Shangri-La Al Husn, Muscat announces the newest addition to Oman’s diverse culinary scene, the opening of contemporary Indian restaurant Aangan by Rohit Ghai. A sophisticated dining destination with a fresh take on Indian cuisine, critically acclaimed Chef Rohit Ghai has curated an innovative menu inspired by his personal and professional culinary experiences from across the globe. Chef Ghai is renowned for earning upmarket London restaurant Jamavar a Michelin Star in under a year, the first ever Indian chef to achieve such an accolade in the UK. Rohit Ghai has become one of the culinary world’s most in-demand chefs after a hugely successful decade on the London restaurant scene. With his award-winning skills attracting international praise, Shangri-La Al Husn is delighted to welcome critically acclaimed Rohit Ghai and his esteemed team of chefs to the city of Muscat. Aangan meaning courtyard in English, is referred to as a warm and welcoming dining space where food is shared and enjoyed with family and friends. Complete with an alfresco terrace, Aangan majestically overlooks the turquoise waters of the Gulf of Oman. Taking inspiration from Oman’s heritage and India’s homeland, soaring ceilings and artistic archways create a magnificent sense of place. Guests enter the dining area through the grand double doors flanked with bold blue drapes, inviting diners to enter another world and enjoy the heartfelt hospitality Shangri-La is renowned for. The extensive menu designed to share; allows diners to mix and match dishes to tease and tantalise the palate. Chef Ghai has taken a contemporary approach to traditional Indian cuisine and has created dishes that burst with flavour. Dishes include an Aloo Tikki, one of the most well-known street food dishes in India …

The Ministry of Heritage and Tourism, Sultanate of Oman hosted six Indian CEOs, two MBR Company officials, and one Oman Air-India representative on a FAM trip to Oman from 8 October to 11, 2022. They conducted onsite inspections in and around Muscat. They also stopped at the Chedi site, Birkat Al Mouz, Nizwa Souq, and Wadi Bani Khalid. The group then proceeded for hotel inspections, local cultural events, and culinary tours. Oman provides a selection of hotels and locations for various events. The group visited reputed hotels such as Jebel Akhdar, W Hotel, and Desert Rose Camp among others, which were elegant and appealing and were of the highest international standards. The CEOs were delighted to experience delicious Indian food in Oman. They found the food at various locations exceeded their expectations. The food given to vegetarians during the tour came for special mention, especially the breakfast buffet at Anantara Al Jabal Al Akhdar. All hotels, without exception served a wide variety of food, especially the vegetarian spread. The CEOs were informed that Oman can be reached in about 2-3 hours via flights from many Indian cities. The CEOs were happy with the hospitable behaviour of the personnel at the mammoth Muscat International Airport. The tour guides and drivers who took the visitors to various destinations were courteous and informative. They had a thorough understanding of the geographical and cultural context of the respective destinations. The group received a variety of comments, beginning with one from Guldeep Sahni of Weldon Tours and Travels. He said, “Thanks to the Ministry of Tourism, Sultanate of Oman for putting together a terrific schedule. The country was truly a delight to visit”. “Truly a …

Zurich, Switzerland’s largest city, provides tourists with a plethora of accommodation options and access to numerous activities and experiences. Through this webinar, we will showcase Zurich and it’s various touristic offerings. Attend all webinars for a chance to win a trip to Switzerland. For more information, write to jaspreet.kaur@ddppl.com or 9650196532.

Elan Experiences Pvt. Lt., travel start-up and India’s most promising entrant into B2B wholesale market place, is steadily growing and ramping up its presence across the country. After recently opening its head office in India’s financial capital Mumbai, the company now forays in South Indian market with its second office coming up in the City of Pearls, Hyderabad.  The Hyderabad presence, established through strategic alliance with Sun One Vacations, will help Elan better capture and cater to the burgeoning B2B market in Southern part of the country.     Commenting on the latest development, Ami Parekh, Director, Elan Experiences, said, “Hyderabad is our second office within a short span of three months after we opened Elan’s head office in Mumbai. It shows our commitment to travel partners and B2B market in India. The Hyderabad office will help us reach out to an even bigger market that we want to service. True to our USPs, we will remain focussed on creating best of the products range, unforgettable experiences and lucrative profitability for our travel partners.     “Elan Experiences gives access to best B2B rates on bookings made by travel partners. We bring to the table over 120 best of selected hotels across every possible products, hotel category, budget range or requirements with best available rate. One can book transfers, excursions, tickets, rooms, or anything of their requirement and be incentivised at the same time,” Parekh further added.

While everyone deserves a break over the holidays, it is difficult not to be concerned about our impact on the environment in the current climate, given all the news about how traveling is damaging our fragile world. The good news is that we can still enjoy a well-earned getaway, while reducing the carbon impact and reaping the benefits of our downtime. Cross Hotels & Resorts offer a ton of inspirations and ideas for that this month, called traveling mindfully. Cross Hotels & Resorts priceless natural resources are benefited by the vital and kind partnership between Meaningful Travel and Socialgiver. The Big Trees Project will benefit from your package purchases through the Socialgiver website by receiving 50 per cent of your money, which will go towards nature preservation and the preservation of green spaces all around Thailand. This project is gratifying and makes you feel wonderful. The hotels have some fantastic suggestions for taking part in September’s World Car Free Day. A project that allows for thinking on how to lessen our reliance on cars. Although they are practical and beneficial, cars nevertheless produce a worrying quantity of pollution. World Car Free Day is a way to highlight these issues and contribute to reduce CO2 emissions. So, we are urging everyone to take the initiative by stepping up, to start their day by leaving their car keys at home. People are becoming more aware of what they eat, and hotels are thrilled that Moreganic, a world-class vegan restaurant, is reopening at Away Chiang Mai Thapae Resort. It offers a calm and serene atmosphere and is tucked next to the hotel’s tropical grounds. The restaurant creates the tastiest cocktails, including the Banana, …

The Ministry of Heritage and Tourism, Sultanate of Oman, hosted six journalists from across India, including from Delhi, Mumbai, and Aurangabad on a FAM trip to Oman from September 23 to September 29, 2022. The group had onsite inspections in and around Muscat, and other locations across the country. The guests visited renowned hotels and resorts such as Anantara Al Jabal Al Akhdar, dusitD2, W, the View, Al Hamra, Jumeirah Muscat Bay, Shangri-la Hotel, Golden Tulip Nizwa, and Crowne Plaza Muscat among others and shared their experiences. The Indian journalists, who were transported to the villages of Saiq and Wadi Bani Habib, were sang paeans about the country. They also had onsite inspections at Anantara Al Jabal Al Akhdar and clicked photographs of the Nizwa Fort before visiting the souq (market). The group also traveled to Wahiba Sands. After having an incredible experience, they went to Sur, including a temporary halt at Wadi Bani Khalid en route. The guests visited the fish jetty and the dhow factory after arriving in Sur, a town charmingly wrapped in a natural bay. Later, the Indian media conducted an onsite inspection at the Ras Al Jinz Scientific Center, followed by an overnight stay at the turtle reserve. Another was a trip to Muscat with a stopover at the marine museum. They were also invited to Sur, Sinkhole, and a photo shoot in Muscat (the Royal Opera House, the Grand Mosque from the outside, the Souq Muttrah). The tour was then followed by a site visit and dinner at The Chedi and followed it up by a visit to Jumeirah Muscat Bay, before moving on to Al Bustan Palace to see Al Alam Palace. On …

High Commissioner of India to UK Vikram Doraiswami has laid out steps that are being taken to ramp up capacity and address the difficulty in getting an Indian visa by travellers from Britain in a video message on Twitter.

Through this webinar, Switzerland will showcase unique offerings of some of its popular products: BLS Interlaken, Aletsch Arena, Matterhorn Gotthard Bahn, Swissminiatur and FoxTown. Attend all webinars for a chance to win a trip to Switzerland. Write to jaspreet.kaur@ddppl.com or 9650196532. 

Travelers understand the power of their money and make choices that align with their own worldview. Travel advisors have an opportunity to help people connect with a trip that validates their own values.   According to recent Expedia Group research, most people (90%) look for sustainable options when shopping for travel, but many (70%) feel overwhelmed about how to be a more sustainable traveler. Advisors who understand sustainable travel can be an invaluable source for those actively seeking guidance about how to make more responsible travel choices. The rise in sustainably can be a benefit for traveler providers, too. Nearly two-thirds of travelers (59%) are willing to pay more to make their trip more sustainable.  Plus, nearly half (49%) will choose a less crowded destination to lessen the impact of over tourism.  Expedia Group is proactively tracking travelers’ opinions about sustainability and will continue to publish additional research results to its Travel Agent Affiliate Program (TAAP) members. Environmental protection is not the only personal value shaping travel. The healing effect of travel is also important for many who are searching for a sense of contentment and mental well-being. Whether it’s reconnecting with old friends, a nature retreat, a spa or digital detox, traveling for mental health is on the rise. In fact, Expedia Group research reveals that more than a third of travelers (36%) say they would trade a pay raise for more vacation days. Finally, travelers value their financial safety. The uncertainty of the pandemic made flexibility and the ability to get a refund the most valued consideration when purchasing travel, even more than price. One in four people most value the ability to get a full refund across …

Naveen Kundu MD, EbixCash said that India needs to reposition itself as the biggest MICE destinations in the world. India is trying to demonstrate the government’s intention to market the country as a tourist destination in the world.