Tag Archives: Asia

Now inviting Indian travellers to witness Sri Lanka’s majestic elephant gathering Cinnamon Hotels & Resorts, together with Cinnamon Nature Trails and in partnership with Seylan Bank, announced the return of The Gathering of Giants, taking place from 25 to 27 July 2025 at Cinnamon Habarana Complex. This much-anticipated event marks the third edition of a unique nature experience that brings together wildlife enthusiasts, families, conservationists, and travellers from across the globe—especially neighbouring India—to witness Asia’s largest congregation of wild elephants. Conveniently timed around a long weekend for many Indian travellers, this immersive three-day event offers front-row access to one of the world’s greatest natural spectacles—the seasonal migration of hundreds of elephants to Sri Lanka’s Minneriya and Kaudulla National Parks. Recognised by Lonely Planet as the 6th greatest wildlife spectacle globally, the elephant gathering is a breathtaking and humbling experience that promises to resonate with Indian nature lovers, photographers, and families seeking responsible and meaningful travel. “Bringing The Gathering of Giants to life for the third consecutive year reaffirms our deep and enduring commitment to safeguarding Sri Lanka’s wildlife heritage,” said Hishan Singhawansa, Chief Executive Officer Designate, Cinnamon Hotels & Resorts. “This event goes beyond observation—it is about sparking awareness, nurturing responsible tourism, and uniting communities and experts to drive lasting change. It is one of over 35 ongoing humanitarian and conservation initiatives that shape who we are and what we stand for.” Nestled in the heart of Sri Lanka’s Cultural Triangle, the Cinnamon Habarana Complex—comprising Cinnamon Lodge Habarana and Habarana Village by Cinnamon—offers guests front-row access to nature’s theatre, all supported by Cinnamon’s signature brand of conservation-conscious hospitality. This immersive three-day experience blends expert-led wildlife talks, hands-on workshops, and guided …

As per MMGY Travel Intelligence, the United States and Europe are the most popular global destinations for Indian. 83 per cent of Indians expressed strong interest in visiting these regions in the next 12 months. However, 80 per cent of Indians preferred Asia making it the 3rd most popular choice.  

From lush mountains to pristine islands, 2025 is the year of eco-conscious tourism, authentic experiences, and mindful exploration. According to the Agoda 2025 Sustainable Travel Survey, India has emerged as the second-most sustainability-conscious travel market in Asia, with a staggering 82% of Indian travellers making eco-friendly choices—far surpassing the Asian average of 68%. India’s Sikkim is among the top sustainable travel destinations for 2025.

Amadeus latest Travel Trend report highlighted that from nostalgia-driven vacations to personalised flying experiences, Asia is set to regain its position as a global tourism leader in 2025, with inbound and outbound travel predicted to match or exceed pre-pandemic levels. Countries in the region are leveraging their cultural appeal and relaxed travel regulations to attract international visitors.

International visitor arrivals (IVAs) to Asia Pacific are expected to rise from 619 million in 2024 to 762 million in 2026, with a recovery rate of 111.6 per cent compared to the 2019 level. Asia will lead the recovery, with visitor arrivals reaching 564.0 million by 2026 in comparison to the Americas and the Pacific.

According to FCM, Global hotel occupancy in the first quater was 63.3% which is 96% recovered to 2019. In Asia, India had the highest occupancy with Mumbai reaching 101%, New Delhi at 97%, followed by China with Shanghai at 95%, and Beijing at 93%. 

Boost your confidence and get ready to sell Europe, America, Asia and Australia again. Learn more about the on-ground situation and updated travel protocols of these destinations at the Thomas Cook webinar on Tuesday 15th March, 2022 at 3pm IST. Attendees can also get access to a host of packages for their customers.  Register for free at https://event.webinarjam.com/register/381/3v7k1iv1 or contact jaspreet.kaur@ddppl.com; +91 9650196532.

UNWTO has revised its 2020 prospects for international tourist arrivals to a negative growth of 1-3 per cent, translating into an estimated loss of US$ 30 to 50 billion in international tourism receipts. Prior to the COVID-19 outbreak, UNWTO predicted a positive growth of 3-4 per cent for this year. This first assessment expects that Asia and the Pacific will be the worst affected regions, with an anticipated fall in arrivals of 9-12 per cent. Estimates for other world regions are currently premature in view of the rapidly evolving situation. UNWTO underscores that any estimate must be treated with caution and is likely to be updated.

With a track record of hosting Asia’s most prominent events, Singapore continues to deliver innovative solutions for the transfer of knowledge, ideas and connections to drive new possibilities for the MiCE sector in Singapore. Kicking off its first MiCE-focused event for 2019 in India, the Singapore Tourism Board (STB) organised a MiCE thought leadership seminar in Mumbai with the theme ‘Meetings & Incentive Travel to Singapore – Forging New Possibilities’. The programme included a presentation by Gokul Bajaj, Head — Sales and Partnerships, Cvent, a cloud-based enterprise event management platform. This was followed by a panel discussion on how the MiCE industry can leverage technology to better engage audience. The panelists included Bajaj, Aikta Tyagi, Vice President & Head — Special Events, Amway India; SD Nandakumar, President & Country Head — B2B, SOTC Travel. The discussion was moderated by GB Srithar, Regional Director (South Asia, Middle East and Africa), Singapore Tourism Board. A team-building activity focusing on Lego Serious Play, conducted by Ludovic Odier, CEO, Outdoor in Asia, highlighted innovative, high-impact and experiential team engagement activities possible in Singapore for M&I travellers. The attendees were updated on new MiCE venues, incentive schemes provided by the STB and diverse and exciting array of experiences available in Singapore for M&I groups. The programme was well-attended with 150 Indian travel agents and 40 Singapore stakeholders representing hotels, airlines, attractions, Destination Management Companies (DMC) and cruise operators. Speaking on STB’s efforts to showcase Singapore as a destination of choice among the MiCE travellers, Srithar said, “India continues to be a key source market for MiCE travellers to Singapore. Thanks to the support of trade intermediaries and corporates, we have witnessed a healthy growth in …

Trafalgar’s definite departures now extend to 17 countries and five continents. Following its announcement of 100 per cent definite departures to Italy, Ireland, Hawaii and Discoveries, Trafalgar has extended these guarantees to departures covering Europe (Spain, Scandinavia, Scotland, Portugal and Germany), Asia (China and India), Africa (Morocco), and North and South America (Canada, Alaska, National Parks programmes, Southern USA, Peru and Costa Rica). Nicholas Lim, President, Trafalgar, Asia comments, “At Trafalgar, we firmly believe that success breeds success, so we thank our partners for the stellar role they’ve played in the exceptionally positive results we are seeing that have resulted in so many definite departures. We hear you and are always here to turn words into actions to put #AgentsFirst. When it comes to closing sales for 2018, there truly is no time like the present to reap the rewards.” Additional incentives to get clients over the line are early payment deals of 7.5 per cent for payments made before March 29, 2018.