Mazda Travel has partnered with APT to offer their Canada & Alaska tour and cruise programs exclusively to Indian travel agents. Mernoz Shastri, Director, Mazda Travel, says, “We are well-known as the India GSA for the Rocky Mountaineer. It was only logical that we partner with APT who have over 90 years history as Australia’s largest and most successful tour operator. Their award-winning Canada and Alaska tours make Mazda Travel a one-stop shop for Indian agents wanting to offer their clients the trip of a lifetime to this beautiful part of the world.” APT offers unique inclusions in their fully-inclusive programs that include ‘Freedom of Choice’ dining where guests are free to choose when, where and who they dine with from multi-choice menus in a variety of restaurants. ‘Freedom of Choice’ sightseeing allows them to select the activity that best suits their interest from a comprehensive range of options, along with guaranteed view rooms at Fairmont hotels and Resorts, luxurious Wi-Fi equipped coaches and the best tour directors in the business.   Another feature of the APT range is the inclusion of a seven-night Inside Passage Cruise on Holland America Line or Princess Cruise ships. Craig James, Sales Manager, APT, says, “We always have the cruise at the end of your land tour, it’s a highlight amongst many great experiences and it is wonderful to enjoy the land tour but still have the spectacular cruise to look forward to.” APT tours have no hidden extra costs or optional excursions.  All tipping, round-trip airport transfers, porterage, port charges and more are all included in the commissionable price.   Explaining why Mazda Travel chose to partner with APT, Shastri says, “I spend …

Radisson Hotel Group opened seven new hotels in India in 2018, and the group is on track to reach the landmark of opening its 100th hotel in India this year. New hotels set to open within the next 12 months include India’s first Radisson RED hotel, located in Mohali. The group is also planning to debut its Radisson Collection, which is in the luxury space above Radisson Blu. Zubin Saxena, Managing Director and Vice President Operations, South Asia, Radisson Hotel Group, says, “We are looking at launching Radisson Collection brand in the near future. We are actively in discussions for various sites in India for this. We would love to have the Radisson Collection brand as a palace in Rajasthan, or a high-end resort in Goa, or even a city hotel in Bengaluru with a large convention centre. The brand has a large appeal and we see it being successful in various formats across tier I markets, tier II markets as well as resort locations. Once we have the right location and partner for this, we will announce it,”

TPConnects, a new generation global travel technology provider to the airlines and travel sellers, has announced that TPConnects was granted “ONE Order Capable” status as an Order Management System for its ONE Order-based solution, under the ONE Order Certification Program. This certification recognizes that TPConnects ONE Order-based solution, “Offer and Order Management System” supports deployments using Accounting and Delivery capabilities for Flights and Ancillaries whose schemas are compliant with the standard ONE Order message schema, version 18.2. ONE Order is an IATA messaging standard that aims to modernize reservation systems by combining passenger information currently held in different systems into one record. The IATA ONE Order program will simplify airline reservation and accounting systems by gradually phasing out Passenger Name Records widely known as PNRs, Electronic Tickets (ETKTs) and Electronic Miscellaneous Documents (EMDs) and replacing them with modern “internet-era” Order records. ONE Order extends the capability of the Order Management System and complements IATA New Distribution Capability Standard (NDC). This gives airlines the ability to see the passenger’s full travel experience, making it easier to provide specific services and personalized experiences for travelers to purchase. Rajendran Vellapalath, Chief Executive Officer, TPConnects said “We are pleased to be one of the first travel technology provider to achieve IATA One Order recognition. Along with IATA NDC highest level certification the ONE Order designation solidifies the great progress made by TPConnects Offer and Order Management solution in helping airlines reduce complexity and become better retailers While the NDC based Offer Management Solution of TPConnects is maturing with different airlines customizing the product as per their business requirements, our main focus recently has been to encompass the implementation of retail industry standard Order Management …

AirAsia will start its inaugural Ahmedabad route – starting May 31, 2019, with special all-in promotional fares exclusively for AirAsia BIG members from Rs 4,999 one way. Guests can take advantage of the convenient flight schedule with early morning arrival and evening departure, which gives them more time to spend in Bangkok.  Ahmedabad is the ninth Indian destination for AirAsia Thailand (carrier code FD), after Kochi, Chennai, Kolkata, Bengaluru, Bhubaneswar, Jaipur, Visakhapatnam and Gaya (seasonal). Book from 9-21 April 2019 for travel between 31 May 2019 and 4 February 2020 on airasia.com or the AirAsia mobile app. AirAsia Thailand CEO Santisuk Klongchaiya said, “India is a strategic market for AirAsia and our focus is on further growing our international connectivity to the country. This new route will expand the travel opportunities for the people of western India, and we are confident that our unique combination of low fares and award-winning service will stimulate traffic on this underserved route and fuel tourism and economic growth.” AirAsia Thailand has recorded a positive load factor of up to 87 percent on its India routes, with guests travelling between Bangkok and existing destinations in India increasing 7% on-year, translating into economic benefits for both countries. Guests who wish to explore AirAsia’s network beyond Bangkok can make use of the convenient Fly-Thru service, which allows them to transit via Bangkok with baggage checked through from Ahmedabad to domestic destinations such as Chiang Mai, Phuket and Krabi, as well as other Asian cities like Singapore, Bali, Hong Kong, Kuala Lumpur, Ho Chi Minh and Tokyo.

HVS ANAROCK recently released its industry review for 2018. According to the report,  the supply of rooms is anticipated to grow by 4.0% and demand by 7.0% in 2019. Over the last 2 years, hotel supply grew by 3.7% in 2017 and 3.5% in 2018, whilst demand grew by 7% and 6.8% in the respective years. While both the past years have paved the way for strong growth in demand for 2019 driven by strong economic growth in the country, some headwinds in 2019 are expected to dampen the performance turnout for the year. The first major reason is the country’s general election, during which the commercial market, the main stay for hotels in the country, puts on hold all decision making in anticipation of the election results that could potentially have a material impact on several policy initiatives of the government. Thankfully though, elections will be held in the summer months when demand in the country is comparatively low, limiting its negative impact on hotel performances.The second major reason is the impact of new hotel supply that is expected to commence operations in the current year. As per our estimates, 8,574 keys will enter the market in 2019, a nearly 19% rise over the last two years.

A three-city workshop organised for Reunion Island and its tourism suppliers took place in the key cities of Delhi, Mumbai and Chennai in the first week of April. Organised with Atout France, this initiative formed part of Reunion Island’s strategy of developing close synergies with the Indian market and augmenting Indian visitor arrivals to the Island. A delegation of seven suppliers helmed by the President of the Reunion Island Tourism Board, Stéphane Fouassin and Lydie Sangarin, Market Manage, showcased the island’s tourism offers to members of the trade in the three cities. The delegation comprised the national air carrier Air Austral, destination management companies, hotels and a helicopter ride attraction. A presentation on the island made by the Reunion Island Tourism Board followed by meetings with the suppliers led to an in-depth understanding of the island, its experiences and how to best showcase their products in India. Stéphane Fouassin, President, Reunion Island Tourism Board, said, “India is an important source market for us and we believe that Reunion Island is a perfect fit for visitors wanting to enjoy a holiday by the sea coupled with adventure experiences. An array of diverse activities ensures that the island perfectly caters to the needs and requirements of its visiting families, couples, friends on a holiday and adventure enthusiasts”. Sharing her thoughts, Sheetal Munshaw, Director Atout France in India, said, “We are extremely pleased to showcase Reunion Island – a French overseas department and its array of experiences to the Indian travel trade. We are confident that this workshop will pave the way for more Indian arrivals to the island. In addition, the visa access policy for stays less than 15 days certainly increases …

Trafalgar has launched a brand new offer called Real Travel Deals – ‘Here Today, Gone Tomorrow’ up to 15 per cent in line with customer demand for better deals. Like the tagline suggests, these deals won’t last. This is over and above an additional five per cent VIT (Very Important Traveller) discount that is offered to travellers on select trips. Gavin Tollman, CEO, Trafalgar, says, “We are and will always be the AgentsFirst brand, and aligning our offering to the needs and demands of our agents and customers is our first priority. We know customers have been waiting to book their 2019 travels and are now craving enticing on the spot offers, so they can book and secure the trip of their dreams, and let the excitement of their upcoming travels begin.” Trafalgar has 302 trips that visit all seven continents around the world. With 58.3 per cent repeat booking rate for India,  a 4.7/5 independent satisfaction rating on Feefo, and a recently announced 100% Definite Departures on all Europe and Britain 2019 trips, guests planning to travel this Summer can take advantage of these savings.

IHG started its journey with SAMHI with the signing of 14 hotels within their India hotel portfolio to renovate and rebrand Holiday Inn Express on par with the global brand standards in November 2017. To achieve this target, SAMHI recently has announced an investment of Rs 100 crore. Pascal Gauvin, Managing Director, IMEA, IHG shared, “Our partnership with SAMHI and launch of the new Holiday Inn Express portfolio has given us a solid foothold in the mid-scale hotel segment in India. With the recent openings, we now have 27 operating hotels under the Holiday Inn brand family in the country, and a robust pipeline of 33 hotels due to open in next 2-3 years. Through this venture, we have realised that in a market like India, it is imperative to forge partnerships with partners such as SAMHI. Together we will continue to contribute by building a robust hospitality market in the country.”

Effective June 05, IndiGo will fly daily non-stop from Mumbai to both Jeddah and Abu Dhabi. Effective July 05, the airline will connect Mumbai with Dammam through daily direct flights (Subject to regulatory approvals). Additionally, IndiGo is temporarily adding approximately 20 new departures each from Mumbai and Delhi in a phased manner from April 15, 2019. This is an effort to make it easier for customers to find affordable fares during the busy season. William Boulter, Chief Commercial Officer, IndiGo said, “We are strengthening Mumbai as a key travel hub for domestic and international connectivity from India. We are pleased to announce Jeddah and Dammam as our 17th and 18th international destinations effective June 05, 2019 and July 05, 2019 respectively. Jeddah being the commercial capital and the gateway for Haj, Dammam being the growth centre in Saudi Arabia and Abu Dhabi being a major cultural and commercial centre in UAE, are critical markets for strengthening our presence in the Middle-East. Mumbai is the commercial hub of India and we see great potential connecting the Middle-East with this city, further bolstering the extensive cultural, business and tourism links between India and the Middle East. With the addition of these new international flights and enhanced domestic frequency, we are committed to expanding our network to meet the requirements of both business and leisure travellers. It is our constant endeavour to provide flexibility of choice to our customers as IndiGo continues to offer on-time, affordable, courteous and hassle-free flying experience consistently.”

The Fern Hotels & Resorts has opened two hotels- The Fern Residency, Manali (Himachal Pradesh) and The Fern Sattva Resort, Polo Forest (Gujarat), thereby taking the tally to 58 hotels managed by the company. Commenting on the opening of both the hotels, the COO of the hotel, Suhail Kannampilly said, “The people visiting Manali and Polo Forest can now enjoy our eco friendly hospitality. Manali hotel is the second hotel which we are managing in HP. In Gujarat we are now at 15 locations”. The Fern Residency, Manali is a 37 room property situated in the picturesque hill state of Himachal Pradesh. Nestled far away from the hustle and bustle of the cityscape, the hotel is enveloped by a panoramic view of the magnificent Kullu Valley dotted with spectacular streams, apple orchards and rugged snow peaked mountains. The Fern Sattva Resort, Polo Forest (Gujarat) is a 30 room resort located in Abhapur Village, Taluka Vijaynagar of Gujarat and is two and half hours drive from Ahmedabad. Surrounded by the lush green forests at one side and the gentle flowing Harnav River on the other, the resort is a perfect place to unwind and chill. The hotel has three different room categories Winter Green Cottage, Fern Club Villa and Hazel Suite.