Suprio Banerjee, Vice President and Sector Head, ICRA Limited, says, “With the onset of the second wave of the pandemic and the later emergence of the Omicron variant, the recovery in passenger traffic remained gradual, in the current fiscal. Further, elevated aviation turbine fuel (ATF) prices (higher by ~68% on Y-o-Y basis in 11M FY2022) and continued fare caps continue to pose a major challenge for the profitability of the airlines. Thus, the Indian aviation industry is expected to report a net loss of ~Rs 250-260 billion in FY2022 as per earlier estimates of ICRA. However, expected commencement of scheduled international operations and the waning ‘Omicron’ wave, will result in a notable recovery in passenger traffic in FY2023 

Costa Cruises will conduct a webinar for the travel trade highlighting new opportunities for them on Tuesday, March 8 at 11 am IST. The webinar will showcase new sailing itineraries to Europe, Dubai and Singapore, offers, fleet introductions, and Covid safety protocols. They will also get a certificate and a chance to win prizes. To register, contact jaspreet.kaur@ddppl.com or 9650196532. Register directly at https://event.webinarjam.com/register/379/yy8npb8x

In order to acknowledge the efforts undertaken by the State Governments, Union Territory Administrations and various implementation agencies, the Ministry of Tourism has constituted Swadesh Darshan Awards in different categories. The awards will highlight best practices including achievement of planned objectives, innovative approach, adoption of sustainability principals in planning, design and operations, efficient project monitoring, ability to attract private investments in peripheral development and efforts undertaken to ensure optimal operations and maintenance etc. 

Cordelia Cruises introduces first time ever cruising experience from Tamil Nadu to Sri Lanka– a never seen before journey, an unforgettable experience and a journey as beautiful as the destination!  Cordelia Cruises, the only one of its kind holiday destination, makes Her debut in Chennai. It is from here that you could opt for a scintillating holiday by sea to Sri Lanka. The itineraries they offer are versatile with options that are spread over a number of days as well as room categories to meet everybody’s needs and requirements.  Cordelia Cruises by Waterways Leisure Tourism Pvt ltd is India’s only premium Cruise liner. True to its name, Cordelia Cruises promotes and drives the Cruises culture in India through experiences that are curated for Indian families, customized, stylish, luxurious, and most importantly, inherently Indian. 

As per GlobalData, COVID-19 has accelerated the need for companies in the travel and tourism industry to rapidly invest in digital strategies, including the global online travel market, which is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 8% between 2022 and 2025 to reach $765.3 billion. If companies do not engage in a strong digital strategy, their competitors will gain a larger portion of the market, warns the analytics firm 

Thailand’s Centre for COVID-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) has greenlighted the proposed ‘Thai-Indian Air Travel Bubble’ arrangement, a decision which now awaits Cabinet approval. In line with the ‘Visit Thailand Year 2022: Amazing New Chapters’ marketing campaign, TAT is focusing on further building the Indian market with a particular emphasis on special interest groups with high spending; such as, weddings and honeymoons, golf, millennials, and digital nomads. Among the activities include familiarisation trips and business events.  

Standard Chartered announced it has partnered with the International Air Transport Association (IATA) to launch IATA Pay in India. IATA Pay, which is already available in several European markets, is an airline industry payment platform that brings optionality, convenience and an enhanced experience to consumers when purchasing tickets directly from participating airlines. The service leverages the Unified Payment Interface (UPI), a domestic real-time payments scheme in India, thereby enabling consumers to instantly pay for airline tickets from their bank accounts. 

Austrian National Tourist Office (ANTO) is organising a webinar titled ‘Tirol-Your dream destination 2022’ for the travel trade today, 25th February, 2022 at 3 pm IST. Attendees would be able to explore the various offerings of Tirol through the online show. Register on https://event.webinarjam.com/register/366/rymlobq7 or contact jaspreet.kaur@ddppl.com or call +91 9650196532. 

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) released data showing growing momentum in the recovery of air travel as restrictions are lifted. IATA reported a sharp 11% increase for international tickets sold in recent weeks in proportion to 2019 sales. The jump in ticket sales comes as more governments announce a relaxation of COVID-19 border restrictions. An IATA survey of travel restrictions for the world’s top 50 air travel markets (comprising 92% of global demand in 2019 as measured by revenue passenger kilometers) revealed the growing access available to vaccinated travelers. 

Dubai on Tuesday removed the requirements for Indian travellers to undergo rapid RTPCR at Indian airports before departing to UAE. An advisory issued by the Dubai Airport updated the travel requirements for passengers from India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Pakistan.  The fresh advisory requires Indian nationals to produce a negative COVID-19 test certificate taken up to 48 hours before the scheduled departure of the flight, from an approved health service provider. The passengers will require to undergo a PCR test upon their arrival in Dubai.