Category Archives: Agents

Ebix has announced that its EbixCash Indian subsidiary has signed an agreement with Cox and Kings to transfer its Business Travel agreements with corporates in India, to EbixCash’s corporate “Mercury” Travel Division. This announcement comes as a part of EbixCash’s initiative to aggressively grow its corporate travel business in India.Each of the transferred corporate clients of Cox and Kings will now be serviced by EbixCash’s Mercury Division across the length and breadth of the country. Under the agreement some key core employees of Cox and Kings will also be transferred to the EbixCash payroll with immediate effect. This transfer agreement is part of EbixCash’s efforts to double its revenues as compared to the last year, from the corporate travel sector by the end of this Financial Year. (Source: globenewswire.com)

Cholan Tours, part of Lufthansa City Center, is set to launch a new mobile application, which will help connect the tour operators, travel guides and guides for better co-ordination and support. Sharing details, Pandian, Director, Cholan Tours said, “We have been thinking about coming up with something like this from last 5-7 years and now we have found right people and the work is going on for the launch of the App. We have scheduled a launch on November 15 this year. The app will help connect the tourist with guides, which is very tough to pre-book for tourist travelling to India. They can book flights, hotels and other services but now with the new app, they will be able to book guides as well. With this, more employment for guides will be generated throughout the year and guide services in the country will also improve.” He went on to say that around 88 per cent of tourists coming to India travel to the country on their own or through unorganised sector while the rest 12 per cent take services of organised travel agencies. “My intention of creating this App is not to disturb the 12 per cent share but tap the 88 per cent share of the market to book travel guides. If we are able to get even 10 per cent of the share, it will be phenomenal boost to bookings,” he added.

Business transactions worth Rs 3,000 crore are expected to take place during the second edition of the Tamil Nadu Travel Mart, scheduled from September 19-22 in Chennai. Sharing the details, Ligi George, Convenor, CII Tamil Nadu Tourism panel said the value of trade transacted in the last edition, which took place in 2007 was Rs 1,800 crore. “The total value of business in this edition is expected to b be Rs 3,000 crore, which would be through business to business meetings at the travel mart,” he added. More than 300 exhibitors and around 1,000 international and domestic buyers are expected to attend the three-day travel mart. Along with TTM, the Medical Value Travel Mart is also being organised by CII in association with the Tamil Nadu Travel Mart Society. (Source: Times of India)

Having made huge inroads in the couple and honeymooner segments, Tourism Fiji has started tapping families and high value MICE travellers from India in a big way. Kathy Koyamaibole, Regional Manager Asia, Tourism Fiji, met with various key members of the travel trade. She said that Tourism Fiji is now also tapping new traveller groups such as families and high-value MICE travellers. “Our key target audience from India have been honeymooners and couples and we continue to see major growth in these segments. However, we are now looking at actively promoting Fiji to families and high-end consumers groups. We have also seen interest from the MICE segment for hosting conferences in Fiji, which is a good lead for us to foray into the high-value MICE segment from India. Tourism Fiji has invested additional resources in the market to promote MICE and early this year we hosted our premier MICE Agents Famil, inviting eight top MICE agents for it,” Koyamaibole added. Speaking about some of the activities the tourism board is doing, she added, “This year too we shall have a host of activities to educate and keep the travel trade abreast on the latest happenings in Fiji. We just concluded our Fijian Tourism Expo 2019 in May, where we hosted six Indian agents to experience the destination and meet some of the Fiji stakeholders. We will also conduct trainings for the trade in tier-2 and tier-3 cities. As an extension to an already impressive reception in 2018, this year too we would also be conducting a three-series webinar starting October.” The tourism board will also host key travel agents from pan India on familiarisation trips this year.

As Cosmos prepares for the launch of its 2020 vacations, the value-centric brand has unveiled a fresh look and feel including a new tagline, ‘Adventure is Knocking’. With effect from September 15, 2019, Cosmos will start its rebranding with the launch of a new logo and a new look to the way Cosmos is presented.  Varesh Chopra, Regional Director – South Asia and Middle East for the Globus family of brands, says, “With our new branding, we’re celebrating the unparalleled and attainable access a Cosmos tour provides to the world’s ‘wow’ moments. On a Cosmos vacation, we make possible ‘never thought I would’ or ‘never imagined I could’ moments by making travel easy and affordable. The idea that ‘Adventure is Knocking’ captures the excitement that travel brings.” Agents can celebrate Cosmos re-branding with the introduction of new brochures, complimentary marketing material and a new video, inviting their clients to discover adventures in the world around them. With its new look and feel, Cosmos provides travellers with value-centric vacations in 67 countries on six continents. “With our vacations priced from just US$ 79 a day, we’re helping travellers turn ‘what if’ moments into ‘I did’ realisations so they can expand their horizons, clear their heads, and open their hearts to the world around them,” says Chopra.

On 14 September 2019, STIC turns into a 46-year old company. The company has maintained its presence in the trade because of its people and their dedication towards work. The journey started in 1973, inaugurated by Karan Singh, then Civil Aviation and Tourism Minister, with handful of people. Over the years, STIC has evolved into one of the most renowned organisations, covering nine international airlines, largest hotel chains , cruises, car rental , luxury services etc. STIC moves ahead, to bigger, brighter and bolder strides… forty six … and getting younger.

At an appreciation dinner organised in New Delhi, the Singapore Tourism Board thanked cruise lines and cruise travel intermediaries for promoting cruising from Singapore. GB Srithar, Regional Director – India, Middle East & South Asia (IMESA), Singapore Tourism Board, presented ‘Valued Tourism Partner’ awards to representatives from key cruise lines operating out of Singapore and travel trade partners selling cruise holidays. Representatives of cruise lines were, Nalini Gupta, Managing Director, Lotus Aero Enterprises (Costa Cruise India); Nishith Saxena, Founder & Director, Cruise Professionals Ltd. (Princess Cruises), Naresh Rawal, Vice President, Sales & Marketing, Genting Cruise Lines and Ratna Chadda, CEO, Tirun Travel Marketing (Royal Caribbean International). Four travel agents nominated by Costa Cruises, Genting Cruises and RCI were also felicitated at the ceremony.

The 35th annual convention of the Indian Association of Tour Operators (IATO) was inaugurated at the Biswa Bangla Convention Centre in Kolkata. The association is organising the convention in Kolkata after 17 years with the theme, ‘Is Tourism Thriving? Challenges and Opportunities’. The Day 2 of the convention will mark the opening of India Tourism Fair 2019. The convention was graced by Goutam Deb, Tourism Minister, West Bengal, Indranil Sen, Minister of State, Dept. of Information & Culture Affairs and Tourism, Government of West Bengal, Jyoti Prakash Panigrahi, Minister for Tourism, Odia Language, Literature and Culture and Atri Bhattacharya, Principal Secretary Tourism, Government of West Bengal apart from many stalwart of the travel trade were present during the glittering opening ceremony. Apart from highlighting the host state, West Bengal, who was seen promoting Durga Puja, as the part of theme, IATO Convention will play host to 13 other states and Union Territories, who will showcase their tourism products and offerings. On the theme of Durga Puja, there will also be a live demonstration of idol-making. The IATO Hall of Fame Award for 2019 was given to Patu Keswani, CMD, Lemon Tree Hotels. IATO Run for responsible Tourism will be organised on the last day of the convention on September 14.

The Singapore Cruise Forum, held at The Le Meridien, New Delhi, saw major players from the travel trade coming under one roof to discuss and explore the cruise market in India and trends around the same. GB Srithar, Regional Director, India, Middle East & South Asia, International Group, Singapore Tourism Board, addresses the gathering and mentions the key highlights related to this industry. He says, “The Cruise Forum today sets out to achieve two objectives. First, for the cruise and travel trade partners here to gain insights from the thought-leadership presentations, and secondly, to exchange views during the panel discussions and engage in meaningful conversations and networking with like-minded individuals for us to grow cruise holiday-makers in India and continue entrenching Singapore as a major cruise destination and hub.” 

NIMA has recently launched its Southern Region office in Vizag. K Vijay Mohan was nominated as the co-ordinator for the Southern Region. The Commissioner of Police, Vizag, Rajeev Kumar Meena graced the occasion. Former MLA Malla Vijay Prasad, Entrepreneur Pyda Krishan Prasad, Raja Babu of Sunray Resorts and Naresh Kumar were other dignitaries present during the launch.  NIMA’s National Coordinator Gajesh Girdhar, Rakesh Arora and Jagdeep Bhagat were present too. The State Chapters for Telangana with Siraj Ansari as it’s State Coordinator and Andhra Pradesh with Dheeraj Praharaju as it’s State Coordinator were also installed during the recent visit of NIMA’s National team to the region.