Category Archives: Agents

World`s steepest cableway is open! The world’s steepest cable car has started operating from Saturday, 14th December 2024. The new direct connection between Stechelberg and Mürren was officially opened the day before as part of a VIP opening ceremony. At the same time, the first section of the cable car between Mürren and Birg will go into operation. It marks the completion of the first major construction phase of the SCHILTHORNBAHN 20XX project: the opening of the new direct connection between Stechelberg and Mürren. It is the steepest cable car in the world with a gradient of 159.4 per cent. The classic aerial cableway connects the valley floor with the car-free mountain village in just four minutes via the vertical walls of the Mürrenfluh. It covers a height of 775 metres on a journey of almost 1194 metres. The two cable cars from Carvatech in Oberwies, Austria, have space for 85 people or 6.8 tonnes of cargo. 800 people per hour can be transported at full capacity. A striking feature is the very long suspension arm of 11 metres, which was essential due to the extreme gradient. The AURO system (Autonomous Ropeway Operation) aerial cableway with constant monitoring by cameras and sensors enables autonomous operation without personnel inside the cable cars and stations. A fully automated loading robot takes care of freight logistics. Transportation of luggage and cargo are synchronised with the passengers in a container attached underneath the cable car. Grand opening On Friday, 13th December 2024, the cable car was officially opened in the presence of over 600 guests. The lively celebration, hosted by Monika Erb, took place in the new Stechelberg valley station. In addition to the …

Sharing a broad strategy for next year, Anoop Tewari, Business & Commercial Strategy (Aviation and Travel Technology), ITQ, says “We are looking big, going by the tide and seeing the direction we are heading to invest as ITQ. Of course, Travelport is also investing a lot on technology as ITQ will be implementing a lot on tech solutions for travel agents to make their life easy, focusing on content, focusing on forward integration of solutions which help them handle their customers well and also help them scale up their business, make them bigger.”

The number of Indians wanting to fly business class has seen a sharp uptick this holiday season compared to last year. While the trend is more pronounced in international travel, travel agents and online platforms suggest that it is also emerging on many domestic routes. Data shared by MakeMyTrip showed that business class bookings from India across domestic as well as international routes have gone up by 50% this year compared to the same period last year. This is based on the analysis of search and booking data between December 16 and 31. For international bookings, there has been an 80% rise in business class bookings, and for domestic bookings, the jump is 27%.

Indian travellers are fast becoming a global powerhouse in tourism, driven by rising affluence, increasing travel ambitions, and a focus on premium experiences. According to the World Travel & Tourism Council, Indians spent a record $34.2 billion on outbound travel in 2023, firmly establishing themselves as key contributors to the global tourism market. This trend is set to grow further, with 66% of Indian travellers planning to travel more in 2025, leading the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region in both travel intent and spending, as per Skyscanner. The appetite for premium travel is evident in the soaring demand for business-class bookings. Data from MakeMyTrip shows a 50% year-on-year increase in business class bookings, with international flights witnessing an impressive 80% jump, while domestic flights saw a 27% rise

Supply is simply not keeping pace with demand, said Suman Billa, Additional Secy, MOT, adding, “Current estimates indicate that we have about 180,000 branded hotel rooms in the country, including those under development. However, if you factor in the latent demand—such as the 470 million-plus domestic travellers and incoming international tourists—the numbers suggest we should already have double that capacity. Not five years from now, but today. Unless we address the supply side immediately, we risk missing the tourism opportunity altogether.”

Amitabh Kant, G20 Sherpa India underlined the need to create and legislate destination management at the 18th CII Annual Tourism Summit 2024. He said, “India needs to create and legislate on destination management. I believe we are currently riding the wave of domestic tourism, but we need to move beyond this. Domestic tourism will have its ups and downs, so our focus must shift to international tourism, especially targeting the upper end of the market. High-value tourism will deliver greater unit value realization for hotels, which will require top-quality destination management.”

Seeking to attract investments worth Rs 15,000 crore and position Telangana among top five states in domestic and international tourist arrivals, the state government has tabled its ‘Telangana Tourism Policy 2025-2030’. The first-ever dedicated tourism policy, after the formation of Telangana, also aims to create additional employment opportunities for three lakh people in the next five years besides enhancing tourism contribution to 10% or higher of the Gross State Domestic Product.

South African Tourism on Friday concluded the third leg of its 10th edition of the ‘Learn South Africa’ workshop in Kochi, following successful events in Chandigarh and Nagpur. This initiative aimed to engage key travel trade partners across India, particularly focusing on the growing interest from tier-2 and tier-3 cities. Over 100 travel trade partners from Kochi participated in the event, offering beyond its well-known destinations like Cape Town and Johannesburg and helping them to gain insights into South Africa’s hidden gems such as Eastern Cape, Free State, and KwaZulu-Natal India remains one of the largest source markets for South Africa, with increasing interest from smaller cities like Kochi. Indian travellers are on the lookout for diverse experiences that range from thrilling adventures to rich cultural explorations. In response to this demand, the workshop equipped travel partners with the necessary knowledge and tools to create customized itineraries tailored for travellers in India. The objective of South African Tourism is to position the Rainbow Nation as a premier choice for leisure and MICE travel. Commenting on the event in Kochi, Gcobani Mancotywa, Regional General Manager for Asia, Australasia, and the Middle East at South African Tourism, stated: “We have witnessed notable trends among Kochi travellers, such as a growing preference for experiential travel, wellness tourism, and adventure activities. Further, travellers from this region are rapidly emerging as a significant market for South African tourism, we have seen a notable increase in inquiries from local travellers seeking unique and offbeat experiences in H1 2024. Our collaboration with local trade partners has been exceptionally positive, reinforcing our belief that this will drive more Indian travellers to explore the lesser-known regions of South Africa. …

South Africa Tourism highlights its rich culture and natural beauty, educating the Indian travel trade on lesser-known regions of the country South African Tourism concluded the third leg of its 10th edition of the ‘Learn South Africa’ workshop in Kochi, following successful events in Chandigarh and Nagpur. This initiative aimed to engage key travel trade partners across India, particularly focusing on the growing interest from tier-2 and tier-3 cities. Over 100 travel trade partners from Kochi participated in the event, offering beyond its well-known destinations like Cape Town and Johannesburg and helping them to gain insights into South Africa’s hidden gems such as Eastern Cape, Free State, and KwaZulu-Natal India remains one of the largest source markets for South Africa, with increasing interest from smaller cities like Kochi. Indian travellers are on the lookout for diverse experiences that range from thrilling adventures to rich cultural explorations. In response to this demand, the workshop equipped travel partners with the necessary knowledge and tools to create customised itineraries tailored for travellers in India. The objective of South African Tourism is to position the Rainbow Nation as a premier choice for leisure and MICE travel. Commenting on the event in Kochi, Gcobani Mancotywa, Regional General Manager, Asia, Australasia, and the Middle East, South African Tourism, said, “We have witnessed notable trends among Kochi travellers, such as a growing preference for experiential travel, wellness tourism, and adventure activities. Further, travellers from this region are rapidly emerging as a significant market for South African tourism, we have seen a notable increase in inquiries from local travellers seeking unique and offbeat experiences in H1 2024. Our collaboration with local trade partners has been exceptionally positive, reinforcing …

Sharing his views on the future of the traditional travel agent, Vishal Bhatia, Country Manager – India, VisitBritain, says, “Many debate whether the agent should now provide support or not, depending on their experience. Few have helped and won the client back, few have helped only to have the client book online again. Eventually, it comes down to the relationship and trust between both. Both OTAs and traditional travel agents are here to stay as long as they adopt the use of technology and grow their reach. Time is money! A client can either spend time to research and book online or get an agent to do it for him.”