Category Archives: Agents

DDP Digital Conclave brings you an opportunity to learn from some of the brightest, most experienced minds in the hospitality sector strategies that will truly help bring business back. Speakers at the hour-long session titled ‘The Post Pandemic Reset’ are Abinash Manghani (WelcomHeritage), Alok Sharma (Shycocan Corporation) and Vineet Wadhwa (Fio Restaurants). To register, write to jaspreet.kaur@ddppl.com or call +91 9650196532.

With the coronavirus situation improving, Cordelia cruises are all set to resume sailing operations from September 2021.  While their maiden cruise was cancelled by the deadly second wave, the team is upbeat and cautiously optimistic that they can travel freely again. “The second wave led to the cancellation of our initial sailing plans but we were equipped to handle such exigencies. Our team is in touch with guests who have booked with us, and we are regularly checking on the status of their health and vaccination. Safety is the most crucial word in travel today” says Jurgen Bailom, CEO & President for Waterways Leisure Tourism who also added that the response from the guests to the new itineraries has been encouraging. The timeline is also in sync with that of the international cruise industry which is making a comeback in a phased manner. Most cruise liners are commencing sailings with a few ships on certain routes as per the permissions received. It is expected that most of them will start operations between July and August 2021 on specific routes and gradually become fully functional by 2021 end. Cordelia has implemented all the standard protocols for its crew members and guests.  This includes fully vaccinated crew, daily health checks for crew members, hourly sanitization of facilities, air-filtration and aocial distancing norms, limited guests as per the official mandate by the government, special services team in charge of the safety and health of senior citizens and children, and pre-requisite of tests and vaccination before boarding for guests being worked out apart from comprehensive pre travel checks. Cordelia promises sailing to some of the best Indian and international destinations like Goa, Diu, Lakshadweep, …

Naveen Kundu, Managing Director, EBIXCASH Travel Services, has said that in the last one and a half years, he has seen a surge in private stays and private flying, with people preferring resort stays, exclusive pool and water villas over city hotels and increasingly opting for chartered flights like never before. He also added that as soon as borders open, Indians would be travelling everywhere.

The Singapore Tourism Board (STB) took its Indian travel partners on an immersive virtual tour of Singapore that is filled with fun experiences, ranging from a wildlife tour up close with animals to a mixology masterclass. The SingapoReimagine Virtual Experiences Familiarisation Day aimed to create a differentiated and immersive experience for the travel trade fraternity in India, and to reimagine and evolve their definition of travel. The event was held on the 27th July for travel agents from the South and West region and then on 31st July for travel agents from North and East India. The tour kicked off with a virtual in-flight experience of landing in Singapore on Singapore Airlines, which was a much-welcomed throwback to the days of pre-pandemic travel. The agents went on to enjoy edutainment tours that were conducted by Wildlife Reserves Singapore, getting up close virtually with the animals at the Singapore Zoo, and a virtual stroll down by the Singapore River, one that was livened up by games, quizzes and nuggets of trivia by Monster Tours. Guests were treated to a curated Singapore-themed lunch with a sumptuous spread delivered to their homes. They also toured the Brass Lion Distillery, a full-fledged working distillery known for its special Singapore dry gin. The highlight of this session was a cocktail making masterclass conducted by the Distillery’s brand ambassador and mixologist, Kino Soh, complete with specially-curated cocktail hampers delivered to the agents so that they could try their hand at mixing the drinks during the session. Said Akhil Verma, Director – Brand Solutions, Tripoto Travels, “This SingapoReimagine event was brilliantly put together and showcased how technology will pave the path for travellers in the new age. The …

Bollywood actor Sonu Sood has announced that he will be launching a travel-tech business venture to digitally empower and build a travel agent business community in rural India. The launch is slated to take place virtually on August 6, 2021. Called Travel Union, it is an assisted travel business brand for rural India and has an App as well as a web portal. Travel Union promises to empower the rural audience by enabling them to do business at zero investment.

ibis India has announced a new offering perfect for pet parents in need of a getaway. The hotel brand’s latest pet-friendly policy will help pet parents to enjoy their stay at ibis hotels, with their pets. To make these stays hassle-free, a number of welcome amenities such as food bowls, puppy pads, and plenty of treats are available on request. A pet-friendly in-room menu is also available.

Effective 2 August, 2021, Spain has re-opened its borders for tourism for fully vaccinated travellers originating from India. The last dose of the vaccine should be received 14 days prior to the departure date. Turespaña has introduced a microsite called ‘TRAVELSAFE’ within its official web site. and aims to aid international travellers with information on travel restrictions which is updated regularly.

The Centre has asked states to vaccinate its tour operators, hotel employees, drivers and other industry stakeholders on priority to bring back confidence in the sector. Tourism Secretary Arvind Singh said, “We have taken it up with state governments that vaccination of all tourism stakeholders should be done on priority so that we gain a sense of confidence.”

With borders slowly reopening for Indians, student visa applications for various countries are at a record high. With this higher demand for visa application appointments, VFS Global has continually faced the issue of scammers posing as employees or associates of the organisation and embezzling customers. Misusing VFS Global’s trusted name in the visa space, such scammers lure aspirants with the false promise of overseas settlement. An all-too-frequent modus operandi involves a scammer using new software and other technology to clone VFS Global’s web page and mask their phone numbers, so it appears that the call has indeed come from an official VFS Global line. The victim is then asked to verify the number on the official website, leading him/her to further believe the caller. “We understand anxieties engulfing students and parents with the reopening of international borders. With high demand for student visas, it is also important for our customers to be wary of miscreants looking to take advantage of this peak demand period. VFS Global urges prospective students to beware of such malpractices. VFS Global is taking all necessary and proactive measures to accommodate students visas as per directives from the respective Embassy or Consulate,” said Pranav Sinha, Head – South Asia, VFS Global. Touts could also reach out to customers via chat apps, offering simple assistance such as booking an appointment slot to apply for a visa at a VFS Global centre at an additional fee. VFS Global does not charge customers for appointments to submit applications. All appointments are available online on a first-come-first-served basis completely free of cost. No VFS Global employee or third party can assure an appointment based on payment. With the increasing number …

SS Dev Barman, Regional Director, Indiatourism North East, has said that the region provides an immense opportunity for medical tourism which can attract tourists from Southeast Asian countries. Besides this, he adds, the Northeast is endowed with diverse tourist attractions, biodiversity, wildlife and prominent archaeological sites, and each state has its own distinct features.