Picture this: It’s sunrise and you are watching hot air balloons transform the Canberra skyline as you drift above Lake Burley Griffin in complete and utter luxury. This picture can be a reality at the Canberra Balloon Spectacular, one of the most anticipated annual events in Australia, from 9th to 17th March 2024 in Canberra. People from all over the world gather for this festival to embark on hot air rides. This spectacular is a 9-day extravaganza, where over 40 gigantic balloons inflate and take shape to set afloat, all at the same time, in Canberra’s National Triangle, on the doorstep of Australian Parliament House. While a third of the pilots flying the vessels are based out of Canberra, the remaining crew of pilots come from across the globe. Amidst these balloons of all shapes and colours, the festival features a special shape balloon this year named ‘Lucy’. Lucy was specially selected because of her connection with International Women’s Day on March 8, the day before the Canberra Balloon Spectacular begins on March 9. Lucy has travelled around the globe to be in Canberra, originally from Bristol in England, she then toured the Netherlands, and now lives in Montreal, Canada. As one soars high across Australia’s capital city, a panoramic view of Lake Burley Griffin and the National Arboretum Canberra is an unmissable sight to catch. This festival attracts over 40,000 people with its balloon magic. Visitors are able to join in the spectacular, booking flights with Balloon Aloft Canberra. As a memorable keepsake, all guests will be presented with a flight certificate, accompanied by a celebratory glass of champagne. Ballooning occurs all year round in Canberra. Have you booked …

Manisha Saxena, DG Tourism, Government of India, recently shared, “It’s encouraging to see not only five-star hotels but also smaller venues coming up with unique ideas to enhance wedding experiences in India. With the vastness of the industry and the significant number of weddings in the country, there’s room for everyone to contribute. While high room rates in India may be prompting some weddings to move abroad, it’s crucial to offer venues that cater to various budgets and preferences. While five-star hotels are ideal for large weddings, affordability remains a consideration for many.”

Jyoti Mayal, President, TAAI, highlighted, “The increase in the number of flights and routes will automatically reduce the airfares. It is always a demand-supply story. If the demand for flights is too much and the supply is less then fares will be at peak, but if it balances out, fares will come down on their own. Probably, the domestic market will keep on moving in the current scenario, but high fares can affect our inbound numbers. An international traveller in India compares it with other countries, which are cheaper than India at times. This is going to impact the international arrivals to India.”

Ranjana Sharma, Managing Director, Trav n Tours International (TNTI) said, “River cruises is gaining popularity nowadays. While the other major cruises are primarily for summer seasons, river cruises cater more to niche markets. Additionally, emerging trends include Scandinavia experiencing a strong emergence, ski resorts gaining popularity, and an increase in M!CE groups considering cruises for hosting events. Indeed, many M!CE events are taking place on cruises due to their all-inclusive nature and convenience for organizers. However, river cruises are more geared towards the leisure market.”

Reena Sachdev, Founder, Travel Arena, said, “Considering what we sell is intangible, our overheads are not as high as other businesses, and that only makes our responsibility higher. In travel, the customer trusts your experience and expertise while buying the product. The least we as sellers can do is personally visit and take actual stock of the experience our client is going to have before expecting them to trust us with his business, especially in the luxury segment. For more than 10 years I have been travelling to places myself without any official fams and managed to create great business.”

Sheetal Munshaw, Director India, Atout France, highlighted, “There is a renewed focus of Paris Region on India, and the fact that they will have a presence in Mumbai goes to show their commitment to the Indian market. Paris is the gateway for Indian visitors into France and the focus now is to discover different facets of Paris, showcase different areas of the city, including Notre-Dame which will re-open this year. The message is that Paris is so much more than what is already known to travellers.” There are so many unexplored products on the table that need to be promoted and experienced by the travellers.

Arshdeep Anand, Chairperson, ATOAI Women’s Collective, shared, “Increased air connectivity is directly proportional to increased tourism activity in a particular destination. Govt is making efforts to develop niche tourism in the country in the form of island tourism, adventure tourism, wildlife tourism, spiritual and wellness tourism. If our domestic carriers can come up with connectivity to develop these circuits, it would boost the tourism potential within the country. There is also a great demand-supply gap from India in relation to flights to Scandinavia for Northern lights, except to Finland and Copenhagen.

Loveleen Multani Arun, Founder-Director, Panache World, shared that to entice more women travellers in 2024, “Industry experts might want to consider asking some tour companies who are willing to be certified as ‘Safe tour providers for women’ or some such accreditation based on various criteria such as process, past references etc.” As many stakeholders in the industry are looking forward to catering specifically to women travellers as a distinct segment, such certifications can play a pivotal role in bringing business from women.

As tourism in Nepal is gradually witnessing recovery from the onslaught of Covid-19, India became Nepal’s top inbound tourist market with 25,578 Indians visiting the Himalayan nation in February via air. Nepal Tourism Board claimed the number is on the higher side as many tourists visit the country via land route.

Nishad Wijetunga, President, SLAITO said, “Sri Lanka has lost M!CE tourists to competitors like Thailand and India on minimum room rates as higher standard rooms were available in other countries at lower prices. However, we managed to retain a majority of bookings made before the minimum room rates were imposed last year.”