Discover Qatar, the destination management subsidiary of Qatar Airways, has announced the launch of its first expedition cruise series around Qatar’s coastline. They are designed for seasoned and adventurous travellers, provide an opportunity to observe the largest gathering of the world’s largest living fish – the whale shark – in the Al Shaheen marine zone.

A few top travel agents were invited by Vistara Airlines on premium Economy to visit Udaipur and hosted by the Leela Palace Udaipur over two days. They were put up in lake-facing rooms and each one of the agents had a designated attendant.

On the third day of Russian Expo Days today, participants will get a chance to see live broadcasts about the Amur Region and industrial tourism. At 11am IST, one can watch the session ‘Get to know Amur: the region of contrasts and wonderful discoveries’ to learn about tours to cosmodrome, extreme sports or relaxation. At 1:30pm IST, the session will be on ‘Industrial tourism in Russia: from diamond mines to folk crafts.’ One gets to learn about options for individual tourists or corporate groups. Agents can win a trip to Krasnaya Polyana Resort in Sochi on attending all sessions live. Register for free on: russiadays.travel.

Sharing an update on the popular North East festival, Arijit Purkayastha, Festival Organiser and Chapter Chairman for North East, Association of Domestic Tour Operators of India (ADTOI), says, “With the inputs from our stakeholders, we propose to organise the 8th edition of North East Festival on December 19-20 at Radisson Blu Hotel, Guwahati. It will also be streamed via the North East Festival Facebook and YouTube channels.”

Air New Zealand’s new Christmas video, ‘Twas the Flight Before Christmas, comes with an exciting chance for Indian agents to win exclusive Air New Zealand hampers. To celebrate the release of this video and spread some cheer this festive season here in India, Air New Zealand is giving India based agents the chance to win exclusive Air New Zealand hampers, by simply filling in a form with their contact details on the airline’s website before 4 December, 2020. Released on 20 November and shot on location at the 14th Ave Dairy in Tauranga, ‘Twas the Flight Before Christmas sees Santa Claus and Air New Zealand teaming up to surprise some lucky families in New Zealand with a plane ride and the gift of free flights to visit loved ones anywhere in Aotearoa this Christmas. Air New Zealand’s Chief Customer and Sales Officer Leanne Geraghty says, “You have to get quite creative to deliver a campaign like this with less, and we’ve pulled out all the stops to achieve this – including bringing the ‘Sleigh320’ toy plane featured in the video out of storage to be upcycled and repurposed as a magical prop to surprise unsuspecting locals. Though this year’s video was made on a significantly smaller budget than our previous festive campaigns, the focus remains squarely on spreading Christmas cheer and magic.”

The Kenya Tourism Board (KTB) has appointed Intrepid Marketing & Communications a Mumbai-based company, to establish Kenya as an aspirational long-haul destination in the Indian market through varied and sustained initiatives. The Intrepid team will be responsible for executing all trade, marketing and communication activities undertaken by KTB, starting from December 2020. Currently, Kenya is identified in the Indian market as a destination suitable for experiences and safari. The engagement will allow KTB to broaden the narrative of Kenya’s offering and introduce Indians to the country’s culture and heritage, adventure activities and its vibrant cityscapes. Neeti Bhatia, Director, Intrepid Marketing & Communications expressed, “We are working towards aligning our activities with ‘Kenya Vision 2030’ strategy and charting out an extensive calendar to penetrate the brand’s presence in target markets. Once travel restrictions are uplifted, we hope to achieve the set benchmark for Indian arrivals through aggressive trade, marketing and communication approach while putting tourist’s health on priority.” Kenya has laid out ‘Kenya Vision 2030’ which is a long-term development blueprint for the country and is motivated by a collective aspiration for a better society by year 2030. KTB’s objective is to position Kenya as an all-season destination for unique vacations. The tourism board shall liaise with the Indian trade fraternity to chart future itineraries to ensure seamless travel experiences in Kenya.    

Phillip Island Nature Parks in Australia has announced increased capacity at the Penguin Parade and the planned re-opening of the Nobbies Centre and Antarctic Journey, as it takes the last few steps towards COVID Normal and a COVIDSafe summer. This will bring all of the Nature Parks’ attractions back into operation seven days a week for the first time since March. Numbers of tickets to the Penguin Parade will increase from 50 to 500 per night with all venues operating under the organisation’s strict COVIDSafe Plan. Tickets for the Penguin Parade will be released in stages and are only available for purchase online. A new system of ticket holders being given a staggered entry time to the visitor centre is also being introduced to ensure physical distancing is maintained. All visitors will be at the beach before the penguins arrive. The reopening of the Nobbies Centre and Antarctic journey, planned for December 3, will bring the Nature Parks’ attraction offering whole again and also offers visitors the chance to enjoy the ocean views, café, exhibits and to do some Christmas shopping. The team has been busy treating the Nobbies Centre to a complete makeover to ensure it is fresh for the summer.

Passengers from countries not featured on the UK government’s travel corridor list arriving into England will be able to reduce the mandatory self-isolation by at least a week. This includes Indian arrivals as well. The government has launched a new strategy for testing international arrivals from 15 December 2020 whereby passengers will have the option to take a test after 5 days of self-isolation, and releasing them from the need to isolate if the test result is negative. Tests will be at the cost of the traveller.

The Federation of Hotel & Restaurant Associations of India (FHRAI) has stated that nearly 25% of businesses will permanently shut down before the end of this financial year. “The industry anticipates poor business for at least another year. Until then, it needs working capital. If we are allowed to wind up, rebuilding it will prove to be an even bigger challenge,” says Gurbaxish Singh Kohli, its VP.  

According to a recent report by Amadeus, 70% of APAC travellers are ready to travel domestically. The average time spent on holidays will not change, with half of travellers seeking trip duration of 14 days or more. Reconnecting with family and friends is the predominant reason for 55% of these travellers. 34% travellers opt to explore unfamiliar destinations and 32% desire to ‘reconnect with the outdoors’.