Satyaki Raghunath, Chief Operating Officer, Bengaluru Airport said, “Bengaluru airport has been successful in attracting long-haul traffic in the last five to seven years and connected seven and eight important long-haul markets in last 5 years.” He suggested that airlines should try to connect more long-haul and ultra-long-haul points from the Bengaluru airport.

Mckinsey report revealed, home-sharing continues to position itself as better than traditional hotels, segment has grown from 10-14% of booking value between 2017 and 2023. Home-sharing companies have also become a key distribution channel for smaller hotels, as they can offer more control over inventory and lower fees than other channels.

Vumlunmang Vualnam, Secretary of Civil Aviation, Government of India said, “While we have 157 airstrips already, which are functional, which we are proud of, we have already started looking at the 453 full list of airstrips that exist in our country. We are considering to develop these as brownfield projects. We also look at the defense airfields to expand joint user concept.”

Focusing on benefits of attending PATA Travel Mart 2024, Noor Ahmad, CEO, PATA, revealed that the event is expected to witness 57% participation from the leisure segment buyers and 31% from buyers with M!CE & leisure (both), while 8% from MICE segment. The PATA Travel Mart 2024 is scheduled from August 27-29, in Bangkok, Thailand.

Skyscanner Travel Insight data shows, that since the start of 2024, searches for domestic travel in India have increased by 19% year-over-year, whilst searches amongst Indian travellers for ‘Everywhere’ are up 122% YoY. The top domestic destinations for Indian travellers in 2024 include New Delhi, Bengaluru, Mumbai, Goa, and Hyderabad.

Riaz Munshi, President, OTOAI said, “People are more mature; we have seen a 20-30 per cent increase in experience and luxury travel, which is a significant number. We anticipate these numbers will continue to grow, making experience and luxury travel the most rapidly growing segment in the travel industry.”

Amitabh Khosla, Country Director-India, IATA said that India’s air traffic had already surpassed 2019 levels, both for domestic and international flights, in 2023 itself.  “So certainly, we are witnessing rapid growth, as demonstrated in the unveiling video of the 2025 AGM. There is a significance amount of activity and technology driving aviation growth in India, ” he added.

According to a report by McKinsey, India’s breakneck GDP growth of 6 per cent year over year is bolstering a new generation of travellers, resulting in a projected annual growth in travel spending of 9 per cent between now and 2030. Indian air carriers and lodging companies are making substantial investments to meet projected demand.

The Imperial New Delhi joins The Leading Hotels of the World, becoming the only Grand Dame in India to enter this exclusive network of independent, luxury hotels. The hotel will also be part of the Leading Hotels’ exclusive loyalty program, Leaders Club which amplifies relationships curated by Leading Hotels between like-minded curious travelers and independent hoteliers. The Imperial stands as an icon of luxury, nestled in the heart of India’s bustling capital. Spanning an eight-acre estate on Janpath, formerly Queensway, it holds court as the sole oasis amidst a sea of 32 million people. Since its inception in 1936, The Imperial has been a beacon of glamour, drawing Hollywood celebrities, Bollywood luminaries, and global royalty to its distinguished embrace. Its historic grounds witnessed the grandeur of 85 Maharajas and Maharanis convened in regal splendour during the Royal Durbar. Today, The Imperial continues to enchant with a blend of old-world charm and modern sophistication. Each of its 235 elegantly appointed rooms and lavish suites exudes illustrious elegance, seamlessly blending heritage with cutting-edge technology. Hundreds of hand-knotted carpets weave tales of artisanal mastery, while the world’s largest private collection of 5,500 Indo-European artworks from 17th & 18th century, offer a captivating glimpse into the region’s rich cultural tapestry of a bygone era. One can embark on the finest epicurean journey through an array of world class restaurants. From the intricate flavors of Italian cuisine to the bold spices of Asia, each dish at The Imperial reflects a dedication to culinary mastery and an unwavering commitment to authenticity. Whether indulging in a light Indian lunch or dinner at the hotel’s Indo-European Brasserie 1911 or exploring the culinary delights of San Gimignano and Spice …

Skal International Hyderabad got twinned with Skal International Perth from Western Australia during 53rd Skal Asian Area Congress in Bahrain. Skal International agreed and  approved and given us the ‘Twinning Number 248.’ Twinning is signed by Dr Valmiki Hari Kishan, Director, Special Projects, Skal International Hyderabad; and Michael Collins, President, Skal International Perth  in the presence of Annette Cardenas, President, Skal International; NSN Mohan, Director, Skal International and Ash James Munn, National President, Skal Australia Valmiki Hari Kishan says that such twinnings will help clubs to put more collective efforts in bridging the gaps and foster better collaborations to do more business among friends as the tagline of Skal is ‘Doing business among friends.’ He also says many Indian travellers visit Sydney, Melbourne, and Gold Coast whereas there is huge untapped opportunities available to promote Western Australia at the same time. Valmiki visited recently Perth and met Tom Upson, Director of Western Australia which inspired him more to do some collective efforts through the Skal platform. Valmiki also says twinning encourages to arrange reciprocal exchange visits on an individual basis between members of twinned clubs and families. It provides opportunities to learn more about culture and success of others and most of all to do business through better understanding cooperation and friendship. It expands the opportunity for joint projects and exchanges which twinning provides, which will lead fellowship and friendship. Skal International is growing stronger and more countries opening doors to have the Skal chapters. “Building Bridges’ is the present Skal World President’s theme which inspires us to do more,” says Valmiki.