Nestled along the Atlantic coast in Southwestern France, often overlooked by the tourists for the more popular Paris, French Rivera or the Champagne region, lies the small but magnificent beach town of Arcachon. Famous for its expansive beaches, fresh oysters, the majestic Dune du Pilat, Arcachon truly captures the essence of coastal France. Whether you want to experience slow-living and spend a leisure day at the beach or whether you want to improve your surfing and sailing skills and finish the day at the casino well into the wee hours of the morning, Arcachon offers a unique blend of experiences that is both tranquil and invigorating. In April 2024, my trip to France brought me to Paris and Bordeaux, where I had the opportunity to explore numerous tourist attractions including the world-renowned vineyards of Saint-Émilion. And then I decided to visit Aracachon, a place I had never heard of before, but a place whose elegance and radiance is now etched in my memory for a lifetime. From Bordeaux, Arcachon is less than an hour train ride away and the Gare d’Arcachon (train station of Arcachon) is less than 100 metres away from the main beach (Plage d’Arcachon) and the city centre. And these, are a sight to behold!! From the beach volleyball players, chic boutiques and people savouring seafood delicacies, I knew I was in for a delight. My first destination was the ‘Dune du Pilat.’ The bus Baïa, ligne 3 (line 3) goes directly to the dune from the station (and back for €2/- one way), or you can bring your bikes with you from Bordeaux, OR you can walk the 9 km route along the beautiful city or …

TAAI, celebrating its journey from 1951 to 2026, will launch the ‘TAAI 75 Years’ initiative in early 2025. Sunil Kumar, President, said, “We’re starting early to ensure the initiative grows and transitions into a significant industry event. The celebrations will honour our legacy, foster partnerships, and highlight the evolution of India’s travel industry.”

The contribution of the tourism sector to India’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) for 2022-23 stood at five per cent, the government informed Parliament. In a written response in the Lok Sabha, Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, Union Tourism Minister, stated that the total foreign tourist arrivals in 2023 stood at 9.52 million.

The ongoing International Tourism Mart 2024 (ITM 2024) in Kaziranga, Assam until 29 November is aligned with the MOT’s Travel for Life initiative. The 3-day event aims to foster collaboration among stakeholders to expand the Northeast’s global tourism footprint and highlight the region as a must-visit destination.

Join an exciting webinar hosted by the Ministry of Heritage and Tourism, Oman today at 3pm. This exclusive session will offer valuable sights for trade partners and travel professionals to help expand tourism offerings to Oman. For more information, please contact Jaspreet Kaur at jaspreet.kaur@ddppl.com or call +91 9650196532.

One of the world’s smallest countries is a highly attractive travel destination LOT Polish Airlines inaugural flight on 16th April 2025 Four weekly flights to Malta International Airport The Mediterranean archipelago of Malta may be one of the smallest countries in the world (only 316 square kilometres) but it has become a trendy travel destination with over three million visitors annually (2023). Star Alliance member LOT Polish Airlines makes this precious gem available for travellers from India and adds Malta to its global route network starting on 16th April 2025. The flights between the airline’s global hub at the Chopin Airport in Warsaw and the Malta International Airport will be operated four times per week with a Boeing 737. Guests will have the choice between the two service classes LOT Economy Class and LOT Business Class. In order to offer passengers more flexibility, departures from Warsaw will take place at two different times: Sundays and Wednesdays at 8:20h, Tuesdays and Saturdays at 14:05h. The flight time is three hours. Overview of the new Malta flights operated by LOT Polish Airlines: Sunday and Wednesday Departure with LO 671 from Warsaw at 8:20h, arrival in Malta at 11:20h Departure with LO 672 from Malta at 12:10h, arrival in Warsaw at 15:05h Tuesday and Saturday Departure with LO 673 from Warsaw at 14:05h, arrival in Malta at 17:05h Departure with LO 674 from Malta at 17:55h, arrival in Warsaw at 20:50h “Malta is no longer an insider tip, but presents itself as a high-quality holiday destination with a wide range of tourist attractions that appeals a lot to what people from India love when travelling abroad,” says Amit Ray, Director India, DACH Markets …

Organised by IFEMA MADRID, the International Tourism Trade Fair will be held from 22 to 26 January, 2025 with a firm commitment to boosting business and knowledge exchange In its 45th edition, FITUR aligns itself with the global challenges of tourism, placing sustainability at the heart of its agenda in order to contribute to solid economic growth. Tourism has reached 790 million international tourists, generating a direct global economic impact of approximately USD 3.4 trillion in the first seven months of 2024, according to UN Tourism statistics. Given this magnitude, the International Tourism Trade Fair, which closed its last edition with more than 250,000 attendees and the participation of 9,000 companies representing 152 countries, aligns itself with the global challenge facing the industry and reinforces its commitment to the promotion of responsible tourism, inviting its professionals to strengthen their pride of belonging. FITUR, which is holding its next edition from 22 to 26 January, organised by IFEMA MADRID, brings together the global tourism market, placing sustainability at the centre of its programme with the aim of contributing to solid economic growth and showcasing respectful practices with a positive impact that can be replicated to continue improving the quality of tourism activity. This is precisely the aim of two of its major projects. On the one hand, the FITURNEXT Observatory, FITUR’s platform dedicated to promoting best practices, which has been working all year over the past six editions to identify and analyse initiatives implemented globally by destinations, companies and organisations around an industry challenge. On this occasion, the 2025 Challenge focused on how tourism can contribute to sustainable food management and, after the analysis of nearly 300 proposals, the winners are …

“Beti Ki Udaan, Desh Ka Swabhimaan” Felicitating the leaders of today, who will further inspire and light up the path for #ChampionsOfChange tomorrow Women in Aviation India (WAI) held its third edition of the iconic Awards – Giving Wings to Dreams 2024 today at Roseate House New Delhi, felicitating 37 women achievers who have contributed significantly to the aviation sector. The award ceremony took place in the distinguished presence of Vumlunmang Vualnam, Secretary, Ministry of Civil Aviation, Government of India and other eminent dignitaries present at the ceremony included Usha Padhee, IAS, Principal Secretary, Commerce & Transport Dept., Govt. of Odisha and Vipin Kumar, IAS – Chairman AAI. These Awards recognise excellence in diverse fields of aviation and help build a value chain where achievers inspire the next generation. Following a thorough selection process, led by an eminent jury comprising of stalwarts of the industry, successful women aviators across categories of airside operations, terminal operations, ground support, flight dispatchers, airline security, fire rescue, engineering, communication, cabin crew and flight operations were felicitated at the award ceremony. Women achievers from nodal aviation authorities BCAS, DGCA, CISF and Pawan Hans were also recognised for service excellence. “At the Ministry of Civil Aviation, it is a very satisfying moment for us to see this initiative of Women in Aviation India being applauded by our honourable president and prime minister. Through our collaboration with WAI, we are helping women break barriers and are empowering them to lead in this fast-growing sector. India’s aviation infrastructure has expanded exponentially, with the number of airports more than doubling from 74 to 157 over the past decade. Passenger numbers have surged from 11 crore to 22 crore annually, …

GTF Holidays LLP, a trusted B2B travel partner specialising in delivering expertly curated group series departures and white label solutions, announces an upcoming B2B roadshow starting on 30th November 2024 in Thane, Maharashtra. This will further extend to tier-2 and tier-3 cities. This initiative will spotlight its B2B group series departures and white label solutions for group series, aiming to empower travel partners across diverse markets with new opportunities for growth and collaboration. With a significant number of travel trade professionals expected to attend, this roadshow promises to be an engaging and impactful platform to connect and strengthen industry relationships. With a commitment to providing unmatched support, destination expertise, and a proven track record of successful collaborations, the company has established itself as a reliable name in the travel industry.    

Sharing the state’s investment plans, Conrad Sangma, Chief Minister, Meghalaya, said, “We are planning to invest approx. ₹4,000 crore in the tourism sector in the coming years. The government invested ₹2,000 crore since the last three years, creating about 50,000 direct and indirect employment opportunities.”