In a significant development for AlUla’s travel landscape, three major airlines Gulf Air, Royal Jordanian, and Saudia have announced new flight options, providing enhanced connectivity and accessibility to the luxury boutique heritage destination. Unlocking access for travellers seeking a unique blend of history, culture, and adventure, Gulf Air, the national carrier for the Kingdom of Bahrain, is expanding its footprint in Saudi Arabia with direct flights to AlUla. Starting 3rd February, Gulf Air will operate twice-weekly flights between Bahrain and AlUla. These seasonal flights will continue till 6th March and resume from 10th to 27th April. Royal Jordanian Airlines is set to launch direct flights between Amman to AlUla, with the inaugural flight scheduled for 16th February. Operating twice a week on Tuesdays and Fridays, this service will be available until 22nd December. Saudia has made AlUla even more accessible to Europe, with the relaunch of its seasonal flights from Paris. The first seasonal flight took off on 28th January, and the service will continue until 28th April. Flights will operate once a week, every Sunday, offering a convenient and direct link between the enchanting city of Paris and the historical wonders of the Saudi destination. Rami AlMoallim, Vice President of Destination Management and Marketing at the Royal Commission for AlUla (RCU) said: “The introduction of new flight options connecting AlUla to Bahrain, Amman, and Paris comes as we experience a period of exciting growth and witness demand from global travellers wanting to visit this historic location. These new flight routes not only enhance the connectivity but also opening a gateway for travellers worldwide to experience the captivating charm of AlUla. We believe these new routes will play a pivotal …

The Indian market Is likely to double in the next five years, said Noor Ahmed Hamid, CEO of PATA, while speaking at a PATA India event in New Delhi. He said, “However, it will not reach the size of China and will remain the third-largest in the world. India is growing on the domestic front with its population propelling business of tourism in India.”

According to Prof Haiyang Song, Associate Dean at the School of Hotel and Tourism Management, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, South Asia, including India, is going to be a powerhouse of tourism in the next 4-5 years. “Tourism will fully recover to per-pandemic level in 2024 and exceed the pre-pandemic level in 2026 by 58.5% and 20.5% in mild and medium scenarios, respectively. The Union Budget 2023 will improve tourism infrastructures to accommodate potential demand surge, and possibly launch Incredible India! 3.0,” he said.

Thailand is expecting around 2 million Indians in 2024 with a new marketing strategy focusing on PASS. Thapanee Kiatphaibool, TAT Governor, shares, “This includes Partnerships, Accelerating digitally, Subculture movement & Sustainability. New segments in focus include senior citizens and women travellers.”

Highlighting India’s potential, Neliswa Nkani, Hub Head – ME, India and Southeast Asia, South African Tourism, says that post Covid, she is seeing India’s outbound tourism market bounce back much stronger compared to rest of the world. “Given the immense potential that lies in the Indian market, it continues to remain among our top three focus markets for 2024 and holds a position of strategic importance,” she said.

Nexa Travel and Incentive, a DMC of Turkey with more than 15 years of experience in the travel and events business, has appointed Global Destinations as their representative in India. This partnership aims to strengthen Nexa’s presence in the Indian market. This collaboration enhances their presence and services in the Indian market. Global Destination is a distinguished name in the travel and hospitality representation sector, carrying a wealth of experience and expertise in promoting international travel destinations. Nexa Travel and Incentive is one of Turkey’s DMC & MICE company that provides tailored products based on the client’s requirements and budget. Nexa specializes in a range of services: Meeting & Incentives Destination Wedding Management Innovative & Creative Turkey Packages & Tours Corporate Travel Medical Travel Beneficial Land Services Figen Albayrak, Managing Director, Nexa Travel and Incentive states, “We are thrilled to partner with Global Destinations as our representative in India. Their extensive experience, market knowledge, and commitment to excellence align perfectly with Nexa’s values and vision. We are confident that they will be instrumental in steering Nexa Travel and Incentives within the travel trade fraternity pan-India; making travel to Turkey more accessible, enjoyable, and memorable. Together, we look forward to delivering innovative solutions and exceptional service to travelers to Turkey.” “We are honored to represent Nexa Travel and Incentives,” commented Mr. Pranav Kapadia, Founder and Director, at Global Destinations. “Nexa’s reputation for quality and product innovation precedes them, and we are excited to introduce them to our Indian travel agents. This partnership marks the beginning of a fruitful collaboration that will benefit travel companies across the country.’

New York City Tourism + Conventions led a delegation of six tourism partners along with Turkish Airlines (they were the part during the Mumbai events) and has concluded its annual sales mission in India, held from January 29th to February 3rd in Mumbai, Ahmedabad, and Delhi. Throughout the mission, New York City Tourism + Conventions and the partners participated in a series of events, appointments, and meetings, aimed at re-engaging the travel trade across the market. The initiative successfully strengthened ties with the Indian travel industry, positioning New York City as a premier travel destination. As part of this mission, representatives the NYC Tourism delegation engaged with key stakeholders and travel agencies in three feeder cities – including Ahmedabad (first time post pandemic) – across India and showcased the diverse offerings that New York City has for Indian travelers. “We were pleased to be back in India, a rapidly growing feeder market for New York City tourism, for our annual sales mission, said Makiko Matsuda Healy, Senior Vice President, Tourism Market Development for New York City Tourism + Conventions. “Recently, we introduced the Travel Trade Academy program, thoughtfully enriched with Hindi subtitles to ensure that the Indian travel trade can fully engage with the five-borough destination. By incorporating Hindi subtitles, we aim to empower the trade to adeptly respond to evolving consumer demands, providing a diverse and personalized array of NYC experiences that resonate with the preferences of the Indian audience.” New York City Tourism + Conventions partners participating in the mission include: Empire State Building, Trump International Hotel & Tower NY, Hudson Yards, Millennium Hotels, Circle Line Sightseeing Cruises, and Madame Tussauds. In Mumbai New York City Tourism + …

BTFL Travel, a Mumbai-based representation company, has been appointed by Indonesia DMC – Travel Hanger as their India representative to handle the B2B market pan India. Travel Hangar Bali is a premier destination management company that specializes in curating tailored journeys for clients. From the pristine beaches of Bali to the cultural richness of Yogyakarta and beyond, its experts ensure seamless logistics, authentic encounters, and personalised itineraries.

In a bid to boost number of incentives coming from India, Business Events Sydney has announced new funding available for travel agents and meeting planners in India. Kristian Nicholls, Executive GM, Client Engagement, BESydney, shared that applications to the Sydney Meetings Fund (SMF) are open for a limited time and can be used to cover/offset an event’s on-the-ground expenses in Sydney. This funding is designed for 100–250-person group and is accessible through BESydney’s website.

The 6th HAI Hotelier’s Conclave was held in Delhi with the theme ‘Hospitality: The Engine for GDP Growth and Employment.’ Industry leaders highlighted the importance of tourism as a job creator. Amitabh Kant, India’s G20 Sherpa and former CEO of Niti Aayog, stated, “Tourism is a significant driver of growth. Globally, it is a $5 trillion industry, with India’s share being less than 2%, a figure that needs substantial increase. From a political perspective, politicians primarily understand one thing: the number of jobs generated by the tourism sector. Tourism has a significant multiplier impact, creating seven indirect jobs for every direct job. However, the tourism industry has not effectively communicated to politicians its role as a major job creator. It would be worthwhile for the tourism industry to set a target of informing the political system at both the central and state levels that focusing on tourism could result in the creation of 25 million jobs by 2030.”