Elysian has been appointed as the PR and sales representative for Grecotel Hotels & Resorts to promote its collection of luxury accommodations in Greece to the Indian market. Grecotel is the leading Greek hospitality group, presenting a unique collection of luxury hotels and resorts across Greece, in iconic locations, intertwined with Greece’s history and heritage: its portfolio contains a spectrum of products, from luxurious beachfront and luxury all-inclusive resorts to high-end city hotels. The Grecotel brand is synonymous with Summer in Greece. It carries an almost five-decade legacy as the industry leader in Greece, with its luxury properties in the best locations of the top Greek destinations, personalized service, authentic Greek hospitality, environmental responsibility, and amazing experiences deeply connected with the local culture. The Group portfolio prides itself to include Iconic Hotels & Resorts in landmark locations recognized worldwide, such as THE DOLLI Acropolis in Athens with the most stunning view of the ancient world, the revamped Cape Sounio in the Athens Riviera surrounded by archaeological ruins overlooking the Temple of Poseidon, the cosmopolitan Mykonos Blu on Psarou beach, the idyllic Mandola Rosa and Riviera Olympia complex in Western Peloponnese, next to the birthplace of the Olympic Games, the splendid Corfu Imperial nestled in a private Peninsula, and the majestic Amirandes in Crete, resembling a Minoan water Palace. Each has a distinct character and aesthetic, but all share the same level of exquisite hospitality. The Grecotel extensive portfolio of 40 luxury Hotels and Resorts is spread in 15 destinations across Greece, in the center of Athens and Athens Riviera, Crete, Rhodes, Corfu, Kos, Mykonos, Western Peloponnese, Larissa, Kalamata and Alexandroupolis. The Group celebrates a wide range with different offerings depending …

The 4th edition of Goa International Travel Mart is all set to commence from 3-4 April at Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Indoor Stadium in Goa. It will also be held virtually from 3-9 April. Suneel Anchipaka, Director Tourism, Goa said, “GITM 2024 aims to redefine Goa’s tourism landscape by focusing on regenerative, spiritual, and hinterland tourism, setting new standards for sustainability and inclusivity. Over 250 national and int’l buyers are expected to participate in the event.”

In a significant development, the Federation of Hotel & Restaurant Associations of India has initiated legal action to seek appropriate remedies for hotel members affected by adverse provisions from the Delhi HC for the hospitality sector from the DGFT. “The hospitality sector must receive fair treatment under the Foreign Trade Policy,” said Pradeep Shetty, President, FHRAI.

To mark the reopening of Notre Dame after 5 years, a 3-day reopening ceremony is planned from 7-9 Dec 2024. “There will be a worldwide telecast of the reopening ceremony. Individual visitors can visit the church from 17 December onwards and it will be open to groups only by June 2025,” Olivier Josse, Secretaire General, Notre Dame. 

CareEdge Ratings in its report highlighted a 12-14% revenue per available room growth for the hospitality industry in FY2024, followed by a 9-11% growth in FY2025. This will make it the third straight year of an upcycle. Pan-India, ARRs are expected to be around Rs 7,200 to Rs 7,400 in the current fiscal, which is likely to rise further to Rs 7,700 to Rs 7,900 in the next fiscal.

ITA Airways is expanding operations in the UK market in the summer season by launching a new nonstop flight between Rome–Fiumicino Airport (FCO) and London City Airport (LCY) starting March 31st, 2024. The route will be served by the Airbus A220-100 with 12 weekly frequencies. LCY is London’s most central airport and known internationally for punctuality, speed of service and smooth customer experience. Passengers will benefit from the proximity of both hubs by flying to-and-from London’s and Rome’s most centrally located airports. In addition, travelers can enjoy seamless connecting flights from ITA Airways’ main hub of Rome Fiumicino to the domestic and intercontinental network, including Mediterranean destinations (in Italy, Spain and Greece) and those in South America including Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo and Buenos Aires. Emiliana Limosani, Chief Commercial Officer ITA Airways and CEO Volare, said: “We are proud to launch this new direct service between Rome Fiumicino and London City, which is an airport of reference for business traffic but also very interesting for leisure flows. The UK is confirmed as an increasingly strategic market for ITA Airways, offering travelers 100 weekly flights between the UK and Italy in the current summer season.” The new connection follows ITA Airways introducing a four-daily service between Milan Linate and London City earlier this year. The airline will soon add an extra daily service in April 2024, bringing the total number of weekly frequencies to 31 in the peak of the summer season. This rotation will also be operated with an Airbus A220-100. As a further confirmation of the strategic importance of the UK, starting June, operations to the British market from Rome Fiumicino will be completed with an additional connection …

Rail Europe invites the Indian outbound travel trade to attend an exclusive webinar on train travel in Europe on April 2 at 3 pm. It successfully managed to train more than 5,000 agents last year together with its NTO partners and GSAs. Participate in the quiz and win exciting prizes! For more information, write to jaspreet.kaur@ddppl.com or 9650196532.

The next edition of Rendezvous France is scheduled to take place on 1-2 April 2025 in Lyon. This year, the country is all set to offer a sports and cultural extravaganza with the Olympic Games Paris 2024. “We are expecting over 100 million international visitors,” said Caroline Leboucher, MD, Atout France.

Kean Bon, Area Director- India, South Asia & Africa, Singapore Tourism Board, said, “India is one of our top markets for foreign tourists’ arrival and M!CE is a very important segment of visitors for us. We deeply appreciate and honour the support of our M!CE partners in the market and hope that everyone continues to support Singapore M!CE business and continue to work closely with us this year.”

Skyscanner Horizons 2023-2024 report revealed that Indians have budgeted more for travel in 2024. According to the report, 63% of Indians are planning to spend more on travel this year, the highest of any country followed by the UAE at number 2, with 56% of travellers planning to spend more. Indians are also willing to spend on comfort during travel such as upgrading to business or first class or seat selection and access to airport lounges, it added.