Aumentar Hospitality Alliance LLP, a boutique hospitality consulting firm, commenced operations in early 2025. Founded by Shaista Khan and Vinita Khar, the company works alongside hotels and travel brands to strengthen their market presence through a thoughtful mix of storytelling, positioning, sales, marketing, and business development strategies. The word ‘Aumentar’ (Spanish for amplify) reflects the firm’s vision — to help destinations and hospitality brands share their stories more meaningfully by combining creativity with commercially effective solutions. With years of collective experience in hospitality, the co-founders bring complementary expertise: Shaista Khan has held key leadership roles with The Park Hotels (Regional Sales Office), Hyatt Hotels Corporation, and later as Head of Outbound Sales for Cinnamon Hotels from India. Over her career, she has built strong and lasting relationships within the travel trade networks. Vinita Khar brings a strong background in sales, distribution, and strategic marketing, equipping hotels with practical and sustainable tools for growth. She began her career with Taj Hotels, later worked with Hyatt Hotels Corporation across Mumbai, Goa, and Pune, and went on to become Director of Sales & Marketing at the pre-opening of Conrad Pune. Aumentar Hospitality Alliance is grateful to have already earned the trust of a diverse portfolio of partners across the luxury and lifestyle segments, including, Bürgenstock Hotel and Alpine Spa, Switzerland (India market representation – luxury), Tamara Hotels (West India representation – luxury), Mövenpick Sukhumvit 15, Bangkok (lifestyle), Saj Hotels (strategy management) and Time Hotels, Media One, and Studio One, Dubai (India market distribution). “Hospitality today requires more than visibility — it needs thoughtful positioning, authentic storytelling, and strategies that create long-term value. At Aumentar, we feel privileged to contribute to this journey by …

Twenty-five years ago, McArthurGlen Group changed the rules of shopping in Italy. As it marks the 25th anniversary of its first Italian Designer Outlet in Serravalle near Milan, the Group celebrates its journey of growth, international vision, and a deep connection to surrounding territories. With record results, new openings, and an established luxury experience, McArthurGlen confirms its position as a benchmark in the sector. The Italian side to the McArthurGlen story began in September 2000 with the opening of the Serravalle Designer Outlet, a pioneering project that transformed Italy’s shopping experience connecting the fashion capital of Milan with the surrounding territories. The centre has been hugely successful as a place where the Milanese come to shop their luxury brands like Gucci, Prada, Burberry, Versace, which then reaffirms the centre’s credentials as a fashion must when connected to the city of Fashion itself, Milan. Since then, the Group has expanded by launching additional outlets in Italy of Castel Romano in Rome (2003), Noventa di Piave near Venice (2008), and La Reggia (2010) near Naples now celebrating its 15th anniversary. The latest addiction in McArthurGlen’s portfolio include Malaga in Spain and Paris-Giverny successfully opened in 2023. The strength of McArthurGlen’s model is confirmed by the performance of the Italian market, which has always been one of the group’s pillars. Here, steady growth had continued and was further bolstered by highly positive projections for 2025. The first half of the year has already shown an increase of around 5% compared to the same period in 2024. Serravalle continues to be a favourite of GCC visitors, one of its strongest source markets fuelling growth. Tourism from the region has driven a 12% rise in …

Hospitality demand is set to shift beyond metros, said B Gopinath, CEO, Residency Group of Hotels. “Growth will be in Tier II, III cities and pilgrimage centres, where travellers now seek comfort and a bit of pampering alongside cultural experiences,” he noted, outlining the next wave of expansion.

Hari Ganapathy, Co-Founder & CEO, Pickyourtrail, highlighted India’s outbound boom, with trips projected to rise from 40 million to 100 million. Driven by disposable incomes, diverse segments and MICE travel, the sector is expected to grow at least 10 per cent CAGR in the coming years, Ganapathy added.

Narender Singh Rathore, President, TGFI, stressed the need to safeguard inbound tourism. “A trained guy can give the best experiences and make a tour successful,” he said, urging IATO to join hands with TGFI in appealing to the Tourism Ministry to maintain quality standards vital for jobs and foreign exchange.

Holiday Moods Adventures has been honoured with the Enviromic Tourism of Tomorrow Award 2025. This recognition celebrates the company’s continued commitment to innovative, responsible, and eco-friendly tourism practices that empower local communities, protect fragile ecosystems, and deliver authentic travel experiences. The Tourism of Tomorrow Award by Enviromic, based out of Padova, Italy is one of the most respected global accolades in sustainable tourism. It acknowledges organisations that demonstrate excellence in environmental stewardship, social responsibility, and industry leadership while setting new benchmarks for the future of travel. “We are deeply honoured to receive this international recognition. For over two decades, our mission has been to blend adventure with sustainability—ensuring that every journey we curate leaves a positive impact on nature and people. This award further strengthens our resolve to champion regenerative travel,” said Tejbir Singh Anand, Co-Founder & Managing Director, Holiday Moods Adventures. “Holiday Moods Adventures has consistently been at the forefront of eco-conscious tourism not only in India but across the globe especially in the Scandinavian countries and beyond. With award-winning initiatives such as community-integrated Himalayan treks, carbon conscious expeditions and innovative bucket list programs to the Nordic and Arctic Region countries, the company continues to set industry standards for responsible travel” said Arshdeep Anand, Co-Founder & Director, Holiday Moods Adventures.

In a historic moment for India’s expanding global tourism presence, Dr PB Boss, Chairman, Osaka Group, has officially taken charge as the Honorary Tourism Commissioner – India to the European Union, under the auspices of the India-EU Trade Council. This appointment reflects India’s growing influence in shaping international tourism strategies and digital transformation. Appointment ceremony The appointment ceremony, held in New Delhi, was marked by the presence of distinguished international dignitaries and government representatives. The event was graced by H.E. Amraram Gurjar, IFS, Former Deputy Ambassador of India to Italy and Incoming High Commissioner of India to Malawi; H.E. Leonard Mengezi, High Commissioner of Malawi to India; representatives from the India Commonwealth Council and the India-Africa Trade Council; Asif, President of the India Economic Trade Organization (IETO); and Prakash Soni, Chairman of INDIA-SADC. Symbol of India’s expanding tourism influence In his remarks, Boss expressed deep gratitude for the appointment, stating: “This prestigious role is not just a personal milestone, but a bridge of friendship and opportunity between India, Europe, and the world fostering cultural exchange, tourism innovation, and global collaboration.” Osaka legacy: Three decades of excellence With over 32 years of unmatched expertise in travel and tourism, Boss has transformed the Osaka Group into one of Asia’s most respected conglomerates, with strong footprints in travel, tourism, education, real estate, and global digital platforms. Today, the Group proudly unveils a world-first innovation: OsakaConnect.com – the world’s first Travel Hypermarket and Super App. Often described as the ‘Travel Amazon’, this platform is a global game-changer set to redefine how travel is booked, marketed, and experienced — empowering both travellers and tourism enterprises worldwide. At its core, OsakaConnect.com brings together 24 travel products …

Becomes the first airline to offer WhatsApp-based boarding passes at airport check-in counters Service to be extended to other domestic airports, reducing time and supporting sustainability SpiceJet announced the successful rollout of a paperless boarding process at Shillong airport, offering passengers a faster, greener, and more seamless check-in experience. With this new feature, passengers checking in at the airport counter will now receive their boarding pass on WhatsApp, eliminating the need for physical printouts. This initiative significantly reduces wait times at check-in and supports eco-conscious travel by cutting down on paper usage. It is part of SpiceJet’s broader commitment to sustainability and digital innovation – and marks the first time an airline has introduced WhatsApp-based boarding passes at airport check-in counters. In spite of web check-in being available to customers and initiatives such as Digi Yatra, more than 9 million boarding passes were still printed at airports in India in June 2025. This would have led to about 6 tonnes of carbon emissions. SpiceJet’s initiative is designed to eliminate the above avoidable carbon footprint of the aviation industry. The paperless boarding feature is enabled by SpiceJet’s indigenously developed Web Departure Control System (WEBDCS) – a browser-based platform that allows check-in staff to issue digital boarding passes via WhatsApp or email, and baggage tags via SMS using tablets or the standard airport check-in computer. This not only streamlines the check-in process but also enhances operational efficiency. SpiceJet plans to extend this paperless boarding experience to other airports across India. GP Gupta, Chief Strategy Officer, SpiceJet, said, “At SpiceJet, we are constantly working to enhance the travel experience for our passengers while embracing sustainability. The introduction of paperless boarding at Shillong Airport …

The Enterprising Travel Agents Association (ETAA) recently hosted an exclusive engagement with Expedia TAPP at their Gurgaon office, featuring a comprehensive orientation and training session for its members. The initiative was aimed at equipping members with a deeper understanding of the Expedia online booking platform, its advanced functionalities, and its unique value propositions for the travel trade. The knowledge session was spearheaded by Mansi Nanda – Sr. Country Manager (Asia) and Manish Ganjoo – Sr. Manager, Business Development, who delivered insightful presentations on how Expedia empowers travel professionals. They elaborated on the platform’s key differentiators, including its extensive global inventory, competitive pricing models, intuitive interface, and value-added services, all designed to enable agents to provide seamless and efficient solutions to their clients. The discourse further underscored Expedia’s commitment to supporting the travel ecosystem through technology-driven tools, training, and continuous innovation. By addressing the evolving expectations of modern travellers, the platform ensures that agents remain equipped to deliver enhanced customer experiences, efficiency, and choice. Adding further depth to the session, Amit Makholia – Sr. Manager, Sales & Marketing, highlighted the significance of strategic partnerships and engagement with associations like ETAA. He emphasised that collaborative initiatives and knowledge-sharing platforms strengthen industry networks and create new avenues for growth. The event witnessed ETAA members presence, reflecting the association’s collective eagerness to adopt cutting-edge platforms. The session was further enriched by the presence of ETAA North India Chairman Saurabh Tuteja, Secretary Deepika Khanna, and Alliance Head Arush Mittal, who shared their perspectives on how Expedia’s platform can be leveraged by members to enhance productivity, improve service offerings, and expand business opportunities. An interactive Q&A segment followed, allowing members to engage directly with the Expedia …

Naveen Kundu, Founder, Tourism Futures.AI, has launched an AI engine for tour operators, DMCs, hotels and airlines. “Tour operators and destination marketers who fail to adopt AI marketing tools risk losing market share,” he warned, declaring the death of marketing and rise of AI-driven customer acquisition in global travel.