The total visitor arrivals from India to New Zealand have doubled from 33,000 to 66,000 in the past four years, with more Indians visiting the country than ever before. In recognition of this incredible growth, Tourism New Zealand is expanding its annual travel trade event, Kiwi Link India, this year. The new format will see the organisation and partners hosting key buyers from around India in Mumbai from July 9-10, followed by frontline training in Bangalore and New Delhi from July 12-13 respectively. Kiwi Link serves as a platform for Indian travel agents, product managers and planners to interact with New Zealand operators and understand the new developments and market insights in the tourism sector. Kiwi Link 2018 will see participation from record 40 New Zealand operators, along with three airlines – Air New Zealand, Singapore Airlines and Thai Airways, Immigration New Zealand and 72 Indian delegates from 49 travel companies. More than 50 Indian participants are expected to attend the frontline training programme which will be conducted in the Bengaluru and New Delhi markets. Steven Dixon, Regional Manager-South and South-East Asia, Tourism New Zealand said, “The record number of New Zealand operators visiting India to participate in Kiwi Link this year is a real reflection on the value we place on the market. This event provides an opportunity for both new and experienced tourism operators to develop an alliance with vital travel decision makers, thus enabling them to drive sales out of India.”

To promote the flights to Amsterdam, together with CSIA Mumbai, KLM Royal Dutch Airlines has installed an experiential activity at the Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport targeting the international flyers. The installation is made so thematically that the flyers can have a taste of ‘Mini Amsterdam’ during their transit time and before they board the flight from Mumbai. As Holland is known to be the biking capital of the world, KLM India has installed a cycling activity, which is a nice way for passengers to spend time while waiting to board their flights. The activity also gives a chance to the flyers to win goodies, airline discount vouchers, food coupons and much more. It is communicated via social media and will be live until end of June. From Mumbai, passengers fly on KLM’s latest Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner, which has 30 World Business Class seats, 45 Economy Comfort seats and 219 Economy Class seats. Speaking about this activity, Max Smits, General Manager, Air France – KLM, Indian Sub-Continent said, “We are happy to collaborate with MIAL (Mumbai International Airport Limited) regarding this activity to boost the KLM presence out of Mumbai and inspire flyers to choose KLM for travel to Amsterdam and beyond. KLM started its direct service from Mumbai to Amsterdam last year during winter 2017 with three weekly flights. For the winter schedule of 2018, we will be adding another flight making it as four weekly flights from Mumbai.”

The Indian Association of Tour Operators (IATO) has recently announced the theme for its 34th Annual Convention as ’20 Million Tourists: Challenges & Possibilities’, to be held in Visakhapatnam from September 6-9, 2018. While announcing the theme, Rajiv Mehra, Vice President, IATO said, “The theme has been finalised after consideration from the Ministry of Tourism. We will hold discussions on it and will try to look how we can achieve this target. A session will be held on hotels and airlines during the convention. The theme has been finalised by the Executive Committee.” The association has already announced the governing body for the convention. While Rajiv Mehra has been appointed as the Chairman, Rajesh Mudgil, Hony Secretary, IATO has been appointed as Co-Chairman. Amaresh Tiwari has been named as Convener for IATO Run for Responsible Tourism. The venue of the convention is Hotel Novotel Visakhapatnam Varun Beach. Talking about IATO’s activities in last one month, Mehra said, Mehra said, “We conducted a roadshow to the US with Ministry of Tourism where 25 active members of IATO participated. We also concluded IATO’s Chapter Meeting in Mumbai, attended by Hony Secretary Rajesh Mudgil.”

PATA India Chapter has announced that it will organise The Tourism PowerHouse from August 5-6, 2018 at The Park New Delhi. The announcement was made at PATA India Chapter’s 7th Update and Outlook Meeting in cooperation with the Ministry of Tourism at The Claridges, New Delhi, which saw in attendance, Rashmi Verma, Secretary, Ministry of Tourism and Chairman – PATA India Chapter; Suman Billa, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Tourism and MP Mall, Chairman and Managing Director, Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC). The PowerHouse will be presided over by Verma and Mario Hardy, CEO, PATA. Speaking about the PowerHouse, Verma said, “We hope to draw eminent speakers from all over the world to speak on contemporary issues like responsible tourism, sustainable tourism, marketing, digital marketing, etc. Eminent speakers will be invited from various countries who will be sharing global trends, initiatives and the best practices required to emulate in our country. We are hopeful that apart from the industry, state tourism boards, other organisations and stakeholders will also be participating because it is going to be a very useful interaction for us as well as all the stakeholders who have a stake in promoting tourism to this country.”  

Tourism Ireland has partnered with Cricket Ireland and the Embassy of Ireland to promote the T20 International series between India and Ireland to be held in Malahide, Dublin. With the first T20 international match underway, the second will be held on June 29. The Indian team will show its wonders on Irish soil for the first time in over a decade, since they played an ODI in Belfast back in 2007. The match will be streamed on Sony Six at 8.30 pm IST. An interesting turning point to this tournament is the presence of the iconic cricket star Ajay Jadeja as the commentator for the matches. During his stay in Dublin, Jadeja will have the opportunity to tour around the elegant city and experience the best of the Irish hospitality. He will visit the famous iconic attractions like Malahide Castle, Ha Penny Bridge, Irish National Stud and Japanese Gardens, Guinness Store House and Kilkenny Castle. Speaking on the occasion, HE Brian McElduff, Ambassador of Ireland to India, said, “This is the first-ever initiative where Tourism Ireland and Cricket Ireland have joined hands to celebrate the beautiful game of cricket and promote Ireland. We are proud to be a part of this significant event and hope this occasion will further strengthen the relationship between the two countries.” Tickets for the matches are available on TicketMaster. Further details are also available on the official Cricket Ireland.

India Convention Promotion Bureau (ICPB) will conduct its ‘Conventions India Conclave’ at Biswa Bangla Convention Centre, Kolkata, from August 29-31, 2018. Themed on ‘Scaling New Heights – Building for the Future’, the focus of the flagship event will be on how ICPB can enhance its activities and compete in the international market. The body aims to focus creating opportunity of bidding for international conferences. A statement from ICPB stated, “The 11th Conclave is very significant for us as ICPB will be opening its first State Chapter in Kolkata during the Conclave on August 30, 2018.” The two-day event will have sessions and panel discussions on various topics such as, ‘A panel discussion on Public Private Partnership for Destination Marketing, Social Media Marketing – Changing Scenario – Impact on Industry and Way Forward and A Winning Formula for Bidding for International Conferences, and more. The Ministry of Tourism, West Bengal Government is the Platinum Sponsor and the State Partner, while Biswa Bangla Convention Centre is the Venue Partner for the forthcoming conclave.  

Jet Airways has commenced an additional flight between Delhi and Bangladesh capital Dhaka with effect from June 27. The four-day-a-week operation on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Saturdays, is in line with the airline’s Think India, Think Jet Airways policy. This new service will complement the existing daily operations between the two cities, providing guests more flight choices between Bangladesh and India. Jet Airways 9W 280 will depart from Delhi at 1035 hrs (LT) and arrive into Dhaka at 13:45 hrs. On its return leg, Jet Airways 9W 279 will depart from Dhaka at 15:15 hrs (LT) and reach Delhi at 1725 hrs (LT). Gaurang Shetty, Whole-time Director, Jet Airways, said, “There was a need and potential to develop the operations between the capitals of India and Bangladesh. The new service presents an opportunity for businesses and leisure travellers to explore the potential of our neighbouring country. Guests from Dhaka can benefit from the connectivity options provided by Jet Airways’ extensive network across India and across the world through its hubs in New Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru.” The airline has deployed a state-of-the-art Boeing 737-800 Next Generation (NG) aircraft on this route, offering Premiere and Economy guests the best in-flight product and services.  

With an aim to augment the career prospects of students in the field of tourism, Amadeus India recently conducted a training session for students at the University of Kashmir. The training was undertaken in collaboration with Travel Agents Association of India (TAAI) to introduce and prepare tomorrow’s budding professionals for the job market. Rakesh Bansal, CEO, Amadeus India, said, “Kashmir is one of the most preferred tourist destinations with thousands of travellers visiting throughout the year. We are trying to impart job training to students which will prepare them well and open up a lot of avenues when they step into the market for jobs eventually.” Sunil Kumar, President, TAAI said, “This week-long programme of Amadeus to train about 90 students on reservation and ticketing process has been a huge success. The students are now inspired to get actively connected with the growing travel and tourism industry that requires specialised training to meet the ever-increasing demands of the industry. We are delighted to join hands with Amadeus India who have played a valuable role in organising this training for the students of J&K.” As part of the company’s CSR initiative, the training focused on imparting the right skills, aptitude, knowledge and approach by showcasing different models and case scenarios.

Sarovar Hotels has announced the opening of Nataraj Sarovar Portico Jhansi, consolidating the group’s foray into Uttar Pradesh. The 72-room hotel is also the first branded hotel in the smart city. The hotel was inaugurated in the presence of Sanjay Khanna, Managing Director, Nataraj Mobiles and Ajay K Bakaya, Managing Director, Sarovar Hotels & Resorts. Owned by Nataraj Sai Hotels, Nataraj Sarovar Portico is the city’s first contemporary hotel in this evolving city. The well-appointed rooms and suites with all modern amenities complemented with personalised services, offer a truly memorable stay. The hotel also offers fully equipped conferencing and banquet spaces and facilities for up to 500 guests. Commenting on the development, Bakaya said, “We are glad to open the first branded hotel in this historic city of Jhansi and the fifth hotel in Uttar Pradesh. With its significant development, Jhansi is an important destination with rising number of visitors from across the country. This is set to be the best hotel in the city and will cater to the needs of corporate, groups, leisure and conferences.” Sarovar Hotels is targeting to have 100 hotels under its portfolio by 2020. Expected openings in 2018 include hotels in Jaisalmer, Somnath, Dibrugarh, Junagadh, Gorakhpur and Lusaka, Zambia.

Tree Leaf Kipling Lodge in Ranthambore, is set to open doors on July 1, 2018. The property is the latest addition to the brand’s portfolio, which already operates two properties—Tree Leaf Vantara Resort & Spa in Udaipur and Tree Leaf Marari Sands Beach Resort, Marari-Kerala. The latest property will be the first one to offer a unique wildlife experience to patrons and is named after the famous Mumbai-born British poet and novelist Rudyard Kipling, who wrote The Jungle Book. The property allows guests to unwind in a sanctuary close to the Ranthambore forest reserve and offers a personalised hospitality experience amidst natural surroundings.