Anil Kalsi, Owner, Ambe World Travels and Vice President, TAFI, highlighted the alarming decline in the number of ‘Standard’ IATA ticketing agents. Currently, there are approximately 1,800 Standard IATA agents and around 3,200 IATA Lite agents in India. Calling it a national concern for employment and aviation distribution, he urged airlines to value their distribution networks and respect travel agents’ vital role.

The Philippines Tourism Promotion Board (TPB), in collaboration with Buzz Travel Marketing, successfully hosted an engaging Itinerary Training Workshop in Mumbai, attracting over 60 key travel trade professionals from the city. The session aimed to enhance destination knowledge among the travel trade, equipping them with insights to design memorable itineraries across the Philippines. The workshop saw lively discussions, valuable exchange of ideas, and continued engagement over a networking lunch. Honorary Vice Consul Subramanian Krishna Moorthy graced the event from the Philippines Consulate in Mumbai, who highlighted the strengthening ties between India and the Philippines in tourism and cultural exchange. Also in attendance was the Air India team, who presented details about their newly launched direct flight to the Philippines, outlining key features and schedules that will significantly improve connectivity and encourage more Indian travellers to explore the archipelago. The workshop concluded on a positive note, reinforcing the Philippines’ growing appeal as a preferred destination for Indian travellers—be it for leisure, adventure, or MICE experiences.

In a significant step toward globalising India’s digital payment ecosystem, Razorpay announced that Indian travellers will soon be able to make UPI payments in Malaysia, marking a new milestone in cross-border fintech innovation. The initiative comes through Razorpay’s Malaysian subsidiary, Curlec, in collaboration with NPCI International Payments Limited (NIPL) — the overseas arm of the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI). With this integration, Indian tourists visiting Malaysia will be able to pay instantly and securely at local stores using their UPI-enabled apps, eliminating the need for international cards or currency exchanges.

Bullish on the fast-growing Indian aviation market, Saudi Arabia’s no-frills carrier flyadeal will start flights to Indian cities, including Mumbai, from the first quarter of 2026. Steven Greenway, CEO, said that India is one of the “most hyper-competitive markets” in the world and there is a need to have an “absolute, brutal focus on unit cost”.  We expect to cover metropolises like Mumbai and Delhi, as well as focus on secondary cities in India.

The Cochin Port Authority (CPA) has signed a ₹300 crore MoU to unlock the tourism potential of Willingdon Island. The project will develop a 20-acre plot near the Ernakulam Wharf cruise terminal, featuring hotels, shopping centres, and recreation zones. It aims to position Cochin as a leading cruise destination with world-class tourism infrastructure.

Marking a significant step in the company’s strategy to strengthen its footprint in India’s rapidly evolving tier-II travel markets, Cox & Kings has opened seven new franchise outlets across Surat, Bhopal, Belgaum, Nashik, Rajahmundry, and Jamnagar. The new additions are part of the company’s broader vision to establish 200 franchise outlets nationwide.

Tata Tele Business Services (TTBS), one of India’s leading B2B enablers of digital connectivity and cloud solutions, has successfully implemented its advanced SD-WAN iFLX solution at Celebi Aviation, a global aviation services provider. This deployment has allowed Celebi Aviation to seamlessly connect its geographically dispersed offices across India, enhance network security and simplify WAN management while reducing operational costs. As a leading aviation services company, Celebi Aviation recognised the need for a modern, scalable network to support its workforce and mission-critical applications across multiple locations. To strengthen performance and unlock new possibilities in connectivity, the company partnered with TTBS to implement its advanced SD-WAN iFLX solution, which is a secure, agile, and cost-effective network designed to meet Celebi’s evolving needs. Through this deployment, TTBS seamlessly connected eight key Celebi locations on a private SD-WAN network optimised for high availability and application performance. The infrastructure now supports workloads across public and private clouds, SaaS platforms like AWS and Microsoft Azure, as well as on-premises data centers. With centralised control, optimised bandwidth, and reduced dependency on hardware, Celebi Aviation has gained enhanced agility, stronger visibility, and a future-ready network foundation to drive operational excellence. KS Kalidas, Vice President, Tata Teleservices, said, “At TTBS, we strive to empower enterprises with future-ready solutions that simplify network management while enabling scale and security. Our collaboration with Celebi Aviation reflects our commitment to solving complex business challenges through innovation in connectivity. With SD-WAN iFLX, we were able to deliver a secure, resilient, and high-performance network that seamlessly connects Celebi’s geographically dispersed operations. This deployment not only enhances their agility and uptime but also equips their teams with the infrastructure needed to drive operational efficiency in a …

Legacy Hotels Holding has announced an investment in Earth Hotels to support the brand’s growth across KSA, UAE, Portugal, and Spain. It is expanding its footprint across Dubai, Riyadh, Jeddah, Lisbon, Porto, and Marbella. With a $320 million pipeline, it will open its flagship Dubai property in September 2026, reinforcing both brands’ commitment to sustainability and creative guest experiences.

Air India will induct a new wide-body aircraft every six weeks starting in 2026, continuing for two years, said Campbell Wilson, CEO, Air India. Alongside refurbishing its existing Boeing 787 and 777 fleet, the move aims to position Air India as a “modern, international airline” by 2028, marking a major milestone in its transformation journey.

Bjorn DeNiese, Managing Director, Mayfair Elixir, participating in the TravTalk ThinkTank in New Delhi recently, said that the industry must get ‘Brand India’ right. “The brand created by the previous generations (i.e. The Golden Triangle) is to get people in the door. However, we must promote other experiences on offer,” he said.