More than 120 travel agencies from Mumbai and Pune attended the first knowledge session on TCS organised by TAFI. The association invited not only its members but kept it open to non-members as well at a nominal fee. The session was also open to the CAs of agents. Ajay Prakash, President, TAFI, said, “We may look to replicate this in other cities for other TAFI chapter as well in order to help them resolve confusion around it.”

Thomas Cook (India) has successfully managed the end-to-end delivery of a spectacular ground breaking ceremony and event for the world’s first World Health Organization (WHO) Global Centre for Traditional Medicine in Jamnagar, Gujarat. Thomas Cook India was appointed as the exclusive Event Management Agency, based on the Company’s expertise in this domain. The WHO Global Centre for Traditional Medicine is a global project that will focus on data, innovation and sustainability while optimizing the use of traditional medicine in the field of healthcare and wellness. The event, organised by Thomas Cook India for the WHO and Ministry of Ayush, Government of India, was graced by the Hon’ble Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi along with the Director-General of WHO, Dr. Tedros Ghebreyesus who performed the ground breaking ceremony. The special guest for the occasion was the Hon’ble Prime Minister of The Republic of Mauritius, Pravind Jugnauth. The historic moment was witnessed live by an over 2000 strong audience, World Ambassadors to India, senior members of the Government, international delegations from WHO and the Republic of Mauritius, top bureaucrats and dignitaries. Thomas Cook India’s 3 pronged strategy focussed on innovation, technology and exceptional service to deliver a spectacular event. The 360-degree transformation of the venue was impressive: converting barren land into imposing marquees, the scale of massive hangar-like structures. The Thomas Cook Team deployed cutting edge technology to create an innovative digital exhibition with unique elements like foot sensors for data activation on specially installed magnum screens, ink walls and touch table technologies set against a cinematic backdrop. To ensure exceptional service, Thomas Cook India delivered bespoke arrangements for over 250 VIP guests including premium airport and ground transportation and special …

Tourism Australia has launched a Virtual Travel Fair, Discover a Great Deal More, that provides Indian travellers with the opportunity to explore attractive deals on holidays to Australia, for a limited period. In addition to airfares, travellers can also view competitive prices on holiday packages and other tourism products and experiences. The campaign aims to facilitate aviation recovery and help Australian tourism return to pre-COVID levels. As part of the campaign, Tourism Australia has partnered with six major airlines including Singapore Airlines, Malaysia Airlines, Qantas, Sri Lankan Airlines, Scoot and Thai Airways to offer all-inclusive, return economy-class airfares to Australia starting from just Rs. 48,300*. The sale is valid until 12 May 2022 with a travel validity of up to 31 March 2023 and will be further amplified by Tourism Australia’s key distribution partners and Aussie Specialist agents. Promoted across targeted digital and social media platforms this initiative will help to drive the recovery of tourism, with increased arrivals to Australia, as well as increased bookings on partner airlines and on tourism products, while travellers gain access to great deals. The previous versions have recorded over 100,000 bookings for partner airlines. Commenting on the sale, Nishant Kashikar, Country Manager, India and Gulf, Tourism Australia said, “Australia remains an incredibly desirable destination for visitors from India and we are always exploring avenues to keep offering great value on Australian holiday experiences to our Indian travellers. There is a huge pent-up demand for travel to Australia amongst Indian High Value Travellers, and we are confident that this campaign will offer a compelling reason for travellers to book their next holiday to Australia.” Pre-Covid, India was Australia’s fastest growing inbound tourism market for …

Directorate of Tourism (DoT), Govt. of Maharashtra,   has issued letters to all the 6 Regional Officers (ROs) and 33 Zilla Parishad Chief Executive Officers (CEO) instructing maximum participation from villages in Maharashtra in UNWTO Best Tourism Village Awards. As per the letters issued, applications for participating in the contest have to be submitted before 15th May, 2022, in English. To be eligible , a village must: Have a low population density and a maximum of 15,000 inhabitants Be located in a landscape with an important presence of traditional activities such as agriculture, forestry, livestock or fishing Share community values and lifestyle Villages can apply in any of the three categories mentioned by UNWTO: Best Tourism Villages Upgrade Programme Best Tourism Villages Network The online applications received will be evaluated on basis of the following areas: Cultural and Natural Resources Promotion and Conservation of Cultural Resources Economic, Social and Environmental Sustainability Tourism Development and Value Chain Integration Governance and Prioritization of Tourism Infrastructure and Connectivity Health, Safety and Security Milind Borikar, Director, Directorate of Tourism (DoT) informed, “We have given instructions to appoint officers/staff at Panchayat Samiti level to help villages in filling the online applications. Last year when UNWTO had launched this award, Pochampally village of Telangana had bagged it. This year we are trying for maximum number of participants from Maharashtra.” For more information, please visit www.unwto.org/tourism-villages/en/

Sharing details of this session, Ajay Prakash, President, TAFI, says, “The focus is to explain the nuances of TCS, FEMA and a few other laws and regulations which perhaps not all our members are familiar with. So sometimes they make an error which can have grievance consequences. So we are getting very senior experts from Jayantilal Thakkar & Co in the field to come and talk to our members and educate them and make them aware of what they need to be careful about when conducting business.”

Thomas Cook (India) and its Group Company, SOTC Travel, have been appointed Preferred Sales Agents (PSA) for the Indian market by Emirates Holidays, the tour operating arm of Emirates Airlines. With a strong focus on India, the partnership intends to target India’s Leisure, Business and B-Leisure segments with a portfolio of both ready-to-book and personalised air-inclusive holidays across Emirates’ global network of more than 120 destinations. Thomas Cook & SOTC’s strategic omnichannel model offers extensive touchpoints to customers:  India’s largest retail holiday network and B2B distribution (across its owned stores, Partner franchise outlets and Preferred Sales Agents) coupled with the companies’ website and call centres. Customers and Agent Partners booking an Emirates Holidays with Thomas Cook India and SOTC can enjoy Emirates’ flight services with all Emirates Holidays bookings. Further, customers can avail complimentary meet and greet service at Dubai International Airport (for Dubai destination) as well as 20% bonus Emirates Skywards miles for their bookings. Customers can also enjoy additional benefits such as complimentary upgrades on meal and room plans during their journey. Rajeev Kale, President & Country Head – Holidays, MICE, Visa, Thomas Cook (India) said, “Being appointed the Preferred Sales Agents (PSA) for Emirates Holidays in India is a special win for us. This partnership reflects the confidence of Emirates Holidays in our leadership brands, the strength of our consumer base and our extensive reach across B2C and B2B segments, pan India. With India positioned as one of the fastest growing outbound travel markets, the announcement of our partnership is perfectly timed: the reopening of India’s skies ushering in revival and growth of tourism. Thomas Cook India offers customers and trade partners, the convenience and ease of …

Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia expects more domestic and international flights in a month and said the new UDAN scheme will provide last mile connectivity using helicopters and small aircraft is in the making. He said that regional connectivity is the focus of the government, with provision of last mile connectivity, adding that UDAN is a mission to connect every single citizen, and make flights accessible to common man.

For the first quarter of 2022, international flight bookings to Southeast Asia overall have increased and have showed upward trajectory with the Philippines taking the lead by achieving 42% of its international bookings in the first quarter of 2019 prior COVID-19 pandemic. The Philippines and Thailand were among the earliest countries in Southeast Asia to reopen their borders, and travellers are already clamouring to visit. In the first quarter of 2022, these two countries alone represent over half (51%) of all international flight bookings to the region.

A rise in dark tourism—where travelers visit historical sites of death and disaster—is creating ethical challenges for authorities, according to GlobalData. The data and analytics company notes that site managers should tread carefully to avoid trivializing the event being memorialised. The report reveals that the ethical implications is one of four main challenges for dark tourism, alongside keeping experiences authentic, over tourism, and questions over integrating technology. Steps should be taken to ensure that the tours are responsible and educational. For instance, the 9/11 Ground Zero Museum Workshop hosts student and educational tours on a regular basis.

This summer, World Architecture Travel (WAT) will take guests on an exuberant self-driven tour through the landlocked country in the heart of Balkans. This less-explored beauty of a place reveals many untold stories, cultures and ethnicities as you pass by. It’s chaotic past and the hustling present is just a flight away. From Belgrade’s world-class nightlife to the diverse cultures of Kladovo, Nis, Novisad, explore Serbia in all its glory. Watch the landscapes unfurl as you drive by the Danube River. The food and the exotic cuisines adds to the magic of this trip. Drive on your own and start your adventure with an experienced team of travelers.  Explore the country like never before, in the comfort of premium cars and excellent hotels. Embark on an unforgettable 7-day trip road trip and drive at your own pace with a route map guide, a fully equipped luxury cars with all mechanical support and necessary backup across Serbia. This drive is over 1500 Km in about 7 days through the natural sceneries. An experienced team shall brief you at the beginning of each day and will be present on route for any assistance throughout the travel.