Ruhani Duggal, Founder & Lead Curator, Vilasa Luxury Travel, speaking at the TravTalk ThinkTank in New Delhi recently, said, “We have to understand that a country’s product offerings and perception go hand-in-hand. Once travel designers abroad start seeing nex-gen products come out of India, the perception also changes. Marketing alone is not enough to shift perception.”

Oman Convention Bureau is positioning the Sultanate as India’s most convenient short-haul MICE destination in 2025. “India’s corporates increasingly prefer short flights for incentives and conferences — Oman offers easy access with just 2–3 hours of travel,” said Khalid Al Zadjali, Director, Oman Convention Bureau. With direct flights from 11 Indian cities, Oman combines proximity, premium infrastructure, and cultural appeal for quick-turnaround MICE events.

Average Room Rates (ARRs) across key Indian markets continued upward climb in September 2025, with Bengaluru posting the highest year-on-year growth of 25–27%, followed by Hyderabad at 21–23%, according to HVS ANAROCK research. Goa was the only market to register a decline. National occupancy improved marginally, led by Ahmedabad’s strong 10–12 percentage point rise.

In response to the robust demand from the Indian market, China Eastern Airlines has announced an increase in the frequency of its direct flights between Shanghai Pudong International Airport and Indira Gandhi International Airport, New Delhi. Effective January 2, 2026, the airline will operate additional flights, up from current three a week to five days a week. InterGlobe Air Transport, the exclusive General Sales Agent (GSA) for China Eastern Airlines in India for over two decades, manages all the airline’s commercial and operational functions—including sales, marketing, ticketing, and support, and is committed to leveraging its well-established network to drive the continued success of this now-expanded, strategic air route. The flight from Delhi, MU564, will depart at 19:55, arriving in Shanghai at 4:10 the following day. Flight MU563 from Shanghai Pudong will depart at 12:50 PM and arrive at New Delhi, at 17:45 local time. The flights will be available on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays. The flights will be operated by Airbus A330-200 wide-body aircraft, offering premium experience with 17 lie-flat MINPRO business-class seats and 245 economy-class seats for commercial booking. The Shanghai–Delhi route is one of the most important air corridors, linking Shanghai, China’s economic, financial, and trade hub and Delhi, India’s political, economic, and cultural center. The increased frequency is expected to further boost bilateral exchanges in trade, tourism, education, culture, and technology, reinforcing the strategic importance of this connection. This move underscores China Eastern’s strong commitment to strengthening air connectivity between the two nations and reflects the incredible support from its trade partners. In addition to the Shanghai–Delhi route, the airline also plans to soon add other key routes — including Kunming–Kolkata and Shanghai Pudong–Mumbai, further expanding …

TripShope received the Most Trusted B2B Travel Portal award at the India Travel Awards 2025. Adil Sathu, Founder & CEO, TripShope, said, “Winning India Travel Award has been a big privilege, giving us a strong boost to move ahead. The team remains motivated, and this recognition feels like a promotion that inspires us to continue striving for greater success in the future.

Zubin Saxena, SVP and Regional Head, South Asia, Hilton, said, “From the visa-on-arrival process to the check-in at the hotel, every touchpoint needs to feel connected. The experience of India must flow effortlessly from one step to another. And that can happen only when the public and private sectors work in harmony.” He further added that public-private partnership will define India’s journey to becoming a trillion-dollar experience economy by 2047.

Akanksha Garg, Founder & CEO, Waxpol Hotels & Resorts, speaking recently at the TravTalkThinkTank in New Delhi, emphasised the role of social media. “Instagrammable matters! And like it or not, TikTok moves markets in countries where Instagram is not even used. If we want the young, we must show up where they live.”

Laax, a mountain village in the Graubünden Region, is a hidden gem in Switzerland. Famous for the Rhine Gorge, magnificent lakes, and panoramic views, it is a popular destination for outdoor travellers and families throughout the year. Located an hour away by public transport is Landquart Fasion Outlet, a shopper’s paradise offering over 180 brands at irresistibly low prices.Attend all our webinars for a chance to win a trip to Switzerland in 2026! For more info, write to jaspreet.kaur@ddppl.com or call 9650196532.

Puneet Chhatwal, MD & CEO, IHCL, who has closely tracked the surge in branded hotels, sees domestic demand far outpacing supply. He pointed out, “Ten years ago, India had just 1,00,000 branded hotel rooms. Today, we are at 2,00,000 rooms but to put that into perspective, that is still less than Dubai and Singapore combined, and even less than one state in the US. That is the size of the opportunity.” It is this gap that fuels IHCL’s Accelerate 2030 vision. Chhatwal predicts the next phase of growth will come twice as fast. “What took India ten years to double — from 1,00,000 to 2,00,000 — will take half the time to get to 3,00,000. The runway for growth is massive, and we are just getting started.”

According to the HVS-ANAROCK Northeast India report, midscale hotels dominate Northeast India’s branded supply at 41%, followed by upscale (25%) and upper upscale (17%), while economy (9%) and luxury (8%) remain modest. The region’s branded hotel pipeline aims to add over 3,000 keys by 2030. Assam leads with nearly 2,000 keys, followed by Arunachal Pradesh 660, Sikkim 250+, and Tripura 180. Rising investments indicate growing demand for mid-to-high-end hospitality in key tourism hubs.