TIRUN, the exclusive India representative of Royal Caribbean Cruises, has signed a marketing partnership with the Singapore Tourism Board as the first recipient of the enhanced Cruise Development Fund that supports travel partners for cruise charters from Singapore. The association allows TIRUN to reach out to a larger consumer base looking to experience cruising in Southeast Asia. As a result it has introduced itineraries onboard its Voyager of the Seas sailing from Singapore that have been especially curated keeping Indian families in mind and range from three-night to eight-night sailings. Guests can cruise from Singapore to popular destinations such as Kuala Lumpur, Phuket, Bangkok, Hong Kong, Nha Trang in Vietnam, and more. They can enjoy iconic features onboard the cruise ship like the innovative ‘Flow Rider’ surf simulator, the onboard ice skating, rock climbing as well many other such activities, as they sail from one exotic South East Asian destination to another and take in the best of the resplendent culture of each port. Ratna Chadha, Chief Executive, TIRUN, said, “The semi- charter of the Voyager of the Seas is an endeavor on our part to offer Indian cruisers an opportunity to embark on a cruise with extreme facility. Sailing from Singapore is not only very easy but it’s also the most cost-effective alternative. The itineraries onboard the cruise ship have been designed to give cruisers a glimpse into the diversity and splendour of South East Asian culture while also offering them the added attraction of Indian food onboard. The sailing dates have also been strategically planned to coincide with summer vacations in India. It has been a fruitful collaboration with Singapore Tourism Board thanks to which we have managed to …

Cathay Pacific Airways and Dragonair have announced additional baggage allowance for students travelling from India to Hong Kong, USA or Canada. This offer is valid for travel from May 1 till September 30, 2016, and from December 1, 2016, to January 31, 2017. Students booking a one-way or return ticket on the airlines’ websites or Mobile App before June 30, 2016, in the eligible economy and premium economy class, can avail of additional baggage allowance. They can avail of additional 10 kgs baggage allowance while travelling to Hong Kong and can carry one additional piece of 23 kgs while travelling to USA or Canada. In order to avail this offer, students will need to share a copy of their university admission letter / identity card from the university, student visa copy, passport copy and ticket copy.

Lords Hotels & Resorts, a premier mid hotel chain, has announced the launch of its second property in Bengaluru in Jayanagar – Lords Eco Inn. Centrally located in the heart of the city in Jayanagar,the property is just 500 meters from Lal Bagh Botanical Garden. In addition to strategic location, the 28 keys hotel provides a lavish setting with plush suites and in room amenities. The room rates start from Rs 3000. The features include mini kitchen for extended stay , business centre with round the clock high speed Wi-Fi facility, in-house laundry and host of others facilities to make your stay comfortable. The hotel also offers exclusive fine dining restaurant Blue Coriander which serves Indian, Chinese, Continental and local cuisine. Besides, to meet the requirement of MICE segment, the hotel has a fully furnished banquet designed to accommodate 250 pax. It is also close to major commercial centres and entertainment zone of the city. The hotel, owned by Lords Varam Hotels, offers rooms designed to suit the needs of both domestic and international travelers alike. According to P.R. Bansal, Managing Director, Lords Hotels and Resorts, “Apart from being a vibrant and cosmopolitan city, Bengaluru is the IT capital of the country and demand for quality Hotel rooms at economical tariffs just keeps going north. With the opening of this property, we hope to be able to tap this demand. Besides, since the property is strategically located in major commercial hub of the city,the opening shall also help in enhancing the brand equity of the group.” With the opening of this property, Lords Hotels & Resorts now owns and manages 25 hotels in various cities across India covering business, leisure and …

Hyderabad may be the next city on Nepal Airlines’ radar, making it the fourth in India to be connected to Kathmandu after Mumbai, New Delhi and Bengaluru. CA Janak Raj Kalakheti, Director, Commercial Department, Nepal Airlines, who led a big delegation from Nepal, revealed, “In India, we are looking at adding another city to our India network, possibly Hyderabad by September-October but it is yet to be confirmed and we are still working on it.” He added that even Kolkata shows a lot of traffic movement to Nepal and Nepal Airlines is conducting a feasibility report on it. The airline is also keen on increasing current frequencies. “We are looking to up the current 10 flights per week from New Delhi to 14 flights per week probably by July end. We are also planning to increase Mumbai and Bengaluru frequencies during the upcoming summer holidays,” Kalakheti added. The delegation visited the three cities to organise a thanksgiving ceremony for its travel agent partners which was the first such event since it started these flights in India six months ago.

Sabre Corporation has announced that it will set up a Quality Assurance Center of Excellence (CoE) at Indira Gandhi Technical University for Women (IGDTUW) in Delhi to build an ecosystem of industry-ready test engineers. “The incubation center is a first of its kind in the Indian market focused towards an all women technical university and will bring awareness of test engineering practices, processes and the critical role it plays in the software development lifecycle,” said Shail Maniar, Vice President and Managing Director, Sabre India. “With complex and mission critical software products being built at Sabre’s development center in Bangalore, we see an increased demand for trained test engineers in automation, performance engineering and big data testing. We believe this program will benefit IGDTUW, the industry and Sabre.” Sabre and IGDTUW signed a memorandum of understanding to set up the knowledge center that will nurture student skills on industry standard test engineering practices through a combined program of workshops and webinars at IGDTUW, Delhi and a six month internship program at Sabre’s development center in Bangalore. On successful participation in the CoE program and completion of the internship, Sabre will also facilitate International Software Testing Qualifications Board (ISTQB) certification for students based on their performance. “I am very happy to learn that Sabre is establishing a Quality Assurance CoE at IGDTUW. The center will provide hands-on training to the Masters in Computer Application (MCA) students of IGDTUW in using Quality Assurance tools effectively, while developing an insight into the latest software testing techniques used in the IT industry, ” said Nupur Prakash, Vice Chancellor, IGDTUW. “This would give them an opportunity to learn and use Quality Assurance tools from industry experts, which …

The share of Foreign Tourist Arrivals in India in the International Tourist Arrivals around the world during 2015 was 0.68 per cent. Union Minister of State for Tourism, Culture and Civil Aviation, Dr. Mahesh Sharma had said that India is poised to receive one per cent of global tourists in three years. Initiatives undertaken by the Ministry of Tourism in the recent past for development and promotion of tourism and attract more tourists in the country are e-Tourist Visa (eTV), publicity and promoting India as a holistic destination in the international markets, participation in travel fairs and exhibitions; organising roadshows, Know India seminars & workshops; organizing and supporting Indian food and cultural festivals; publication of brochures, offering joint advertising and brochure support, and inviting media personalities, tour operators and opinion makers to visit the country under the Hospitality programme of the Ministry. This information was given by Dr. Mahesh Sharma, Minister of State for Culture and Tourism (Independent Charge) and Minister of State for Civil Aviation in a written reply in Rajya Sabha today.

The Government of India (GoI) has granted ‘in-principle’ approval for setting up of 14 Greenfield airports namely, Mopa in Goa; Navi Mumbai, Shirdi and Sindhudurg in Maharashtra; Shimoga, Gulbarga,Hassan and Bijapur in Karnataka; Kannur in Kerala; Pakyong in Sikkim; Datia/Gwalior (Cargo) in Madhya Pradesh; Kushinagar in Uttar Pradesh; Karaikal in Puducherry; and Dholera in Gujarat. Further, the government has laid down Route Dispersal Guidelines (RDG) of air transport services taking into account the need for air transport services of different regions of the country. However, it is up to the airlines to provide services to different regions depending on their commercial viability subject to compliance of RDG. This information was given by Minister of State for Civil Aviation, Dr. Mahesh Sharma in a written reply to a question in the Lok Sabha.

Union Minister of Railways Suresh Prabhakar Prabhu flagged off Train 74619/74620 Banihal-Baramulla Fast Passenger (DEMU) and 74617/74618 Budgam-Baramulla Demu through video conferencing between Rail Bhawan New Delhi and Anantnag Railway Station. This was carried out in the presence of Minister of State for Development of North Eastern Region (I/C), Prime Minister’s Office, Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions, Department of Atomic Energy, Department of Space, Dr. Jitendra Singh. Jammu & Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti graced the inaugural function at the Anantnag Railway Station along with other dignitaries. Chairman, Railway Board, other Board Members and various other dignitaries were among those present at the Rail Bhawan. Baramulla-Budgam-Banihal section is presently being served by 13 pairs of train services which mean 26 single services are presently running. Speaking on the occasion, the Minister of Railways said that seamless rail connectivity among all the districts of Jammu and Kashmir has always been a long-standing demand of this beautiful valley and the new services of trains will prove a great comfort to the people of the state. He said that being a hilly area the road transport generally takes around 6 hours between Baramulla-Banihal but now one can cover this distance in just 2 hours 20 minutes by using new DEMU train that too in just Rs. 30 fare. He said that the state of Jammu & Kashmir has great importance from the tourism point of view where national and international tourists visit throughout the year and thus this connectivity will give a boost to tourism in the state. He said that Railway is also working with the help of IRCTC to bring Jammu & Kashmir on a tourism map which will not only …

Australia is implementing the trial of a three-year multiple-entry visitor visa for India from July 2016. The trial, which is targeted at frequent short-term travellers to Australia, will allow entry into Australia multiple times on the same visa with each stay valid for up to three months. India is among four countries – Thailand, Vietnam and Chile – where the trial will be implemented. Welcoming the move, Australia’s High Commissioner to India, Harinder Sidhu, said, “Australia welcomes the tremendous interest Indians have in visiting Australia for tourism and business. With India among Australia’s nine key tourism markets, the trial will naturally drive our tourism growth from this part of the world.” The trial will make it easier for Indian visitors to make repeat visits. Travellers will not need to re-apply for visa within the three-year period, Sidhu added. The trial applies to eligible applicants within the tourist and business visitor visa streams. The announcement was made as part of the Australian Government’s 2016-17 Budget to boost Australia’s future tourism growth.

Expedia, Inc. and Amadeus IT Group have announced a new global, long-term agreement that enables Expedia to offer air, car, rail, cruise, and hotel products through the Amadeus global distribution system, and adds Orbitz Worldwide brands in addition to the Expedia, Hotwire, Travelocity, Wotif Group, Expedia Affiliate Network and Egencia brands covered by the previous agreement. The agreement builds on the companies’ established Upgrade Options partnership and ensures continued innovation for the more than 8.6 billion flight searches Expedia customers conduct every year. Expedia offers Upgrade Options for multiple carriers in North America and Europe as well as pre-paid, checked baggage offerings on certain sites around the world. Commenting on the agreement, Greg Schulze, senior vice president Global Tour and Transport at Expedia, Inc. said, “Expedia’s commitment is to deliver an exceptional air shopping and booking experience by making it easy for travelers to find exactly what they want. Amadeus helps Expedia to be the very best place to shop for flights.” Expedia is a major online travel player. We are excited to expand our partnership and to continue working together to power innovative travel experiences to delight consumers worldwide,” says Holger Taubmann, Senior Vice President, Distribution, Amadeus