V.M. Salgaocar Institute of International Hospitality Education (VMSIIHE) has signed an Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Turismo de Portugal. The MoU was signed by Dattaraj V. Salgaocar, Chairman of VMSIIHE, and Luis Araújo, President of Turismo de Portugal, in the presence of the Hon’ble Prime Minister of Portugal António Costa who is presently in Goa on a state visit. The knowledge exchange programme between the two countries will see a collaborative effort in the fields of research, trainings, teaching-learning methods and other aspects in the near future. The MOU valid for 2 years, mutually agrees to conduct student training and teacher mentoring modules in addition to institutional support. The MoU focuses on a shared vision, to encourage and develop the training and qualification of human resource personnel working in the field of tourism, as well as to coordinate and execute professional training for students and faculty. Professor Irfan Mirza, Director, V.M. Salgaocar Institute of International Hospitality Education, said, “Together we can collaborate and enhance the quality of education we offer to our students. At our institute we offer a unique curriculum, internationally trained faculty and world class infrastructure to prepare the students for the ever changing needs of the hospitality industry. Our goal is to make this institute the center of excellence for the hospitality industry in India and we believe we have come one step closer to that goal with the signing of this MoU.”

SpiceJet has inked a deal with Boeing for purchase of upto 205 aircraft. Ajay Singh, Chairman and Managing Director, SpiceJet revealed that the new deal is the enhancement of its existing order of 55 aircraft with additional 100 firm B737-8 MAX and 50 purchase rights for B737-MAX and wide body aircraft. The total orer of 205 aircraft is valued at $22 billion (Rs. 150,000 crores). The aircraft delivery will be done between 2018 to 2020.

Sarovar Hotels has sold majority of its stakes to Louvre Hotels, the second largest hotel group in Europe. The acquisition deal was formally announced in New Delhi by Ajay K. Bakaya, Executive Director, Sarovar Hotels, in the presence of Anil Madhok, Executive Chairman, Sarovar Hotels; Pierre-Frederic Roulot, CEO, Louvre Hotels Group and Saurabh Chawla, Head of Group Development, Louvre Hotels Group. According to Bakaya, there will not be any change in the management of Sarovar Hotels after the acquisition and they will continue to run the hotels the way they used to. He added that the new development would only help the company to expand its reach.

The 23rd edition of Madame Tussauds is set to open in New Delhi this June at Regal Cinema, Connaught Place. The wax attraction will exhibit over 50 figures from diverse leagues such as history, sports, music, cinema etc. The attraction will showcase 60 per cent of local celebrities and 40 per cent of international leaders as wax figures which will be created in an excess of Rs. 1.5 crores each. Merlin Entertainments, the operator of the attraction, plans to offer competitive ticket fares in order to attract large segment of Indian visitors and once open, Madame Tussauds will also offer special fares for students, and groups, informed Anshul Jain, General Manager and Director, Merlin Entertainments India. “The wax attraction will provide an immersive and exhilarating experience of the glittering world of renowned celebrities and personalities of the likes of Amitabh Bachachan, Narendra Modi, Sachin Tendulkar, Kim Kardashian, etc. We will also have a broader focus on Indian celebrities and I am sure that all the locals and tourists will cherish meeting their idol,” says Jain. Marcel Kloos, Director-New Openings Europe and Emerging Markets, Merlin Entertainments, adds that the attraction can accommodate 500 visitors at a time and will be open from 9 am to 8pm. The tickets will also be available online for the same once the attraction is open.

VisitBritain is organising a three-day destination showcase in Pune for travel agents. The showcase started with a panel discussion on the travel trends which included panellists from the industry. Followed by two days of B2B appointments with the sellers. There were 76 buyers from across 9 cities and 28 suppliers from 25 organisations present at the showcase. Previously, VisitBritain had hosted the destination showcase in Delhi and Mumbai and this year in Pune. On the occasion, Sumathi Ramanathan, Director-Asia Pacific, Mid East & Africa, VisitBritain, commented, “We want to explore the opportunities that the Pune market has to offer and we see good potential is this market as well when compared to the other cities in India.”

Maharashtra Tourism Minister, Jaykumar Jitendrasinh Rawal called on the Governor of Wakayama Prefecture Yoshinobu Nisika, Japan as part of his maiden visit to strengthen the MoU between Wakayama Prefecture, Japan and Maharashtra especially with Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation. Rawal said, “Our marketing strategy for this year is Visit Maharashtra Year 2017 and as a step to achieve the same, we are delighted that in the first month of January itself we could extend our goodwill to Wakayama Prefecture as a part of our marketing and goodwill strategy. The delegation discussed matters pertaining to renewal of the MoU between the government of Maharashtra (GoM) and Wakayama Prefectural Government (WPG) in 2018.” Rawal requested the Governor to use Mumbai as the commercial entry hub for Japanese industries as well as a holiday gateway to India at large and Maharashtra in specific. The tourism minister stated that Wakayama prefecture should play the role of catalyst in the mutual development of both the states.

The Terminal 2 of Indira Gandhi International Airport, New Delhi, will now be open to public only in February. The new terminal was to be made operational on January 1 to decongest the domestic Terminal 1D. The delay is reportedly because two of the airlines have refused to move out of 1D, which recently underwent refurbishment and a security survey. The new terminal is part of the expansion plan of 1D.

Leading travel search engine, KAYAK has officially announced its entry into the Indian market. The company provides innovative travel tools to help people search, plan and manage their travel. KAYAK helps travellers get the information they need before they book and offers tools and features to assist them throughout their trip. The website and mobile app search hundreds of travel sites at once so that travellers have the information they need to make the best decisions. Commenting on the launch, Imbert Fung, Director Southeast Asia and India at KAYAK said, “India is a rapidly growing travel market and has continued its impressive growth over the past several years. In addition, the Indian online travel market has immense potential, with increasing penetration and acceptance across domestic and international markets. We have exciting plans for KAYAK in 2017 and setting up operations here is a fantastic step towards making India one of our core markets. While we have had a presence here for a while and feel we understand the Indian user, we are now greatly enhancing our local presence by setting up country operations with Abhijit Mishra at the helm as the country manager for India.”

Flyeasy, the Bengaluru based regional carrier, has acquired 74 per cent stake in grounded carrier Air Pegasus. A memorandum of understanding has been signed between the two and the promoters plan to resume Air Pegasus services with two ATR-72 aircraft from March 1. The airline will induct 24 planes in four years, including six this year. “We are making an initial investment of Rs 26 crore in Air Pegasus for 74 per cent stake and this will be used to clear dues and resume operations. In the later phase, we will invest Rs 60 crore in the airline,” said Rajesh Ebrahim, Managing Director, Flyeasy. He further informed that his company is pursuing plans to secure permit for Flyeasy, and is in talks with lessors for Airbus A319 aircraft. “Our plan is to create a nationwide network, one with ATRs on Tier-II and Tier-III routes in the south (Air Pegasus) and with Airbus aircraft for long-thin traffic routes,” he added. Air Pegasus began operations in April 2015 with ATR aircraft and flew to eight destinations from Bengaluru, but was forced to suspend operations last July following a cash crunch. (Source: Business Standard)

As a part of the systematic efforts to provide education to the underprivileged kids, Cox & Kings Foundation- the philanthropic arm of Cox & Kings Ltd along with The Mamta Trust, has set up a new pre-primary school for underprivileged kids in Pune. The school will provide quality education, nutrition and care to the youngest and most vulnerable children in the area.  The admissions for the new academic year are open and once started, the school will run in two batches a day with almost 100 enthusiastic children. With quality education, the children will also get smart uniforms, daily nutritious snacks and stationery and learning supplies.  All these are free of cost except a small token fee of Rs. 200 which is charged to acknowledge the parents’ dignity. This also helps them to value the education that their children are receiving.