Hurtigruten has appointed Cruise Professionals as its exclusive GSA for India and Sri Lanka. The Norwegian cruise company aims to grow revenue opportunities and establish wider distribution in these two markets. By enhancing their commitment in India and Sri Lanka, the management of both companies aims to make Hurtigruten a major exploration cruise brand in India with significant growth in the years ahead. Recognising the need for a concentrated brand and product development strategy to service India and Sri Lanka, William Harber, Hurtigruten’s President for China & Asia-Pacific, says, “Our partnership with Cruise Professionals will enable the rapid expansion of our exploration cruising and coastal Norway products. This association leverages Cruise Professionals’ expertise in managing distribution. Their operating model and strengths in sales and marketing will deepen current relationships and create future trade arrangements across India and Sri Lanka.” Nishith Saxena, Founder & Director of Cruise Professionals says, “Hurtigruten and Cruise Professionals association has come at a time when a large section of Indian travellers are seeking a different experience that goes beyond the normal cruising options. We shall make Hurtigruten easy for the travel agent to sell and deliver a complete solution for adventurous travellers by educating the trade about these unique voyages offered to some of the world’s most breathtaking destinations.”
Read More »ibis New Delhi Aerocity adds 129 rooms
ibis New Delhi Aerocity has announced the addition of 129 brand new guest rooms at the property, including a 775 sq. ft. gymnasium facility for guests’ recreation and fitness needs. The inventory of the property has now reached 445 rooms, which is amongst the largest in the hospitality precinct. As a part of the extension, ibis New Delhi Aerocity’s meetings space is now complemented with enhanced areas. This includes the addition of four new meeting rooms with two dedicated board rooms, to its current portfolio of three meeting rooms. Together, the seven meeting rooms can accommodate up to 185 attendees giving the ibis New Delhi Aerocity the ability to meet a broad range of meeting event requirements. Combined with expansive MICE facilities at Pullman and Novotel New Delhi Aerocity, the other two co-located AccorHotels’ properties located in the hospitality precinct, guests now have the flexibility to choose from a range of venues and services depending on the nature and scale of their event. The three locations offer an unrivalled 2,406 square feet of combined MICE space to MICE guests. The introduction of an all-new exclusive crew lounge for the hotel’s airline crew guests completes the expansion. Speaking about the new addition, Pierre-Etienne de Montgrand- Director of Operation ibis & ibis Styles said, “The extension significantly increases the number of hotel rooms at ibis New Delhi Aerocity and enhances the accommodation choices for guests. The added capacity also allows us to cater to an increasing number of travellers to the city and a growing number of airline crews. The hotel’s strategic location and seamless connectivity to the Delhi Airport perfectly caters to transiting passengers, while its proximity to the commercial hubs …
Read More »Vistara announces direct flights between Kolkata-Pune, and Delhi-Port Blair
Vistara has announced the launch of two new routes to cater to growing customer demand. Starting March 26, 2017, Vistara will fly direct daily between Kolkata and Pune, and starting April 15, 2017, will also fly direct between Delhi and Port Blair (Andamans) on Saturdays and Sundays during the upcoming summer season. These new flights are in addition to Vistara’s recently announced service to Amritsar from both Delhi and Mumbai, and to Leh (Ladakh) from Delhi, both starting in March. Vistara’s Kolkata-Pune flight will serve business professionals as well as a large population in Pune that hails from Kolkata. The Delhi-Port Blair flight will cater not only the people residing in the Andaman & Nicobar Islands who visit the national capital, but also attract businesspeople and tourists from northern India to discover the history, beauty and trade potential of the Andaman Islands. Bookings for these flights are now open. Customers can book their flights on Vistara’s official website (www.airvistara.com), on its iOS and Android mobile apps, and through Online Travel Agencies (OTAs) and other travel agents. Vistara’s GDS partners including Amadeus and Travelport allow customers to book via all major channels worldwide, including through our global interline airline partners.
Read More »Trafalgar launches Trafalgar Academy for agents
Trafalgar is calling on agents to be part of the revolution in guided holidays and join the journey to even greater success, with the launch of its Trafalgar Academy. The holiday operator has unveiled its inaugural e-learning programme, specially created to help agents increase their earnings and make selling more fun. The Trafalgar Academy empowers industry partners with its interactive guidance on how to sell, as opposed to what to sell, and upon completion of each course they are further equipped to learn, earn and travel more. The initial launch phase of the Trafalgar Academy is available now and invites users to discover ‘The Trafalgar Difference’. Following in close succession in the coming months are ‘Converting Opportunities Into Success’ and ‘It’s Lifestyle Not Features That Matter’, with additional courses forthcoming as the programme gathers momentum. Agents registering for the Academy will uncover insights on increasing conversion and commission, as well as enjoying exclusive travel offers. Commenting on the brand e-learning launch, Trafalgar (Asia) President Nicholas Lim says, “We are excited to introduce our latest industry initiative, demonstrating our ongoing commitment to providing our valued partners with all the tools they need for sales success. For those choosing to become Trafalgar experts, they can look forward to seeing conversion, commission and retention rates rise.”
Read More »Russia launches ‘India Friendly’ program
The Russian Information Center in India recently announced an ‘India Friendly’ program to provide features and services that are required by Indian tourists when they are travelling in India or internationally. The program strives to ensure that the Indian traveller feels at home in Russia. Paresh Navani, Head of Russian Information Center in India, reveals, “The program covers various needs of the Indian traveller like Indian food options in the menu and for breakfast, electric kettle or hot water service in the hotel, bottled water in the room, English signboards, English-speaking staff, special vegetarian meals, sanitary requirements like water in toilets and many others.” The program is voluntary and will be provided by hotels, restaurants, cruise liners, museums and any other enterprise that provides tourism services in Russia. Certification will be provided by Russian Information Center in India post a series of tests for staff and audits conducted on-site in Russia. Already 25 hotels in Russian regions Moscow, St.Petersburg, Kazan, Sochi and Crimea have joined the program with brands like Park Inn, Radisson and Marriott. Navani adds, “Tourism to Russia is poised for the leap forward noting the interest and enthusiasm the travel trade showed for initiatives like the ‘India Friendly’ program, the reduction in the cost of visa fees by almost 40 per cent for Indian tourists by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation, coupled with destination presentations we conduct for the travel trade to promote Russian tourism options. We aim to increase tourist flow from India by 50 per cent in this coming year.” Tourists from India in the nine-month period of 2015 was 39,832 which jumped to 47,152 in 2016, indicating a growth of …
Read More »Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau conducts roadshow in Mumbai
The Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau recently conducted a roadshow for the travel trade and wedding planners in Mumbai, with an aim to increase footfalls to the emerald island. The roadshow saw an attendance of 27 participants from Sri Lanka comprising leading travel companies and hoteliers besides the national carrier, SriLankan Airlines. Speaking about India as a market, Madubhani Perera, Director of Marketing, Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau, who attended and addressed the gathering said, “We have seen an annual rise in arrival numbers from India over the years. The roadshow was conducted to increase destination awareness and highlight the new attractions in Sri Lanka. We hope this event will add a positive impact and further increase Indian footfall in Sri Lanka. We have now planned several promotional activities for Indian markets.” Apart from the roadshow in Mumbai, the SLTPB has plans of conducting roadshows in Chennai, Hyderabad, Kolkata and Pune later in the year. The promotion plans for 2017 also include joint promotions with international partners and a digital marketing campaign targeting potential Indian travellers. Sri Lanka received a 12.8 per cent increase in Indian tourist arrivals in 2016 and are expecting an even better double digit increase in 2017.
Read More »Jet announces Miles Festival valid till March 31
Jet Airways has announced another new initiative, which possibly indicates an attempt to get more and more customers on to its website and reduce its distribution cost. Under its new ‘Billion Miles Festival’ the airline will offer its customers assured bonus on JetPrivilege Miles on its every flight – domestic and international. This frequent flyer reward promotion is valid from February 21 to March 31, 2017. The assured bonus miles on Economy Class is 1,500 JP Miles, on Premier Class is 5,000 and on First Class is 10,000. This is available for existing as well as new members. The airlines assures quick one-minute enrolment under its JP program on its website. The bonus miles are available only on booking tickets through its website or mobile application.
Read More »Thai visa fee exemption extended till August 2017
The Thai Government has decided to extend the tourist visa fee exemption scheme, initially available from November-February, 2017, by an additional six months, informed Srisuda Wanapinyosak, Deputy Governor for International Marketing (Asia and South Pacific), Tourism Authority of Thailand. “Visa applications from the Indian market grew by almost 200 per cent during the visa fee exemption scheme’s initial duration. Hence, it was decided to extend the scheme for six months.”
Read More »Thailand welcomed 1.19 million Indian travellers in 2016
In 2016, Thailand welcomed 1.19 million Indian travellers, as per the recent numbers released by Department of Tourism, Thailand, and for 2017, the target is 14 per cent increase in revenue and eight per cent increase in footfalls expected from India alone. This was revealed by Soraya Homchuen, Director, Tourism Authority of Thailand, Mumbai. “The focus destinations this year will be mainly the local communities along with Chiang Mai, Krabi, Trat and Bangkok. While Thailand is a thriving modern nation that offers luxury and comfort of the 21st century, it’s the unique Thai traditions and attractions that are often most memorable for visitors. In 2017, Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) aims to offer ‘Value for Experiences’ to travellers coming to the Kingdom by focusing on ‘Unique Thai Local Experiences’. On a global scale, India is ranked sixth in terms of tourist arrivals in Thailand,” she revealed. TAT has announced the theme for 2017 – ‘Discover Unique Local Experiences’. The objective behind this campaign is to promote Thailand as a wealth of cultural heritage with a competitive edge in the travel and tourism sector. Srisuda Wanapinyosak, TAT Deputy Governor for International Marketing (Asia and the South Pacific) and brand ambassador Anusha Dandekar attended the event. Srisuda Wanapinyosak, TAT Deputy Governor for International Marketing (Asia and the South Pacific) said, “India has always been one of the significant markets for us as each year we see an increase in the footfalls. This year too we are expecting a phenomenal growth of 8 per cent. When you visit Thailand, you always discover something new and unique which makes you want to visit the kingdom time and again. This year, with Discover Unique Local …
Read More »AccorHotels Showcase, India on March 22 and 24
Asia Pacific region’s highly anticipated hotel exhibition, the AccorHotels Showcase 2017 will take place in India on March 22 at Sofitel Mumbai BKC and March 24 at Pullman New Delhi Aerocity. Joined by AccorHotels’ executives from across 95 countries representing more than 4,100 hotels and resorts worldwide, the event will offer attendees an insight into the group’s new developments, products and services. Entering its 14th year touring the region, AccorHotels Showcase is designed to provide travel agents, wholesalers, corporate clients, tourism partners and MICE organisers an exclusive opportunity to discover AccorHotels accommodation trends, news and stunning hotels & resorts from around the world. In 2016, over 1,200 AccorHotels delegates representing nearly 4,100 hotels and resorts worldwide attended the showcase with more than 7,000 clients in attendance. The event in 2016 capped a milestone year for AccorHotels in which the Group acquired the Raffles, Fairmont and Swissotel brands; invested in the private rental space through One Fine Stay, Oasis Collections and Squarebreak; and announced innovative new lifestyle brands including Jo&Joe, John Paul and 25Hours Hotels. This year, AccorHotels commences its 12-destination series as it moves through vibrant and cultural cities, visiting landmark AccorHotels across Asia Pacific. In India, exhibitors from globally sought after destinations such as France, Spain, Malaysia, Indonesia, UAE and Singapore will be present at the event, representing celebrated hotels like Fairmont Ajman, SO Sofitel Singapore & Sofitel Singapore Sentosa Resort and Spa, Pullman Paris Eiffel Tower, Swissôtel The Bosphorus Istanbul, Novotel Madrid Center and more. Over 400 guests comprising top corporates from India, Travel Management Companies, Travel Agents and Tour Operators, PCOs and Wedding Planner are set to attend the event in each city. “The AccorHotels Showcase is …
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