Speaking at TTM Plus 2025, Thapanee Kiatphaibool, Governor, TAT, shared plans to attract more Indian travellers from tier II cities by enhancing air connectivity & promoting lesser-known destinations. Emphasising Thailand as a wellness hub, she said the focus will be on MICE, weddings & cruise segments, with itineraries to appeal Indians.

In a major boost to regional tourism, Surat International Airport has been added as an authorised e-Visa entry point from 30 May. This makes Surat the 32nd international airport in India to offer e-Visa access to foreign travellers, enhancing travel ease and promoting tourism in one of the fastest-developing cities of India.

GSTC, in partnership with Agoda, has launched Sustainable Tourism Academy to empower hoteliers with sustainability tools and knowledge. The initiative aims to address the demand for more sustainable accommodation options from sustainability-conscious travellers while driving transformation within Asia’s hotel industry.

SriLankan Airlines welcomed an Airbus A330-200 wide-body aircraft that arrived from Paris. The aircraft, bearing registration number 4R-ALT, performed a low fly-past over Colombo and Katunayake before touching down at Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA). This latest addition brings SriLankan’s fleet to 23 aircraft, reinforcing the airline’s commitment to fleet expansion and paving the way for greater operational flexibility on long-haul routes, as it prepares for future growth amid rising passenger demand. Sarath Ganegoda, Chairman, SriLankan Airlines, commented on the induction, “This marks the beginning of an exciting new chapter for SriLankan Airlines, both operationally and in shaping our long-term fleet strategy. The addition of this aircraft enhances our capacity to meet the growing demand, while strengthening our contribution to national tourism goals. As Sri Lanka continues to ascend as a top-tier travel destination, this aircraft will play a key role in connecting global travellers to Sri Lanka.” Yasantha Dissanayake, Acting Chief Executive Officer and Group CFO, SriLankan Airlines, added, “This is the first wide-body aircraft to be inducted into the fleet after a lapse of seven years. It will allow us to expand our reach in both existing and new markets, offering improved flight times, better connectivity and more direct services to the country, whilst enhancing cargo capacity in support of Sri Lanka’s export trade. The aircraft also features inflight amenities that meet the expectations of today’s traveller and provides a more comfortable flying experience.” Capt. Patrick Fernando, Chief Technical Officer, SriLankan Airlines, said, “This is part of our ongoing efforts to strengthen the fleet and induct more wide-body aircraft in the near future. The aircraft is equipped with wireless in-flight entertainment and individual USB charging ports at every seat …

AVIAREPS, an international representation, marketing and communications company for aviation, tourism, hospitality, and food & beverage brands, announced the appointment of Tom Fecke as Global Head of Cruise to grow its cruise division. Tom will oversee the cruise line department of AVIAREPS and will be responsible for expanding the company’s service portfolio for cruise lines worldwide. With over 25 years of experience in the travel and cruise industry, Tom Fecke brings deep expertise in sales, marketing, and strategic development. He previously held sales and leadership roles at Travelport, Avis Rent a Car, Sabre and RCL Cruises and was Secretary General of the Cruise Lines International Association CLIA in Brussels to lobby the interests of the European cruise industry. Tom joins AVIAREPS with a strong network and a proven track record of helping cruise lines grow their passenger numbers and boost sales. The cruise industry saw a strong global recovery after the pandemic, with passenger levels rising 6.8% in 2023 above those of 2019 across all regions. In 2024, the global cruise market generated a value of $8.9 billion and is projected to reach $18.4 billion by 2030. This reflects a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 12.9% between 2025 and 2030. Cruise lines worldwide are preparing to meet this demand, with 37 new ships currently in the order books at the yards until 2028. (Sources: CLIA, Horizon). Under the management of Tom Fecke, AVIAREPS will grow its cruise representation department, offering market research, travel trade development and PR, sales and marketing activities. From organising trade shows and agent training to managing media relations and call centre support, AVIAREPS helps cruise operators strengthen their presence, grow their passenger numbers and expand …

Virgin Atlantic is taking its partnership with India’s travel trade community to new heights with the launch of Sky High Club – an exclusive new rewards programme created especially for travel agents across the country. A first-of-its-kind for Virgin Atlantic in India, Sky High Club is more than a loyalty programme – it is a celebration of the passion, hustle and heart that define the Indian travel industry. With every booking, agents will now have the chance to earn points and unlock a world of extraordinary rewards and unforgettable experiences. Shivani Singh Deo, India Country Manager, Virgin Atlantic commented, “At Virgin Atlantic, we have always believed in the power of partnerships and Sky High Club is our way of recognising the travel agents who make incredible journeys possible every single day – and we are here to champion, celebrate and reward them like never before.” As agents progress through the programme, the benefits grow even more rewarding – a reflection of Virgin Atlantic’s ongoing commitment to recognising and celebrating those who consistently go the extra mile. India’s travel agents have always been more than just supporters of the journey – they are an integral part of it. With the launch of the Sky High Club, Virgin Atlantic reaffirms its dedication to the travel trade community as we soar to new heights, together. The Sky High Club is now officially cleared for take-off. Welcome aboard.

MiStay announced a strategic partnership with HyperGuest, the innovative B2B Hospitality Distribution Marketplace. This integration eliminates the need for multiple channel manager connections, enabling MiStay to scale its unique hourly hotel booking model through HyperGuest’s single API. Unlike standard OTA integrations, MiStay’s custom HyperGuest integration enables a single room synced via HyperGuest to be resold in multiple time slots on the same day. Founded in 2016 by IIT Madras alumni Sandeep Jaiswal & Pranav Prabhakar, MiStay pioneered flexible hotel bookings in India. MiStay currently partners with 3,000+ hotels, including leading brands such as Hyatt, Holiday Inn, Lemon Tree & others, across 90+ cities in India. A significant share of its hourly hotel inventory is concentrated in major metros like hourly hotels in Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Kolkata, Hyderabad, and Chennai—catering to a wide range of use cases such as transit stays, early check-ins/late check-outs, business short stays, daycations, and couple-friendly hotels. Profitable since 2021, MiStay’s micro-stay model taps new demand segments to unlock an estimated US $6 billion of otherwise unsold hotel inventory in India. The integration with HyperGuest gives MiStay a single, plug-and-play connection to more than 150 channel managers and hotel technology providers worldwide, eliminating the need for one-off integrations and dramatically accelerating hotel onboarding. Additionally, HyperGuest’s global network of 40,000 + hotels can now list on MiStay without managing a separate extranet. Commenting on the partnership, Sandeep Jaiswal, Co-Founder, MiStay, said, “Our goal is to make distribution effortless for our hotel partners. Any property whose channel manager connects to HyperGuest now streams live inventory to MiStay automatically. The partnership removes friction and unlocks new hourly and day-use demand through the connection hotels already use.” Pranav Prabhakar, Co-Founder & …

At the IATA AGM 2025, Air Cambodia announced the appointment of Aeroprime Group as its exclusive Passenger General Sales Agent (GSA) in India, effective 1st July, 2025. This appointment marks a significant expansion of the existing partnership between Air Cambodia and Aeroprime Group. In addition to serving as the Exclusive Pan India Cargo General Sales & Service Agent (GSSA) for Air Cambodia, Aeroprime Group will now manage both passenger and cargo sales, operations, and related services in the Indian market. “We are delighted to strengthen our collaboration with Aeroprime Group by entrusting them with both our passenger and cargo business in India,” said David Zhan, CEO, Air Cambodia. “Their proven expertise and extensive network make them the ideal partner as we continue to expand our footprint in this important market.” Aeroprime Group, headquartered in New Delhi, is a leading aviation services provider with a robust track record in airline management, sales, customer support, etc. across multiple countries and cities. With this expanded mandate, Aeroprime Group will be responsible for driving Air Cambodia’s passenger and cargo sales, supporting marketing initiatives, and ensuring seamless experiences for both travellers and freight customers in India. “We are honoured to be appointed as the exclusive Passenger GSA for Air Cambodia in India,” said Abhishek Goyal, Executive Director & CEO, Aeroprime Group. “Managing both passenger and cargo operations for Air Cambodia allows us to offer integrated solutions and further strengthen the bridge between India and Cambodia. With Aeroprime’s commitment to exceptional customer service, an expansive sales network, and focused efforts on building brand awareness, we aim to boost visibility and demand for the airline in the Indian market. Cambodia is renowned for its stunning temples, especially …

IRCTC introduced ‘AskDISHA 2.0’ Al assistant to enhance user experience. AskDISHA 2.0 (Digital Interaction To Seek Help Anytime) is an AI, Machine learning and NLP based virtual assistant/ ChatBot/ VoiceBot that helps users perform various transactions like end to end train ticket booking including payment, canceling train tickets, change boarding station, check refund status, check PNR status, get offers and answer queries pertaining to various services offered by IRCTC, and more.

FLY91 will soon have direct flights between Goa and Solapur, further strengthening its commitment to enhancing last-mile air connectivity across underserved regions in India. With this addition, FLY91 connects eight destinations across the country, including four in Maharashtra, namely Pune, Jalgaon, Sindhudurg and now, Solapur.