After positioning itself in travel markets in major parts of India and becoming a name that is recognized for its accountability and dedication, One Above Global DMC has expanded its journey of success by opening a new branch in Chennai on 14 December 2022. The aspiration is the same, offering travel products at affordable rates along with flawless services. It is planning to grow its business on an all India level and its Chennai office is one of the attempts for the same. The inauguration was graced by many travel agents followed by a Thanksgiving networking dinner to all the potential partners. As per Rahim Aslam, Director and Founder of the company, “Our branch office in Chennai will ensure that our customers going for International holidays will not face any kind of difficulty and we shall be able to provide them value for money vacation. On receiving so many holiday queries from Chennai on a daily basis, opening a branch office was essential for us.”

Spree Hospitality expand its footprint in Delhi, announced the opening of its new luxury hotel, Zip by Spree Hotels Delhi. This 4 – star property is located in Greater Kailash, one of the most sought after and posh residential areas in Delhi, known for its wide selection of attraction, this place is must see for the travellers. Commenting on the opening, Sagar Khurana, Vice President of Spree Hospitality said “We are delighted to extend our Spree Hospitality portfolio in Delhi with the addition of Zip by Spree Hotels Delhi. Delhi is a major business and cultural centre and we remain committed to growing our presence in North India. We are delighted to partner with Mr. Mittal.” Spree Hospitality acquired by EaseMyTrip is fastest growing hotel chain having 30 plus properties across India in business of Hotels, Clubs and Guest house known for its gorgeous interiors and rooms with relaxing ambience. The nearest airport is Delhi International, 19.3 km and railway station, 4.46 km away from the property. The property has 40 cool spaces. The hotel also features all day multi – cuisine restaurant, banquet hall the perfect venue for meetings, seminars and other business functions. Spree Hospitality is set to welcome guests from January 2023.

Tripjack will now offer Resorts World Cruises to its customer base that include travel agents and leading corporates. Resorts World Cruises is an established Asian luxury and dynamic lifestyle cruise brand that is rich in Asian heritage, offering a personalized cruising lifestyle with diverse international experiences. The partnership aims to give a boost to the international cruise category in the B2B space by improving awareness and discovery, providing seamless booking experience and personalised support. Tripjack will tap its strong B2B presence across India and offer these unique travel experiences. Resorts World Cruises aims to redefine the cruising experience altogether by providing exciting and unique offerings, a variety of accommodations, including the world-class luxury accommodation, “The Palace” – a luxury ship-within-a ship private enclave with its own exclusive restaurant and private amenities, as well as European style butlers a theme park with multiple attractions, on board entertainment and international performances, retail outlets and luxury boutiques, popular and fine-dining and bars, MICE facilities and more. Speaking on the announcement, Abdul Thingna, Vice President, Hotels & Holidays, Tripjack said, “We are thrilled to announce our partnership with Resorts World Cruises. With our extensive B2B network, cutting-edge technology, and excellent customer service, we are a natural fit with one of the most recognisable cruise lines in the world. At Tripjack, we are committed and consistently working towards providing a plethora of travel experiences that cater to the B2BC market.” “We are excited to partner with Tripjack to offer and expand cruising options to its customer base, which will further boost the Fly-Cruise sector across different market segments, including the MICE segment. With an added and valuable partner like Tripjack, we are confident that our …

During COP15 in Montreal today, the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC), United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) and the Sustainable Hospitality Alliance (the Alliance) announced a new collaboration which will bring together the public and private sectors in a shared vision to halt and reverse biodiversity loss by 2030. The vision sees the global Travel & Tourism sector supporting and inspiring governments, businesses, and society to implement the post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework and help to transform our relationship with the natural world. Signatories to the vision have committed to adopt a nature positive approach to tourism through integrating biodiversity safeguards by reducing carbon emissions, the impact of pollution, the unsustainable use of resources, and by protecting and restoring nature and its wildlife. New governance and business models, enhanced capacity to monitor positive change and scaling up green jobs are all part of the solution as we move ahead together This collaboration follows the release of WTTC’s ‘Nature Positive Travel & Tourism’ report, which was created jointly with ANIMONDIAL, and focuses on halting and reversing damage to nature so the living world can recover from its current depleted state. This involves minimising ongoing harm and taking positive action to restore nature to produce an overall benefit to biodiversity and help achieve Net Zero. Almost 150 organisations have signed up to the vision so far including international hotel groups, tour operators, travel agents, destinations, and international wildlife charities. Complementing the power of the private sector, UNWTO, as the voice of tourism at the global governance level, will work to bring governments and international organisations on board and announce the shared vision of tourism as a pillar of wildlife conservation and habitat …

Notwithstanding the potential impact on demand with further Covid waves, if any, ICRA expects the industry’s revenues and margins to return to pre-Covid levels in FY2023. The demand recovery has been better than expected in the last few months, aided by domestic leisure/transient travel, pent-up demand from MICE (including weddings), and gradual recovery in business travel and foreign tourist arrivals (FTAs). H2 FY2023 is expected to be better than H1 FY2023, with the sustenance of the leisure, transient, and MICE demand and further pickup in business travel and FTAs. ICRA expects pan-India premium hotel occupancy to be 68-70% for FY2023, while the ARR is expected to hover around Rs. 5,600-5,800. The YTD October 2022 occupancy stood at 62-64% while the ARR for 7M FY2023 was only at an 8-10% discount to pre-Covid levels and stood at Rs. 5,000-5,200. A few high-end hotels and leisure destinations witnessed ARR spike to higher than pre-Covid levels over the last 6-9 months. The improved operating leverage, along with the sustenance of cost-optimisation measures, will support margins and cashflows for hotel companies. Vinutaa S, Vice President and Sector Head – Corporate Ratings, ICRA, said, “The healthy demand uptick has resulted in a pick-up in new supply announcements over the last 4-5 months. Further, construction activity in projects stalled post-Covid-19 has also commenced recently. However, the hotel supply pipeline is expected to grow only at a 5-year CAGR of 3.5-4%, adding approximately 15,500 rooms to the pan-India premium inventory of ~94,800 rooms across 12 key cities in India. This will facilitate an upcycle, as demand improves over the medium term while supply will lag demand with a cautious expansion approach by hoteliers and the absence of …

On the occasion of the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Vietnam and India, the Embassy of Viet Nam in India, organised the Vietnam Tourism Forum in India. HE. Ambassador Nguyen Thanh Hai emphasized that the forum was also an opportunity for Vietnamese service providers to understand more about Indian tourists’ demand so to prepare customised products for Indian market.

A parliamentary panel has recommended that the Ministry of Tourism identify and develop revenue-generating domestic tourist destinations in states to promote innovation in production and service in the sector. The standing committee on Transport, Tourism and Culture, which submitted its report said that despite the fact that India offers a diverse portfolio, share of International Arrivals was merely 1.59% in 2021.

Madhya Pradesh kickstarted the two-month mega event, Jal Mahotsav, to promote water-based tourism in the state. Due to its popularity and potential opportunities for investors and visitors, the state tourism board wants to create more such projects that will offer the same experiences like Jal Mahotsav. Principal Secretary Tourism and Culture Department and Managing Director, MP Tourism Board Sheo Shekhar Shukla added that 15 similar sites have been identified in the state now where the work will start soon.

The Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) on Tuesday said check-in counters left unmanned by airlines were leading to congestion at major airports in the country. ‘Airlines are therefore advised to deploy sufficient manpower at all check-in/baggage drop counters well in advance to ensure decongestion and smooth flow of passengers at airports,” the MoCA’s said in the letter. A surge in air travel – airports have seen over 400,000 domestic flyers a day for 10 consecutive days – has strained the infrastructure at the country’s busiest airports such as Delhi and Mumbai and forced the MoCA to order a reduction and shifting of peak-hour flights. “It has come to the notice of the MoCA that the airline check-in counters at certain airports are found unmanned or inadequately manned during early morning hours leading to congestion at the airports, thereby causing inconvenience to the passengers,’ MoCA’s letter stated, requesting airlines to place real-time data on their social media feeds regarding waiting time at respective airports’ entry gates.

With the revival of the Indian tourism industry post pandemic, AmEx has released a report which furnishes valuable and relevant information on key indicators of tourism statistics. As per the report, 62% plan to attend music festivals to celebrate the holidays this year. Almost 87% people agree they would rather purchase experiences as gifts for their friends and family rather than material gifts.