With an aim to tap the burgeoning Indian outbound market, Visit Iceland in association with the Embassy of Iceland New Delhi hosted a roadshow, press meet and networking evening in New Delhi and Mumbai in September. Being held under the aegis of Iceland’s new Ambassador to New Delhi H.E. Mr. Gudni Bragason, Visit Iceland roadshow was by Representation World in organising its events across Mumbai and New Delhi. H.E. Mr. Gudni Bragason, Ambassador to New Delhi says, “As India is the first major Asian market to open after Covid, it is most important for us to tap its potential. Travel had almost stopped during the pandemic, but now we are hoping for a swift revival. Iceland has a lot to offer for Indians as our nature is strikingly different from anything you can experience in India. There are breath-taking Glaciers, Northern Lights, Clean Air and Geothermal heated pools. Besides, Icelandic food is known for its freshness and can easily be adapted to Indian palette. Through this Roadshow and interactions, our aim is to further promote our destination and interact with the Travel Agencies in India and present them with opportunities of selling Iceland while understanding the obstacles they face in doing so.” Thorleifur Thor Johnsson, Visit Iceland says, “Indian outbound traveller is on a lookout for fresh and unexplored destinations, which is where Iceland fits in perfectly. In 2019, 19,852 Indians visited Iceland, which was a steady increase from 10,944 in 2017. However, these numbers came down drastically in the last two years due to the pandemic and now Iceland is back in India to work on these numbers as believe India a potential source market for its tourism. To …

The central government has issued new guidelines for the Leave Travel Concession (LTC) availed by employees, which will now include air tickets. The Centre in a missive sent to all central ministries and departments said that the Department of Expenditure’s circular from June regarding air travel on government duty will also be applicable for air travel for LTC. The circular stated that air tickets to be availed under LTC shall be only bought from three Authorised Travel Agents (ATAs), which are Balmer Lawrie & Company Limited, Ashok Travels and Tours and Indian Railways Catering and Tourism Corporation. LTC is an allowance given to employees for meeting travel expenses when the employee is on leave from work. The same is exempted from tax under the Income Tax Act.

Bird Travels has been appointed as the GSA for Asiana Airlines, a member of Star Alliance and a major airline of South Korea for passenger and cargo in India with effect from 1st September 2022. Asiana Airlines, established in the year 1988 has its headquarters in Seoul and a very strong India connection. It established its service in 1997 and stands committed to deliver optimized connectivity between the two nations and to onward destinations as well. Founded on the ideology, ‘maximum safety and customer satisfaction through service’, Asiana Airlines has a wide network with a presence in:

Thomas Cook India Limited (TCIL) is set to expand its customer base as it successfully targets both online and offline channels, and by capitalizing on its branch network, which is the company’s primary competency and a significant contributor to sales and profits, says GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company. GlobalData’s latest Report, ‘Case Study: Thomas Cook (India) Limited (TCIL)’, reveals how TCIL is marrying its online and offline channels to drive sales of trips and additional services. Akshat Sharma, Travel and Tourism Analyst at GlobalData, comments: “GlobalData Q4 2021 Consumer Survey* reveals that 25% of Indian respondents reported booking holidays through the online channel, while 5% reported booking holidays in store. As TCIL is well established online, it is able to cater to this preference. With its 160+ store network, it is also well-placed to attract customers who prefer to book in person by visiting its physical stores.” Sharma continues: “A key part of the company’s strategy is to use the online channel to supplement its offline operations. For example, many of its customers book travel packages online, and then the company invites them to visit its stores for additional value-added services such as forex, insurance, and visa application assistance.” Customers are first engaged online by TCIL before they are transferred to the company’s physical stores for these additional services. Those looking for a store to book their vacation can also take advantage of TCIL’s range of services in one location. This multi-channel strategy is expected to increase both internet traffic and brick-and-mortar sales. Customers who have previously interacted with TCIL will continue to do so, avoiding visits to multiple agents for different services. Sharma concludes: “While the company …

Jyotoraditya M Scindia, Minister of Civil Aviation, has said that looking at the non-metro growth rate, which was 10.8% in 2010-2015 has today grown to almost 31%. “The future growth is going to come from the non-metros, and that’s where regional airlines will come in an that’s where the last mile connectivity would come in with small aircraft,” he added.

AAI has undertaken the development work of Civil enclave at Kanpur Airport with enhanced passengers’ facilities at a project cost of Rs 143.6 Crores. The development project includes construction of a new terminal building, and apron suitable for parking of three A-321 type of aircraft.

G Kishan Reddy, Minister of Tourism, Culture & DoNER, recently visited and reviewed works at Tourist Facilitation Centre and amphitheater funded by GoI at Srisailam in AP. It will be the biggest amphitheatres in the country with a capacity of 2000 guests and will showcase the cultural & spiritual connection of the place.

G Kamala Vardhan Rao, Director General, Tourism, has revealed that the Ministry of Tourism is working towards increasing the number of guides and tourist facilitators by training them in a big way because the country will be taking residency for G20 from December onwards.

VFS Global has organised a webinar on Azerbaijan on 7th September at 12pm. The informative session with an esteemed panel of presenters will allow the travel trade to know all about Azerbaijan, how to connect & reach the country and apply for an eVISA through VFS Global. Register on: https://event.webinarjam.com/register/430/zyqvmb18.

Souvagya Mohapatra, Managing Director, Atmosphere Hotels & Resorts for India, Nepal, Bhutan & Sri Lanka operation, has said, “In next 3 to 4 years, we aim at acquiring 10 to 12 hotels. Hence, we will have a strong marketing and PR presence in India very soon. Our focus is to explore across the country and wait for the right opportunities.”