indicators like inbound airline bookings and flight capacity to anticipate shifts in demand, to fine-tune the group’s strategy and stay ahead of trends.

To further enhance STAN’s impact, he suggested more frequent updates – such as weekly tourist arrival numbers and more regular market forecasts.

Shengwen Chua, hotel manager, Four Seasons Hotel Singapore, which started accessing STAN in 2021, noted the year-on-year data trends, post-pandemic, were instrumental in providing more insight on how each market recovered at different speeds.

Tracking the monthly tourist arrival statistics, and source markets bringing in the largest volume of tourists, were “useful to compare against our own internal statistics to understand if we are getting our fair share of the market”, he noted.

The hotel was able to channel sales and marketing efforts to target specific countries with the highest demand, utilising its own lead time data to target a specific segment prior to their peak travel months.

Chua added: “Using STAN has helped our bottom line as we were able to identify potential opportunities… from identifying specific geographic sources where the hotel was not seeing a similar year-on-year increase in bookings in comparison to the STAN data, which in turn allowed us to achieve the targets we had set for ourselves.”

Millennium Hotels & Resorts, IHCL link loyalty programmes

By TTG India

January 2, 2026

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Millennium Hotels & Resorts (MHR) has entered a loyalty partnership with Indian Hotels Company (IHCL) as it marks 30 years of operations, linking its MyMillennium programme with IHCL’s Taj InnerCircle of NeuPass to allow members of both schemes to access benefits across each other’s hotel portfolios.

Millennium Hotels & Resorts, headquartered in Singapore, operates hotels across Asia-Pacific, Europe, the UK, the US and the Middle East. The company said the partnership forms part of its efforts to expand its international network and strengthen its loyalty programme through alliances with other hotel groups.

From left: MHR’s Saurabh Prakash and Kwek Leng Beng, IHCL’s Puneet Chhatwal, and MHR’s Kwek Eik Sheng

Under the agreement, Taj InnerCircle of NeuPass members will receive a 10 per cent discount on the Best Flexible Rate at participating Millennium Hotels & Resorts properties worldwide. MyMillennium members will receive a reciprocal 10 per cent discount on stays at participating Taj hotels globally.

MyMillennium covers more than 145 hotels across Asia-Pacific, Europe, the US and the Middle East. The programme offers benefits for hotel stays and dining across Millennium’s brands.

Indian Hotels Company operates the Taj portfolio, with hotels in India and other markets. Through the partnership, members of both loyalty programmes will be able to book stays across a combined international portfolio, including city hotels and resorts.

MHR said the partnership also supports its expansion in India and other markets where both groups operate. The collaboration coincides with the group’s 30th anniversary.

Puneet Chhatwal, managing director & CEO, IHCL, said: “IHCL’s iconic brand Taj joining hands with Millennium Hotels & Resorts unlocks meaningful synergies within a global loyalty network. Through this collaboration, the integration of MyMillennium with Taj InnerCircle enhances the member experience by extending seamless, reciprocal benefits across both portfolios. Our focus remains on shaping the future of travel through strategic alliances such as this, delivering enduring value for our guests and partners alike.”

Kwek Leng Beng, executive chairman, MHR, added: “Partnering with an iconic brand such as Taj reflects our Blue Ocean mindset, pursuing growth beyond traditional boundaries. As we mark 30 years of Millennium Hotels & Resorts, this strategic collaboration strengthens our presence in India and key global markets, bringing together Taj’s legendary Indian hospitality with Millennium’s international reach.”

Chris Long helms as GM for Outrigger Phi Phi Island Resort

By TTG India

January 2, 2026

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Outrigger Hospitality Group has appointed Chris Long as general manager of the forthcoming Outrigger Phi Phi Island Resort, scheduled to open in February 2026.

Long took up the role in April 2025, following nearly a decade with Outrigger in senior culinary and operational positions. His most recent experience includes leadership roles across the Maldives and South-east Asia, where he specialised in remote island operations and integrated guest services.

This marks his first general manager posting, guiding the development and pre‑opening of the 63‑key resort on Laem Tong Beach, Phi Phi Don.

Madhya Pradesh: Shifting tides

By Rohit Kaul

December 23, 2025

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shutterstock_2225132899_640 — A tigress named Baras walking on a forest track with tourist vehicles behind it inside Pench National Park during a wildlife safari

The central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh offers a diverse range of tourism products, from wildlife experiences to rich heritage sites. While the state continues to attract strong domestic tourist arrivals, inbound visitor numbers remain comparatively modest.

According to statistics released by India’s Ministry of Tourism, Madhya Pradesh received 133.176 million domestic tourists in 2024, in contrast, the state welcomed 0.168 million international tourists in the same year.

Wildlife tourism is one of Madhya Pradesh’s top tourism advantage; Pench National Park pictured

The Madhya Pradesh government is now focusing on developing niche tourism segments, such as rural and textile tourism to broaden its appeal. Earlier this year, Madhya Pradesh implemented its Tourism Policy 2025 with the aim of positioning the state as one of the most preferred tourist destinations in the country. With this approach, it can better attract private investment in tourism.

Sandeep Arora, director at Brightsun Travel, said Madhya Pradesh’s strong tourism demand is a result of varied tourism assets.

“The state has tourism assets across wildlife (Kanha, Bandhavgarh and Pench), heritage (Khajuraho, Mandu, Gwalior and Orchha), and spiritual (Ujjain and Omkareshwar),” Arora said.

In fact, spiritual tourism has been a major crowd puller in Madhya Pradesh, with six of the top 10 tourist destinations in the state being religious places.

“In spiritual tourism, Ujjain topped the list with 73.2 million arrivals in 2024, a increase of 39 per cent compared to the previous year. Destinations like Khajuraho, Gwalior, Bhopal, Bandhavgarh, Kanha, Panna, Indore, Pench, and Orchha are top attractions for international visitors,” shared Sheo Shekhar Shukla, additional chief secretary, (tourism & culture), government of Madhya Pradesh.

Arora agrees that spiritual tourism has been Madhya Pradesh’s biggest advantage in 2025.

“This growth has been further amplified by improved road connectivity, which has made Madhya Pradesh far more accessible for short, road-based trips. While Delhi NCR continues to be an important feeder market, there is a noticeable rise in visitors from Gujarat and other western regions, with many travellers opting for two-to-four-day spiritual circuits, such as Ujjain-Omkareshwar-Indore,” he observed.

Abhishek Bhattacharya, head of sales with accommodation chain WelcomHeritage, stated that domestic travellers have fed his business.

“We have two properties in Madhya Pradesh – WelcomHeritage Golf View, Pachmarhi and WelcomHeritage Jungle Home, Pench – for which demand is mainly fuelled by the domestic markets,” he told TTG India.

Demand from international segments has remained the same as 2024, with Indonesia being a major source market for WelcomHeritage.

While Madhya Pradesh continues to attract interest primarily from the US and the UK, especially for its wildlife and heritage circuits, international longhaul leisure enquiries in 2025 have been softer than expected, revealed Arora.

Shukla: Madhya Pradesh Film Tourism Policy 2025 has made the state more welcoming for film producers

To boost Madhya Pradesh’s international arrivals, the state government hosted the 39th annual convention of the Indian Association of Tour Operators (IATO) in 2024 and organised the Madhya Pradesh Travel Mart in October 2025 – both in the capital city of Bhopal. The latter attracted over 700 participants, including 100 international tour operators from 27 countries, who engaged in structured B2B meetings. A fam trip that followed brought overseas tour operators through Madhya Pradesh’s diverse tourism offerings and experiences.

Bhattacharya said: “The Madhya Pradesh Tourism Board has been aggressively promoting the state in international markets with both B2C and B2B activities. Madhya Pradesh has also become popular for film shoots, which have helped to attract tourists.”

Indeed, Madhya Pradesh has been the location for popular Indian films, such as Stree, Laapataa Ladies, and Homebound. The latter was selected as the Indian entry for the Best International Feature Film at the 98th Academy Awards, helping to spotlight the state’s diverse landscapes and cinematic appeal.

To further leverage the power of film tourism, Madhya Pradesh Film Tourism Policy 2025 was introduced with a validity of five years. Under this policy, a dedicated Film Facilitation Cell (FFC) has been constituted within the Madhya Pradesh Tourism Board, serving as the nodal agency for all film-related matters in the state.

“The state government’s support and attractive incentives have encouraged filmmakers to consider Madhya Pradesh for their projects,” said Shukla.

Further, under its rural tourism initiative, the state government aims to develop 1,000 homestays across Madhya Pradesh. More than 300 such facilities are now operational.

As part of its textile tourism focus, the state has identified villages such as Bherugarh, Maheshwar and Unchehara to highlight traditional weaving practices and offer visitors meaningful interactions with skilled local artisans.

Intrepid Travel: Adventure with purpose

By Rohit Kaul

December 23, 2025

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What are your top priorities as for the next 12 months?
My top priorities are threefold. First, to reset and reposition India as one of Intrepid’s top-selling destinations in Asia, ensuring product relevance, operational excellence and strong supplier partnerships. Second, to successfully establish and launch our new DMC in Uzbekistan by March 2026, in response to strong demand in Central Asia while embedding Intrepid’s values from day one. Third, to grow China, Nepal and Uzbekistan in a balanced and sustainable way, aligned with Intrepid’s 2030 ambition of building a billion-dollar business while ensuring our people and local communities grow with us.

Equally important is investing in our teams: building leadership capability, strengthening succession planning, and creating a culture where our people feel empowered, supported and connected to Intrepid’s purpose.

How do you view the potential of South Asian destinations for Intrepid?
South Asia represents one of Intrepid’s strongest long-term growth opportunities. Markets like India, Nepal and Sri Lanka offer unmatched cultural depth, natural diversity, and community-based experiences that align perfectly with Intrepid’s style of travel.

India alone is already welcoming close to 12,000 passengers annually and with the right product reset and storytelling, I see significant headroom for growth.

Nepal continues to be a global leader for adventure travel, while emerging destinations like Uzbekistan are seeing rapid interest from travellers looking for new, less-explored regions.

When combined with the fast-growing South-east Asia destinations, where Vietnam alone carries close to 18,000 passengers a year, the region is central to Intrepid’s future growth story.

What traveller trends are shaping demand for adventure and experiential travel in South Asia?
Traveller’s today are increasingly seeking meaningful, immersive and responsible experiences. In South Asia, we are seeing strong demand for slower travel, deeper cultural engagement, community interaction, and nature-based experiences.

There is also growing interest in wellness, spirituality, food-led journeys and soft adventure, alongside a preference for smaller groups and authentic local connections.

How is your company adapting product offerings to match the evolving expectations of inbound travellers keen on India?
We are actively refreshing our itineraries to move beyond the traditional Golden Triangle, focusing on regional depth, lesser-visited destinations, and experiences that connect travellers with local communities. This includes stronger integration of homestays, social enterprises, local guides, and food-based experiences.

We are also improving the accommodation mix and embedding sustainability and responsible travel principles more deeply into our products. The goal is to ensure India feels both accessible and transformative, especially for repeat travellers and those seeking something beyond the highlights.

What new experiences or itineraries has Intrepid launched that you are particularly excited about?
I am particularly excited about our expansion into Central Asia with Uzbekistan playing a key role. The region offers incredible Silk Road history, culture and architecture. Launching our own DMC there allows us to deliver experiences with the quality, consistency, and values Intrepid is known for.

In South Asia, we are also exploring new regional journeys in India, premium trekking and community-led experiences in Nepal, and curated cultural and experiential products that appeal to both first-time and returning travellers.

Are there any strategic partnerships in India or other Asian destinations that are helping Intrepid scale faster?
Yes, strategic partnerships are critical to our success. Across India, Nepal, China and South-east Asia, we work closely with local suppliers, community organisations, social enterprises, and tourism bodies to scale responsibly.

These partnerships help us innovate faster, improve quality, and ensure that economic benefits flow directly to local communities. As we open our Uzbekistan DMC, building strong, values-aligned local partnerships will be a key focus from the outset.

Do you see AI or digital tools influencing the future of adventure travel?
Absolutely. AI and digital tools will increasingly support better demand forecasting, smarter pricing, operational efficiency, and more personalised traveller experiences. However, in adventure travel, technology should enhance and not replace the human connection.

At Intrepid, our focus is on using digital tools to empower our teams, improve decision-making and create smoother experiences for travellers, while ensuring the heart of our trips remains local people, authentic stories and real-world connections.

Any other future plans?
Looking ahead, my focus is on building resilient, future-ready DMCs across South and Central Asia, fully aligned with Intrepid’s 2030 strategy. This means scaling responsibly, strengthening leadership pipelines, and continuing to prove that it is possible to grow towards a billion-dollar business while staying true to our values.

Ultimately, success for me is not just measured in passenger numbers or revenue, but in how well we support our people, uplift communities and leave a positive legacy in every destination we operate in.

Wharf Hotels appoints group director of global sales

By TTG India

December 17, 2025

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Wharf Hotels has appointed Crystal Chan Busch as group director, global sales.

In her new role, Chan Busch will oversee global sales strategy and operations across the group’s key markets, including Asia-Pacific, the Americas and Europe.

She most recently served as multi-property executive director of sales at Sands Resorts Macao, where she led sales for three integrated resort brands encompassing nine hotels and more than 10,000 rooms.

Siyam World elevates operations leadership team

By TTG India

December 17, 2025

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Siyam World Maldives has appointed Alee Siyam as director of operations and promoted Giselle Encinareal to executive assistant manager.

Siyam, who joined Sun Siyam Resorts in 2016, was previously executive assistant manager. He was part of Siyam World’s pre-opening team and has held several operational roles at the resort. As director of operations, he is responsible for overseeing the resort’s day-to-day operations and service delivery.

From left: Alee Siyam and Giselle Encinareal

Encinareal most recently served as director of talent and culture at Siyam World, a role she has held since rejoining Sun Siyam Resorts in 2022. With more than 20 years of experience across luxury resorts in the Maldives, she now oversees back-of-house functions including talent and culture, learning and development, and quality assurance.

Sri Lanka to expand visa-free access to 40 markets from January 2026

By Feizal Samath

December 16, 2025

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Sri Lanka will allow visa-free entry to nationals of 40 countries from next month, a move intended to stimulate travel demand to the destination.

Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau chairman Buddika Hewawasam told TTG Asia that parliamentary approval was expected “any moment now” and that the plan would take effect from January onwards.

Unawatuna on Sri Lanka’s southern coast, a region known for its resort towns and a major driver of international leisure arrivals

The countries included are the UK, Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, Spain, Australia, Poland, Kazakhstan, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Nepal, China, India, Indonesia, Russia, Thailand, Malaysia, Japan, France, the US, Canada, the Czech Republic, Italy, Switzerland, Austria, Israel, Belarus, Iran, Sweden, Finland, Denmark, South Korea, Qatar, Oman, Bahrain, New Zealand, Kuwait, Norway, Türkiye and Pakistan.

Nationals from India, China, Russia, Japan, Malaysia, Thailand and Indonesia are already eligible for visa-free entry under an existing arrangement.

The free-visa scheme was first announced in July 2025, with cabinet approval granted at the time. It followed an earlier announcement in August 2024 to allow visa-free travel for nationals of 35 countries, which was not implemented.

The industry has welcomed the move, particularly following the impact of Cyclone Ditwah on November 27-28. “This will boost tourism,” a hotel manager in the southern port city of Galle said.

Hewawasam said tourism activity was returning to normal after the cyclone temporarily affected access to hill destinations including Nuwara Eliya and Kandy. “These roads are now open,” he said, adding that other popular resorts were not affected. He said arrivals were expected to pick up after December 16-17, as this is when travellers from the UK, France and other parts of Europe typically take their holidays.

Authorities are targeting between 2.1 and 2.2 million visitor arrivals this year, slightly below the initial target of 2.3 million. The shortfall has been attributed to cancellations and postponed travel plans following flooding and the cyclone.

Tourise initiative launches AI project with focus on tourism safety

Hong Kong welcomes new tourism lawmaker

Power of analytics

Millennium Hotels & Resorts, IHCL link loyalty programmes

Chris Long helms as GM for Outrigger Phi Phi Island Resort

Madhya Pradesh: Shifting tides

Intrepid Travel: Adventure with purpose

Wharf Hotels appoints group director of global sales

Siyam World elevates operations leadership team

Sri Lanka to expand visa-free access to 40 markets from January 2026

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