Ras Al Khaimah is actively promoting the destination for weddings. Speaking at the Travel Wedding Show, Shaji Thomas, Director – Destination Tourism Development, Ras Al Khaimah, said that realising the potential of the multi-billion dollar Indian wedding industry, the country is keen to grab a piece of the pie. “We are just 45 minutes away from Dubai and is home to fantastic, luxurious hotels capable of hosting larger-than-life weddings. We encourage you to host weddings here as it caters to all sorts of client genres, thanks to the infrastructure and tourism products like beaches.”

The maiden edition of Travel Wedding Show took off in full swing at Le Meridien, Gurgaon on Saturday, July 9. A total of 26 buyers and 28 exhibitors participated in the inaugural day of the B2B event where appointments took place in round robin format. The first day held emphasis on wedding planners and event management companies while the exhibitors were representatives from different hotels and resorts, and DMCs. “There have been events focussing on either weddings or travel, but never together. Travel Wedding Show aims to bring a select group of  people together and facilitate business for the growth of the industry,” shared Sarika Bhambani Rawal, General Manager, Travel Wedding Show.

The Indian wedding industry is flourishing at a growth rate of 25 per cent per annum and is pegged at an estimated Rs 250,000 crore ($40 billion), said Rajeev Jain, Managing Director, Rashi Entertainment, keynote speaker at the Travel Wedding Show. In his speech, Jain said that with Indians spending 80% of their wealth on weddings, the sector has proved to be a great contributor to GDP. About 8% of Indians opt for destination weddings from which connectivity and accessibility is the chief factor while choosing locations. The inauguration of Travel Wedding Show also witnessed speaker sessions with Shaji Thomas, Director – Destination Tourism Development, Ras Al Khaimah, Guldeep Singh Sahni, President – OTOAI, and Rajneesh Rathi, Editor-in-Chief, Wedding Affair as the speakers.

Kerala Government has allotted Rs 100 crore each for the Alappuzha and Thalassery Heritage Tourism projects in its budget for the year 2016-17. The annual budget was presented by Dr Thomas Issac, Finance Minister, Government of Kerala. Another Rs 400 crore was allotted for improving the existing infrastructural conditions in select tourism destinations identified across the state. A ropeway project was also announced at Ponmudi. For which Rs 200 crore shall be allotted. The budget also proposed development of air strips at Bekal, Wayand and Idukki in order to connect far flung destinations. However the bus trips to Bengaluru and Chennai will cost more now as tax of tourist buses has been increased. Green Tax on old vehicles and goods transport has also been increased by 10 per cent.

Amadeus has recently announced its B2B Wallet Prepaid product for the travel agents. To this end, Amadeus is partnering with MasterCard to offer travel agencies payment acceptance and security around the globe, as well as better protection against supplier default when using B2B Wallet. Amadeus’ solution will build on MasterCard’s vast global network to expand virtual B2B payments in travel. Amadeus is also partnering with Ixaris to drive efficient virtual card management on B2B Wallet. With its innovative payments technology, Ixaris allows travel agents to easily create and add funds to their virtual payment cards. “Virtual card technology is the ideal application of Fintech innovation for the travel industry. By combining the strengths of Amadeus, MasterCard and Ixaris, we bring flexibility, efficiency and confidence to travel agent B2B payments. Since we launched the product in some markets in February we have seen overwhelming demand for it and today have customers in 10 European countries,” said Celia Pereiro, Head-Travel Payments, Amadeus. The Amadeus B2B Wallet will be gradually rolled out in select Asia Pacific markets in 2017 to bring travel agencies a virtual payments product with the option of either earning or saving cash when paying travel providers. Hany Fam, President, MasterCard Enterprise Partnerships, says, “With our global acceptance, advanced security and automatic consolidation, Amadeus B2B Wallet gives travel agencies a host of reasons to leave cash, checks and other payment mechanisms behind, saving time and money.”

Cox & Kings-owned Meininger Hotels will open a property in close proximity to Leipzig’s main station at the beginning of 2017. The existing building and the former ibis Leipzig City (Germany) from the Accor Group which was closed in March 2016 will be converted in accordance with MEININGER standards and will ultimately have 404 beds available in 126 rooms. The hotel is located in the centre of Leipzig and is the perfect starting point from which to explore the city. Owing to its proximity to the main station, the hotel can be easily reached on public transport. The flexible room structure of MEININGER Hotels means that the accommodation options will range from traditional double rooms through private rooms with multiple beds right down to a bed in a shared dorm room. All the public spaces, such as the lobby, lounge, bar, breakfast room and terrace will be located on the ground floor of the building, as will the guest kitchen and games zone, which are also typical features of a MEININGER hotel. In the well-equipped guest kitchen customers will be able to prepare their own meals at any time, day or night. Moreover, the kitchen will also have a washing machine and a dryer. Peter Kerkar, Director, Cox & Kings, says, “This hotel in Leipzig will strengthen our portfolio of hotels in Germany where we have a presence in five other cities. Its proximity to the main station and city centre will attract a sizeable chunk of our clientele.”

Indonesia-based travel company Panorama Destination has joined hands with Outbound Konnections Reps to establish a partnership in India and launch a range of products and organise Fam trips for Indian travel agents. Anjum Lokhandwala, Founder & Director, Outbound Konnections, said “We are happy to be appointed as the India office for Panorama Destination Indonesia and Bali. Panorama Destination is the leader in providing competitive packages and quality of services for all travel segments and we are keen to develop and multiply their market share in India. Indonesia has a lot to offer in terms of culture, scenic beauty, adventure and spas.” Panorama Destination has recently joined OTOAI (Outbound Tour Operators Association of India). There will be a range of new, diverse and competitive products created specifically for the Indian market by Panorama Destination in the coming months and a Director of Business Development will also be appointed specifically for the Indian market. The company specialises in inbound services and offering tailored tours. It has its own fleet of air-conditioned vehicles.

The first Asia Hotel & Tourism Investment Conference (AHTIC) is all set to be held at the Hilton Colombo in Sri Lanka from Nov 27-29, 2016, in partnership with the Sri Lanka Tourism Club (SLTC). AHTIC will attract an international audience of senior figures and decision-makers involved in all aspects of hotel and tourism investment in South Asia. The conference will focus on hotel development and infrastructure plans in these key markets. Join us in Sri Lanka and hear from regions industry experts on the opportunities available in the region, find out what lessons they have learnt about doing business in the region and how they have overcome development and operational challenges. Find out how banks are working together with investors to drive this economy forward, and what developers and owners need to provide to attract the big operators.

The ASEAN Tourism Forum 2019 is likely to be held in Vietnam. Prime Minister of Vietnam, Nguyen Xuan Phuc has approved the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism’s proposal for Vietnam to host the 38th ASEAN Tourism Forum in 2019. The annual event, which was held in the Philippines this year, is likely to be held in Hanoi, Da Nang or Ho Chi Minh City in 2019. It brings together tourism officials and industry executives from the 10 ASEAN member nations and dialogue partners China, India, Japan, South Korea, and Russia. It will also include an ASEAN tourism ministers’ conference, meetings of national tourism agency officials and an ASEAN Travel Expo.

Representation and marketing company, RARE has added four new hotel partners to it’s portfolio. “We are thrilled to introduce these fresh off the boat properties for the year 2016. Call us RARE 50 as we endeavor to be a curated collection of 50 of the most unique concept oriented properties,” says Sowmya R Vijaymohan, Partner, RARE India in a statement. These new properties are: Raas Devigarh, Udaipur and Khaas Bagh, Jaipur in Rajasthan; Rajakkad Estate, Palani Hills in Tamil Nadu; and Reni Pani Jungle Lodges, Satpura in Madhya Pradesh. 39-suites strong Raas Devigarh, Udaipur, is within the spectacular fort complex of Devigarh in a rural setting just under an hour, north of Udaipur. While Khaas Bagh, Jaipur (Raj.) is no more than a ten minute drive from the city of Jaipur. Built on the lines of a haveli, but spread out like a country home with large open terraces, courtyards, verandas, and offers 18 spacious suites. The Rajakkad Estate in Palani Hills (TN), just under a two hour drive from Madurai, is a unique homestay located on a 40 acre coffee and pepper plantation. Reni Pani is an elegant lodge focused on the wildlife experience, a short drive from the Tawa Reservoir. Stylish and spacious cottages, 12 of them are distributed for privacy on a varied landscape featuring grass lands, a seasonal nulla and a hearty tree cover allow animals, insects, reptiles and birds to flourish. The lodge manager, himself an avid birder captains a team of naturalists constantly trained under his supervision.