EbixCash has been awarded the prestigious contract to design, develop, build, install, maintain, operate, and transfer the Intelligent Transport Management System (ITMS) for all state buses operated by two government-owned transport companies: Calcutta Public Transport Corporation (CSTC) and West Bengal Transport Corporation (WBSTC). EbixCash will implement the on-demand bus automation system over a minimum of 1,500 buses in the state. The initial contract term is 7 years, with EbixCash rolling out the platform over the next 3 months.

Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) on Monday issued an advisory on Purposive Testing Strategy for COVID-19 in India, stating that RT-PCR is not required for individuals traveling interstate within India. However, testing is mandatory for international travelers as per laid down guidelines at Indian airports, seaports, and ports of entry.

An 8-member delegation from the events and wedding industry came together to meet the Health Minister in New Delhi to urge him to remove the 20-pax cap in the capital. The team, led by Rajeev Jain, MD of Rashi Entertainment, met Health Minister Satyendar Jain to consider some relaxations

The permanent delegation of India to UNESCO yesterday announced that on the occasion of World Hindi Day, UNESCO’s World Heritage Centre has agreed to publish Hindi descriptions of India’s UNESCO World Heritage Sites on WHC website. Union Education and Skill Development Minister, Dharmendra Pradhan via Twitter welcomed the decision. He said that Hindi is a matter of pride for every Indian and Hindi lover. The popularity of Indian languages on the global stage is welcoming and encouraging. 

Rakesh Verma, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Tourism, Government of India, launched ‘Heal in India’ initiative to boost medical tourism growth at India Pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai. “India has become a favourite destination for yoga and wellness, the government of India recognizes medical value travel and wellness tourism as important sectors having the potential of accelerating the country’s development and attaining the objective of Aatmanirbhar Bharat” he stated.

Hong Kong announced strict new anti-coronavirus controls on Wednesday, banning flights from eight nations after the Omicron variant was detected within the city. Flights from Australia, Canada, France, India, Pakistan, the Philippines, UK and US will be banned from midnight on Saturday for two weeks.

As a result of a recent study by the International Air Transport Association (IATA), total passenger numbers are expected to reach 2.3B in 2021 and grow to 3.4B in 2022, which is comparable to 2014 levels. It is expected that airlines will offer lower prices, better seats, and longer flights by 2022.

Tamara Leisure Experiences headquartered in Bengaluru, India has added to its German portfolio of hospitality outlets with the recent acquisition of Moxy Bremen at Uberseestadt in Bremen. This marks the 4th hotel acquisition by Tamara Leisure Experiences in Germany, strengthening its hospitality portfolio in the region. Speaking on this latest acquisition, Shruti Shibulal, Chief Executive Officer, Tamara Leisure Experiences says, “This is a proud moment for all at Tamara Leisure Experiences, especially as we close 2021, another tumultuous year for the hospitality industry. We, at Tamara, aim to strengthen our global presence and this latest acquisition in Germany marks our fourth property acquisition outside of India. With it, we further diversify our portfolio and continue on our path to achieving 1000 keys globally by 2025.”

TravelBullz added Destination India in its product portfolio for B2B travel fraternity. The launch package with WelcomHeritage Elysium, Shimla included a one-way helicopter ride, which has never been done in the past in the Indian domestic market. The aim and focus is not only to bridge the gap between the supply chain and our B2B partners and making Domestic Hotels and packages available for all of India on one platform but also to focus on niche products in each destination. With the help of technology, the agents will be able to book multi-city, multi-state packages with one click and instant confirmation without having to call various hotel/vendors. Currently the domestic product is very fragmented at a regional level and the focus is to make all hotels, transfers, tours and multi-city packages available at the most competitive prices under one login for the B2B agents. The Dynamic Packaging Module will play a big role in how the B2B fraternity makes bookings for the domestic product and is expected to be a game changer.

Since 22 December travel agents across the country have been unable to access Air India’s inventory on the GDS while the flights can be seen on the airline’s website. Attempts to contact senior management have proved futile, attributing the problem to a ‘technical issue’ . “Such disruptions, coupled with zero communication to the trade further erode Air India’s credibility,” said Ajay Prakash, TAFI President. “We’re all waiting for the House of Tata to take over the reins of the Airline and we hope that the new management will work more closely with their trusted trade partners – the Travel Agents who have supported the national carrier at all times,” he concluded.