This March, a delegation of 15 key members of the travel trade fraternity pan India and 2 B2B media will represent India at Marhaba 2022 – a B2B showcase organised by Atout France at the Dubai Expo. The two-day event taking place at the Expo 2020’s Pavillon France and the Raffles Hotel Dubai, is the first of a joint collaboration between the Atout France offices of Dubai, Israel, India and Russia. By bringing together travel professionals from these markets, the event aims to encourage business across the source markets. The attendees will have the opportunity to interact with regional French tourism boards, iconic French tourist attractions, high-end shopping options, hotels, palaces, DMCs, transportation companies and amusement parks. Sheetal Munshaw, Director Atout France India, shares her thoughts, “Marhaba 2022 is indeed special for us as it is the first time after 2 years that members of the Indian trade will network and interact with the French partners in person. In the last 2 years, we have been interacting only virtually with our partners and this event will be a semblance of what we knew in pre-pandemic times. It is also special as it’s a first regional collaboration with our own counterparts. Like most organisations, the pandemic divided us geographically but united us virtually and broke many barriers. This is one such foray into bringing our network closer and proving versatile platforms and opportunities for our key stake holders to engage and enrich their business opportunities. As borders open up and travel resumes, Marhaba is the perfect occasion to revive exchanges between our key stake-holders”. Beside 2 500 scheduled business meetings on the Marhaba platform, Atout France will host two special evenings …

SriLankan Airlines adorns one of its aircraft with customized livery to reaffirm its status as the official airline of the much-awaited ‘Raid Amazones 2022.’ Raid Amazones 2022 is an annual sporting event that features a large number of French female athletes competing their way to victory through multiple sports events and activities against the backdrop of an iconic tourist destination. Every year, the event highlights an attractive tourist destination through inherent features such as its ecological beauty, citizens’ way of life and culture, which are prominently showcased to the world through global media that follow the athletes in their trail. The 20th edition of the event will take place in the areas surrounding the iconic Sigiriya rock fortress, rich in ecological beauty, cultural heritage and attributes of authentic village life in Sri Lanka.  The first leg will take place from 13 – 23, March 2022 and the second leg is scheduled from 27 March – 6 April 2022. Over 550 participants are expected to join the event, including athletes and officials. The SriLankan aircraft with the special livery features iconic Sigiriya, the vibrant and unique backdrop of this year’s event. This aircraft will be deployed to bring in athletes and officials from Paris to Sri Lanka for the event and would also continue to fly to many of the airline’s other destinations in its scheduled operations, thus portraying Sri Lanka’s stature as a sports and adventure destination. SriLankan Airlines, a forerunner in the country’s tourism promotion endeavors, expects this to inspire many discerning travellers from France to explore Sri Lanka in the future, supported by the airline’s direct connectivity between the two countries.

Oman has a plethora of exciting activities to enjoy during the colder months, as well as tranquil beaches to cool off on during the scorching-hot summer months. While the Gulf area is commonly associated with skyscrapers and five-star resorts, Oman remains one of the prized Arabian pearls that can reconnect one with the diverse traditions and customs of a civilisation that extends back hundreds of thousands of years. More and more people are flocking to Oman to discover what makes this country so special, including marine life off the southern coast of Dhofar Province, a wealth of rich history to discover in Muscat, mountains and deserts to discover, and a paradise of extravagant festivals to discover. Oman also has a terrific infrastructure that is excellent for visitors and is a safe place to visit solo or in groups. Experience Oman’s diverse heritage Ancient mosques, forts, and tombs tell the narrative of the battles, beliefs, and people who shaped this distinct region of the Middle East. The majority of these architectural marvels are open to the public all year and are among the most spectacular relics of the pre-modern Islamic world. Many breathtaking ancient sites adorn the country’s historic cities. Their roots reflect Oman’s many influences and layers of history, with some going back to the Sassanid Empire, the last Persian Empire kingdom before the emergence of Islam. Five Omani sites have been included on the UNESCO World Heritage List. Despite the extraordinary developments that have happened in Oman over the years, the country has remained committed to its traditional arts and crafts. A variety of customs, ranging from music and dances that differ by location, are still widely practiced today. …

Luxury takes many forms in New Zealand and to showcase them, Tourism New Zealand will conduct a webinar today at 11am IST. The luxury accommodation in New Zealand is varied and unique. There are award-winning lodges spread throughout the country. Travel agents are urged to attend this webinar for more inspiration to help them plan their clients’ luxury trip to New Zealand. To sign up, contact Jaspreet Kaur at jaspreet.kaur@ddppl.com or 9650196532 or register directly at https://event.webinarjam.com/register/364/k68xnt0v

Luxury takes many forms in New Zealand and to showcase them, Tourism New Zealand will conduct a webinar on February 22, 2022 at 11am. The luxury accommodation in New Zealand is varied and unique. There are award-winning lodges spread throughout the country. Travel agents are urged to attend this webinar for more inspiration to help them plan their clients’ luxury trip to New Zealand. To sign up, contact Jaspreet Kaur at jaspreet.kaur@ddppl.com or 9650196532 or register directly at https://event.webinarjam.com/register/364/k68xnt0v

World’s First Parallel Airline Company ‘WINAIR’ has just been formed in India. A parallel airline is a new concept that means utilising an existing operator who has equipment (Aircraft, NOC, NSOP) and an operating permit. In short, the aircraft are leased utilising their license and viable routes are planned. In other words, it is just like utilising the idle hours of the existing airlines. This is the first time in the world that such a module is being framed by an Indian. Samuel Timothy, Chairman & Managing Director, Winair Aviation, says, “The term ‘WINAIR’ means We Indian Nationals. The Indian aviation story is all set to undergo a huge change in the coming year and the markets are going to grow faster than they were ever before. The growing number of airports, the increasing per capita income, and the fierce competition resulting in one of the lowest ticket prices globally has boosted the number of people traveling by air.”

Nilesh Shah, President, Travel & Tourism Association of Goa (TTAG), reveals that international charters – the main artery for travel business in Goa – restarted from December 2021 from Russia and Ukraine. “From Moscow we are welcoming almost 500 passengers every ten days and we expect this to increase. However, the charters from Ukraine have paused for the time being due to the third wave and the civil unrest there. Moreover, TUI was to send four flights per week from the UK – two from Manchester and two from Gatwick. This unfortunately got cancelled because of the third wave. They were to start from January 20, 2022. But we remain hopeful and with the new private airport in Mopa which will be operational by the next season, I think the charter movement will see a boom as there will be no restrictions,” he shares.

Rajiv Mehra, President, IATO, has thanked the MOT and MoCA for reinstating the Commercial Airport Entry Airport Pass (AEP) for recognized tour operators and hotels. “We have been trying for a long time and now the orders have finally come. Now, at least when the borders open, our members can apply for airports passes in the same manner as they used to earlier, except there has been some capping on the number of passes available, for which we were given indication two years back, when the airport passes were being suspended,” he said.

Tata Sons have announced that Ilker Ayci has been appointed the CEO & MD of Air India. The Air India board met this afternoon to consider the candidature of Ilker Ayci and N Chandrasekaran, Chairman of Tata Sons, was a special invitee to the meeting. The board approved the appointment after due deliberations. Before taking up this role, Ilker Ayci, was the Chairman of the Turkish Airlines and he was on the board of the company prior to that. Ayci will assume his responsibilities on or before 1st April 2022.

Britain has unveiled a £10 million global tourism campaign, called the GREAT tourism campaign, at Expo 2020 Dubai in a bid to strengthen close trade ties with the UAE. The global initiative is aimed to drive inbound tourism to the UK, as the country gears up for a year of big events including Queen Elizabeth II’s platinum jubilee celebrations and the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham. The launch event was hosted by Visit Britain, and was held before UK National Day at Dubai Expo 2020. The tourism campaign will highlight major British events this year, set to be global visitor draws, especially the queen’s platinum jubilee, the Commonwealth Games and ‘Unboxed’, a UK-wide celebration of creativity. VisitBritain also hosted senior trade delegation from India in Dubai at a roundtable with Dame Judith Macgregor, Chairperson, VisitBritain, along with West Midlands Growth Company in the afternoon before the launch of new GREAT tourism campaign. The delegates included Sunil Suresh, Chief Marketing Officer, MakeMyTrip; Anoop Kanuga – Chairman, Tourism Services Committee at TAAI; Jitul Mehta, Chairman, Western Chapter, TAAI and Riaz Munshi, President, OTOAI.