Category Archives: Agents

Forward ticket data for July and August 2024 indicates that European travellers are increasingly choosing to venture further afield to explore New Delhi with an 9 per cent increase compared to the same time in 2023. Highlighted by ForwardKeys, outbound travel from Europe is displaying clear trends, with year-on-year growth in long-haul travel to a diverse range of Asian markets.

Skal International Hyderabad got twinned with Skal International Perth from Western Australia during 53rd Skal Asian Area Congress in Bahrain. Skal International agreed and  approved and given us the ‘Twinning Number 248.’ Twinning is signed by Dr Valmiki Hari Kishan, Director, Special Projects, Skal International Hyderabad; and Michael Collins, President, Skal International Perth  in the presence of Annette Cardenas, President, Skal International; NSN Mohan, Director, Skal International and Ash James Munn, National President, Skal Australia Valmiki Hari Kishan says that such twinnings will help clubs to put more collective efforts in bridging the gaps and foster better collaborations to do more business among friends as the tagline of Skal is ‘Doing business among friends.’ He also says many Indian travellers visit Sydney, Melbourne, and Gold Coast whereas there is huge untapped opportunities available to promote Western Australia at the same time. Valmiki visited recently Perth and met Tom Upson, Director of Western Australia which inspired him more to do some collective efforts through the Skal platform. Valmiki also says twinning encourages to arrange reciprocal exchange visits on an individual basis between members of twinned clubs and families. It provides opportunities to learn more about culture and success of others and most of all to do business through better understanding cooperation and friendship. It expands the opportunity for joint projects and exchanges which twinning provides, which will lead fellowship and friendship. Skal International is growing stronger and more countries opening doors to have the Skal chapters. “Building Bridges’ is the present Skal World President’s theme which inspires us to do more,” says Valmiki.  

The World Economic Forum published its 2024 edition of its Travel & Tourism Development Index (TTDI) which measures factors and policies that enable sustainable and resilient development of the tourism sector. It offers insights into tourism economies’ strengths and areas for improvement, and the interconnected nature of tourism development, as well as facilitating strategic planning and multistakeholder dialogue to encourage sustainable growth.     United States The United States is the top scorer in the TTDI and the largest contributor to T&T GDP, both within the Americas region and globally. While the recent increase in sector wages has helped contribute to climbing operation costs, it has also helped partially bridge the T&T sector’s historically low wages in countries such as the United States. Thanks to typical advantages ranging from favourable business environments and open travel policies to well-developed transport, tourism and ICT infrastructure and natural, cultural and non-leisure attractions, United States ranked highest.   Portugal The growth in ‘bleisure’ travel and digital nomads has created new opportunities for businesses and destinations that can offer favourable conditions for business travel and leisure activities. In particular, economies that combine strong ICT infrastructure and healthcare standards, relatively reasonable cost of living, favourable visa policies and rich tourism attractions rank among the most attractive for digital nomads, with countries like Portugal and Spain ranking among the top for attractiveness for this new market.   Uzbekistan Newly ranked developing country of Uzbekistan experienced the greatest growth in TTDI scores between 2019 and 2024. While most high-income economies have experienced slight changes in their TTDI scores, the performance of Uzbekistan (+7.8%, 94th to 78th) has shown the most improvement in both score and rank compared to …

Royal Caribbean International welcomes the action-packed Ovation of the Seas to Singapore from October 2025 through March 2026. The fan favorite Quantum class ship brings a line-up of experiences that make for a memorable holiday for every type of traveler as they visit awe-inspiring destinations like Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and more on 3- to 5-night getaways. Starting today, holidaymakers can be the first to mark their calendars and book the new holidays on Ovation on Royal Caribbean’s website.   With their pick of 3- and 4-night getaways, travellers of all ages have in store a taste of the sights and sounds of Southeast Asia, from indulging in renowned street food in the heart of UNESCO World Heritage Site George Town in Penang, Malaysia, to kicking back on the sandy beaches of Phuket, Thailand. Holidaymakers can also enjoy more time on holiday with longer adventures, such as a 5-night cruise that features a night in Phuket to explore the ever-popular night markets and an 8-night escape to Bali to indulge in culture and adventure while roaming the waterfalls and temples of Celukan Bawang in Bali and Lombok, Indonesia.   “Ovation is a ship packed full of adventure, and with the new season’s line-up of holidays, friends and families can choose to holiday their way between short getaways to Penang and Phuket and longer sailings to Indonesia or with nights out in Phuket,” said Angie Stephen, senior vice president, International, Royal Caribbean International. “Singapore is the gateway to explore many of Asia’s most loved destinations, and it’s the combination of all Southeast Asia has to offer and the variety of unparalleled Royal Caribbean experiences that has made this region a central part …

In a bid to attract foreign tourists to India during summer, MOT has come up with a campaign to develop destinations that have good weather during this time. Manisha Saxena, DG, MOT, says, “The idea is to dispel the notion that India is too hot in summers, and attract tourists from warmer countries like Middle East, South East Asia and African countries. We hve picked over 50 destinations to actively promote them as tourist attractions.” Efforts are on to develop places like Bir Billing, Kinnaur, Dalhousie and Tirthan in HP, Patnitop in Jammu & Kashmir, Auli in Uttarakhand, Wayanad in Kerala, Thenzawl in Mizoram and Kurseong in West Bengal.

The 2024 edition of the Travel & Tourism Development Index (TTDI) released by World Economic Forum states that India has climbed to the 39th position, while US topped the list. India also ranks the highest in South Asia among the lower-middle-income economies. Earlier, India was ranked 54th in 2021 published index. Covering 119 economies, the TTDI measures the set of factors and policies that enable the sustainable and resilient development of the sector, which in turn contributes to the development of a country.

As Europe’s summer approaches, travel insights from digital travel platform Agoda reveal that Asia is a top choice for European globetrotters. Asia not only ranks as the most popular non-European region, but its popularity is increasing compared to last year, with Agoda noting 52% more accommodation searches by Europeans for travel to Asia, and 26% more accommodation searches for travel to India.

Girisons Airways India, the Direct Selling Agent of Cyprus Airways, along with Cyprus Airways announces special flight-hotel packages for Indian travellers. Cyprus Airways is the national carrier of Cyprus operates flights to all major cities of Europe & Dubai from Larnaca. Indian travellers can now visit Cyprus on their European holidays. To facilitate this, we have now introduced “Flight + Hotel” packages. This package includes return flight from Rome/Milan/Zurich/Paris/Brussels to Larnaca (Cyprus) plus three nights hotel accommodation on all inclusive basis. Shreyder Elena of Cyprus Airways and Vivek Jain of Girisons Airways, are very excited about this package and wish to introduce Cyprus as a holiday destination to Indian travellers. These packages can now be booked in India through Girisons Airways located in Colaba, Mumbai via +91 9820060421

MTF invites the travel trade industry to Melangé, an exclusive industry partnership event designed to create new friendships and business collaborations. This unique, focused, and dynamic two-day event to be held on 19 & 20!Sept 2024 is tailored for exhibitors and buyers of diverse travel products. Special offers are available for early birds who register before 31st May. MTF Style Event at one of the most premier venues in India –  Jio Convention Centre BKC. Pradeep Saboo, Organiser, MTF, says, “We understand the power of meaningful connections and innovative collaborations. Our event offers a carefully curated environment where your products and services will be showcased to an audience of discerning buyers ready to explore new opportunities. Melangé is your platform to engage with industry leaders, present cutting-edge travel solutions, and foster impactful business relationships. Join us at Melangé, elevate your brand, connect with key decision-makers, and be part of an event that prioritizes quality interactions over quantity. Seize this opportunity to network, inspire, and be inspired. Let’s create a vibrant mosaic of collaborations and drive the travel industry forward together. Your participation at Melangé is not just an exhibition; it’s an investment in the future of travel.” A special offer is available for exhibiting partners is available. Registrations done before 31 May, 2024 will lead to : A) 50% discount on the published price B) With Category D, a Gold Sponsorship will be offered gratis C) With Category E, a Platinum Sponsorship will be offered gratis Register as an exhibitor here:  https://mtf.events/melange-exhibitors-registration/    

In his role, Abraham John will focus on marketing Rida International Travel & Tourism LLC and help in enhancing the visibility of Rida International in India with emphasis on Luxury Travel, Upmarket Groups and MICE business. Abraham John brings along an experience of 50 years in the Travel & Tourism industry starting his career with Travel Corporation India (TCI) in 1974 followed by a 28 years journey in Bahrain where he managed Sunshine Tours.  Abraham was also responsible for successfully launching and executing the first International Travel & Tourism exhibition in Bahrain (BITE) which was widely accepted as an international travel and tourism exhibition. On his return to India, Abraham joined Fairfest Media Limited as Advisor who are the organisers of the largest travel show in India (OTM). Abraham was responsible for introducing many international tourism boards to OTM including UAE, Rwanda, Greece, Cyprus and many more. Abraham also runs a successful event management company – Inspiration Unlimited. He has successfully promoted many international destinations through roadshows and other marketing activities. “We are delighted to welcome Abraham to The Rida family and to have someone of his calibre, repute and experience advise us on strengthening our roots in India. We are confident that with his understanding of luxury travel, he will add tremendous value as the world begins to travel again” said Rafic Rida, Founder & Chairman – Rida International Travel & Tourism. “I am excited to launch Rida International Travel & Tourism LLC in India. Rida is expanding leaps & bounds in some of the key tourism destinations of the world which is widely accepted by the Indian community. Further I would like to extend my gratitude and thanks to Rafic Rida for entrusting me with such …