Sunil V. A., Country Manager – India, Oman Air said, “The major advantage of Oman is that it is just like going to a domestic destination in India. The flight is of two hours and people have started travelling to Oman for weekend getaways because the visa process is very simple.” 

With more and more visitors arriving in the Sultanate of Oman, tourism is recovering fast. In July alone, the number of visitors, including those from India, reached 36,087, the highest in the last decade. This year, arrivals from India reached 167,678 between January to July. To cater to this growing number of tourists looking for unique destinations in Oman, the Ministry of Heritage and Tourism announced a special promotional roadshow in five major source cities in India commencing from 22 to 29 August, 2022. The roadshow, comprising a delegation from the Ministry of Heritage and Tourism, Omani tour operators, hotels and airlines, will kick off from New Delhi and Ahmedabad and progress through Mumbai and Chennai to conclude in Bangalore. The roadshow aims to showcase outstanding experiences in Oman’s unique destinations and promote unique travel experiences for leisure, weddings, conferences and exhibitions. Commenting on the launch of the promotional roadshow, Ms Asma Salim Al Hajri, Deputy Director General for Tourism Promotion at the Ministry of Heritage and Tourism, said: “India is one of the most important source markets for the Sultanate of Oman under our marketing and promotional strategy for all target segments. The roadshow will showcase the unique selling points (USPs) of destinations in Oman that will pique their interest to inspire Indian tourists to travel.” “We also seek to promote the Sultanate as an attractive destination for weddings as this is one of the growing tourism segments, especially for visitors from India. With its pristine nature, picturesque beaches and unique architecture, Oman has seen many Indian weddings for its exceptional capabilities in terms of logistical facilities and accommodation,” she added. Al Hajri also said that the Sultanate of …

The Ministry of Heritage and Tourism, Sultanate of Oman, along with Buzz Travel Marketing, took half-a-dozen Wedding Planners from various Indian cities, including Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru and Jaipur, to a familiarisation trip to Oman from 29 July 2022 to 6 August 2022. The idea behind the trip was to showcase and promote the wedding destinations in Oman. During the nine-day trip, the wedding planners were taken to numerous destinations and hotels for site inspections in and around Al Jebel Akhdar, Muscat and other place in Oman. Among the important hotels and resorts visited by the guests included Jumeirah Bay Muscat, Shangri-la Hotel, W, the View, Anantara Jabal Akhdar, Alila Jabal Akhdar, Dusit D2 Resort, Golden Tulip Nizwa and Crowne Plaza Muscat. The visitors had all praise for the destination. “Oman has the most beautiful coastline with azure blue waters, a stunning mountain range, which serve as a backdrop, and emerald green wadis. Anywhere you turn to look, automatically becomes an ‘instagram picture’ moment. Not to forget the Omani people who go the extra mile to make your every wish come true. Hospitality seems to be ingrained in the people of Oman,” said Mehernosh Colombowalla, one of the fam trip members. The wedding planners also enjoyed visit to historical sites and important places of interest. Among them were Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque, the largest mosque in Oman that can accommodate 20,000 devotees together; Al Hoota cave; Misfat Al Abriyeen, a unique mountainous village located 1,000 metre above sea level on the mountain foothills surrounding wilayat Al Hamra in Al Dhakhiyla Governorate; Birkat Al Mauz, a beautiful village situated at the foothills of Jebel Akhdar (Green Mountains); Nizwa Fort, and Wadi Bani …

Da Nang Tourism Promotion Center (DTPC), the agency under the Tourism Department specializing in destination marketing and promotion established the partnership with Global Aviation Services Ptv. Ltd. (GASPL) to promote Da Nang in India. According to the MOU, the Da Nang agency pledged its support to Indian clients looking to learn more about the new destination.

India is the fastest-growing airline market in the world. Private airlines have taken over the skies, while airline prices have been exorbitantly inflated, making air travel more expensive to the traveling public.  Globally, distance plays a pivotal role in determining flight ticket prices. Usually, the further the distance, and more the travel time, the more expensive is the flight ticket price. Domestic or international, depending on the distance passengers wish to travel, the flight ticket prices also vary.  Demand-based pricing is the most conventional pricing strategy in the airline industry. It works out a pricing concept on how much the customer and market will bear. Often, airline pricing categorizes passengers into one of two segments – leisure or business. Disparity and inconsistency in pricing are other factors that affect travelers. Especially at school reopening, during festive seasons, or other such occasions, airline prices are often at their peak in times of high demand. During the off-season, the exact tickets are priced at much lesser levels.  However, the Indian pricing strategy is solely based on a new calibrated dynamic system, a non-regulatory pricing policy beyond the limitations of the Regulatory Authorities and the Competition Commission of India.   Seven scheduled flights and one regional flight are enjoying the Indian airspace. The scheduled are Air India, Indigo, Air Asia, Vistara, Go First, SpiceJet, Air India Express, and the regional flight Alliance Air. The scheduled one, Akasa Air just started operation on August 7, and & Jet Airways, rescheduled to begin in September 2022. The new airline, Aakash Air, projected and promoted it as a ULCC, Ultra Low-Cost carrier. Air India, Vistara & Jet Airways are the only full-service carriers, and the rest are …

All India, 1st August 2022: Nestled in Dehradun, ranked 2rd position on TripAdvisor, strategically located right off the Rajpur road on the way to Mussoorie, an hour from the airport and a half hour from the railway station, providing the best amenities and services in town. Spree Hospitality is known for its design for the evolved, modern global traveler to India. It has satisfied a million customers with its properties focusing on modern decor, full-service, cutting-edge technology, and deep respect for the environment. Spree Hotel Kriday is determined to offer superior levels of luxury and comfort to the guests, each of the 30 rooms are spacious, airy, and decorated for a regal stay in Dehradun. No vacation is complete till you dive into the region’s favourite delicacies and explore their authentic cuisine. At Spree Hotel Kriday, the in-house restaurant, Feast offers a delicious multi-cuisine menu which serves Indian, Chinese, and Continental to make your heart leap with joy! The Hotel also boasts an incredible rooftop restaurant and soft bar, Elevate, which has a stunning view of the valley below! It’s the perfect place to unwind and have fun, and the best way to make an evening with memories that will last a lifetime! The beautifully furnished banquet hall, Celebrate, can accommodate up to 50 people. It is an ideal get-together, conference, wedding reception, and other gatherings. The hotel offers state-of-the-art amenities for hassle-free celebrations, events, and parties.

The Directorate of Tourism (DoT), Maharashtra Tourism, Govt. of Maharashtra is finally kick-starting the inspection of hotels for awarding industry status to them. The Tourism Directorate of Pune is the first one to commence the inspection on the 3rd and 4th August 2022. A total number of 181 non-classified hotels have registered and applied since June 2021 in Pune region that the inspection committee and the appointed agency will be visiting. The Government of Maharashtra had awarded Industry status to the Hospitality sector in April 1999 but that remained only on paper and wasn’t implemented. In 2020, there was a development in the decision when the State government issued the GR, announcing the criteria for levying taxes and charges at the industrial rate for the non-classified hotels. Since then, non-classified hotels were appealed to register and apply to avail the benefits. And now, as the regional offices have received a considerable number of registrations, the inspection committee will begin their site visits. The Committee will be chaired by the Deputy Directors of the respective regions, a representative of the Food & Drug Administration (FDA) department, regional representative of Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB), local representative of Hotel and Restaurant Association (HRA) and a representative of Tour Operator Association (TOA). The agency Qualstar has prepared a road map for inspecting sites which will be followed by the committee. Dr. Dhananjay Sawalkar, Joint Director, Directorate of Tourism (DoT) informed, “So far 446 applications across Maharashtra have been received by DoT. After inspection, if these hotels fulfill all the said criteria, they will be eligible to receive industrial status. This will make electricity charges, water bill, property tax and,non-agricultural tax available to the registered …

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) announced passenger data for June 2022 showing a strong recovery. In terms of the domestic passenger market, India constitutes 2.2 percent of the global share, it revealed. Demand for air travel remains strong. “After two years of lockdowns and border restrictions people are taking advantage of the freedom to travel wherever they can,” said Willie Walsh, Director General, IATA.

To make travel more accessible, KTO has launched the Let’s Go Korea Savings Plan in association with Shinhan Bank in India. It is a Recurring Deposit scheme to help potential travellers to South Korea save up for their trip, with special interest rates and added benefits. With a minimum deposit amount of IN 2,000 per month for a year, members can avail benefits with Utazzo Travel to book their trip to Korea. The investment will act as a regular recurring deposit in case a member is unable to travel to Korea after a year.

The travel market in India is projected to reach US$ 125 billion by FY27 from an estimated US$ 75 billion in FY20. International tourist arrivals are expected to reach 30.5 million by 2028, according to a report by Nangia Andersen LLP.