Highlighting a finding from its consumer data trends for 2023, Rajeev Kale – President & Country Head, Holidays, MICE, Visa – Thomas Cook (India), says, “We see a 40% surge in demand for big-ticket global sporting events – and topping the list is the cricket World Series, Wimbledon, the Olympics and F1 (Bahrain, Abu Dhabi, Singapore, etc.) It’s not surprising then that we have received approx 200 queries.”

Pushing the agenda for the hospitality sector, Pradeep Shetty, President, HRAWI, says, “Apart from our longest standing demands for Industry and Infrastructure statuses, we urge the Government to streamline regulatory processes to facilitate Ease of Doing business. Simplifying license procurement, reducing bureaucracy and clarifying regulations will promote growth and innovation within the sector.”

Mauritius Tourism invites the Indian outbound travel trade to attend an exclusive webinar on the destination and get valuable insights and updates for your clients today at 11:30am. Join the webinar and stand a chance to win a fam trip! For more information, write to jaspreet.kaur@ddppl.com or 9650196532.

Oman Air has unveiled a significant enhancement to its distribution capabilities, ushering in a new era of convenience and choice. Partnering with Accelya, a global leader in software and technology solutions, the airline has introduced cutting-edge functionality that will enable its trade partners to seamlessly manage their customers’ travel needs. Part of the airline’s ambitious retail transformation programme, it leverages the latest IATA New Distribution Capability (NDC) technology, representing a substantial advancement from the previous booking tools available to travel agents. “NDC stands as a pivotal tool, empowering us with enhanced flexibility and control over our distribution channels. Oman Air’s NDC journey has yielded significant growth in recent years and our partnership with Accelya marks an important milestone in this journey” commented Con Korfiatis, Chief Executive Officer of Oman Air. “Not only does the new upgrade support us to streamline our customer experience and enable us to scale up and provide more robust services, it also represents a significant reduction in our distribution costs, paving the way for more efficient operations and revenue diversification.” Sam Gilliland, Chick Executive Officer at Accelya, added “We are delighted that Oman Air has chosen Accelya to take control of their retailing future and help them on the journey to Offer & Order transformation. More and more airlines, covering a range of scale and operating models, are choosing Accelya’s FI X Platform due to our track record of delivering fast, impactful results. Our partnership with Oman Air is an example of how Accelya is leading the market in modem wtail solutions and bringing the benefits of our technology to customers.” In addition to enhancing its distribution capabilities, Oman Air is bolstering its loyalty system, also …

Oman Air and SalamAir leadership met recently to mark the launch of the airlines latest codeshare partnership, which offers passengers an expanded range of travel options within the Sultanate of Oman and beyond. During the meeting, the airlines discussed their future prospects as national carriers and their common commitment to supporting the country’s tourism goals as part of Oman’s 2040 Vison. Con Korfiatis, Chief Executive Officer of Oman Air, said, “We are excited about this expanded codeshare partnership between Oman Air and SalamAir and the strengthening of our collaboration. This latest development enables us to jointly offer even more choice and schedule options, which both benefits our customers and serves the broader tourism ambitions of the country.” “We are thrilled to further strengthen our partnership with Oman Air,” said Adrian Hamilton-Manns, Chief Executive Officer of SalamAir. “This extended codeshare agreement reflects our shared commitment to providing passengers with unparalleled travel options and superior service. Together, we eagerly antici[1]pate aligning ourselves with the Ministry of Transport, Communication and Information Technology’s sentiments and the overarching vision of Oman 2040, thus, reinforcing our commitment to driving excel[1]lence in the aviation sector and promoting Omati as a premier travel destination” During the first phase, effective 4 July 2024, passengers can book their travel on a selection of SalamAir’s routes connecting to Oman Air’s network, with more destinations to be added post successful implementation.

According to data from Adara, a RateGain Company, an impressive 62% of all hotel searches from India in the last two months have been for France. The allure of witnessing the Olympics, combined with the romantic and cultural magnetism of Paris, has captured the imagination of many. Contrary to the search data, Germany has outpaced France in actual hotel bookings, receiving 19% of all bookings from India, compared to France’s 16%. Several factors contribute to this trend, reflecting practical considerations over aspirational searches.

SOTC Travel released data on East India travel trends. Interestingly, the data highlights Kolkata’s position as a key source market for SOTC travel – with demand from not only the city but also neighboring regions, powering the Company’s growth trajectory. The Company is witnessing a strong demand uptick of 21% YoY for premium destinations including Europe (Switzerland, France, Spain, Portugal, and Scandinavia), Japan and South Korea. West Bengal/Kolkata Travel Trends Increased travel intent in 2024: 21% YoY Desire for multiple trips:25% higher compared to last year Higher spends: 15-20% compared to last year Top destinations o   Domestic: Kashmir, Ladakh, Chardham, Sikkim, Andamans, Bhutan & Sri Lanka o   International: Europe, Scandinavia, Vietnam, Bali, Singapore – Malaysia, Georgia, Japan o   New emerging: Azerbaijan & South Korea Strong demand for spiritual journeys and darshans – Ayodhya and Char Dham Unique preferences:high interest for experiential holidays, domestic cruises, safaris and biking trips Top customer segments: multi-generational families, millennials & Gen Z Top selling products: Bali Te Gurga Pujo – Bali, Osadharon Vietnam – Vietnam, Japan Ne Sarod Utsov – Japan, Asia Te Hoi Choi Songe Thailand – Singapore – Malaysia & Thailand, Bishyokor Purbo Europe – East Europe, Apurbo France O Swiss – France & Swiss Delight, Shundor Europe – Belgium – Swiss – Germany among others. Daniel D’souza, President and Country Head – Holidays, SOTC Travel said “Kolkata continues to be one of our top source markets with an increase in demand of over 21% YoY from this region. The summer season has witnessed strong growth across both international and domestic destinations 23% vs last year.

Kapil Kaul, CEO & Director, CAPA India, addressing the CAPA India Aviation Summit said, “India’s airline fleet is set to double by FY2030. It took the Indian industry around 90 years from the time of the first commercial flight to reach a fleet size of 700 aircraft. But the rate of growth is so strong that carriers could add a further 600-700 aircraft in just the next 5-7 years.”

Airlines must stay vigilant about governments “going rogue” on globally agreed aviation standards, as the Dutch government did when it moved to cut Amsterdam Schiphol Airport’s capacity without consultation, Willie Walsh, Director General IATA, said. Such actions had the potential to create a retaliatory mess, he warned.

Campbell Wilson, CEO & MD of Air India, has said that the airline’s focus is now on integration, growth optimisation and consumer experience onboard. “The operational processes related to the merger with Vistara to complete towards end of this calendar year,” he said, adding that India has huge 3rd and 4th freedom traffic and the airlines aims to take significant portion of this traffic.