Category Archives: Agents

Destination Management Company Sen Travel Group has appointed Absolute Hospitality Services as its sales office in India and looks forward to servicing the Indian clients. The group services tour operators and travel agents worldwide. It specialises in tailor-made travel itineraries for both individual and group of travellers seeking to provide authentic experiences in Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia and Myanmar. The founder of Sen Travel Group, Tran Thi Xuan Nguyen is passionate about travelling and has turned this passion into business. The company aims to provide top quality and great value travel products to tour operators and travel agents in India. Team at Sen Travel Group is professional, dedicated and good at what they do. Their local knowledge and first-hand experience enables them to customize and create the most suitable products, itineraries and experiences as demanded by agencies partners and their guests. People still view Vietnam through the lens of war, however Tran says, “in reality Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos are blessed with fascinating natural beauty; tranquil village life, ravishing coastline, emerald-green mountains, breathtaking national parks, dynamic cities, outstanding cultural interest and above all the world’s best cuisines.” Anuradha Singh and  Randhir Narayan – Directors of AHS, welcome Sen Travel Group to the portfolio of International DMCs. Anuradha commented “we are always excited to introduce new destination & new experiences to Indian Travel Trade ”.

With effect from August 08, 2016, all applicants can schedule his/her appointment through Interactive Voice Recorder (IVR) across 24 hours, all 7 days at any of the seven Netherlands Visa Application Centres across India. The service will be available in English and Hindi languages and applicants can upgrade the appointment into Premium Lounge by just a click. Applicants can also check the status of an existing application on the IVR. Payment can be done through IVR Payment Gateway and applicant can also provide feedback through the system.

The global leader in guided holidays Trafalgar, is delving deeper into Asia with the introduction of three new destinations — India, Sri Lanka and Laos. Travelling in groups of up to just 26 guests, each journey offers clients an in-depth and intimate exploration into this part of the world where modern meets ancient. Boasting nine new itineraries and three new destinations, Trafalgar’s Asia 2017 programme features an expanded range of Mini Stays to provide agents with options to sell Asia’s most exciting urban centres to clients looking for an immersive city experience. The new 13-day Leisurely Rajasthan with Mumbai is Trafalgar’s first itinerary exploring the riches of India with stays in vibrant cities such as Jaipur and Mumbai and the chance to see how #TrafalgarCares is helping Delhi’s street children through its support of the Salaam Baalak Trust. Trafalgar will also be heading across the Palk Strait on the new 11-day Wonders of Sri Lanka. From learning how Ceylon tea is made to rehabilitating orphaned elephants with #TrafalgarCares, there is no better way to explore this tropical island. The bite-size South East Asian gem of Laos completes the trio of new destinations and features on the 11-day Secrets of Cambodia with Laos. Learn about the exceptional work being done at the ‘Lao Friends Hospital for Children’ with #TrafalgarCares and immerse in local customs at a family hosted dinner in beautiful Luang Prabang.

Cox & Kings has curated a travel guidebook titled ‘Dubai: An Experience’ that gives a glimpse of the city’s offerings and details about places to see, hotels and restaurants. The guidebook was launched by actor Emraan Hashmi and Karan Anand, Head, Relationships, Cox & Kings at Crossword bookstore in Mumbai. Anand said, “Dubai continues to be one of the most preferred overseas’ destinations for Indian travelers and caters to every taste, budget and age group. With the launch of this travel book, we want to help travelers plan their trip better and experience Dubai in a whole new light. The book is well attuned to the needs of both first-time and experienced travelers and offers in-depth information on hotels, attractions, restaurants and activities along with tailor-made itineraries for different periods of stay and interests.” The book is published by Times Group Books and is available at leading bookstores across cities like Mumbai, Delhi, Chennai, and Bangalore along with shopping portals like Flipkart, Amazon, and Infibeam.

Sri Lanka is emerging as a high potential incentive destination and corporate venue for employee incentive trips and business meetings, having witnessed an impressive growth of over 15 per cent YOY, with over 233,000 MICE visitors from India in the past six years, according to data from the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority. Thomas Cook (India) recently hosted an exclusive corporate event in collaboration with Sri Lanka Convention Bureau and SriLankan Airlines to harness the demand for MICE travel to Sri Lanka across mid and large Indian corporates and SMEs. TCI’s internal research and consumer analysis reiterates the significant and growing opportunity of India’s corporate segment, with interest for Sri Lanka as a MICE destination having grown by 15-20 per cent YOY over the last three years. The exclusive corporate event in Mumbai was attended by the crème de la crème of the corporate world, Saroja Siresena, The Consul General of Sri Lanka in Mumbai, and Bollywood celebrity Jacqueline Fernandez.

After a 40-year break from operating product in the region, Contiki has launched an Indian itinerary titled ‘The Eternal India’ that will take intrepid young explorers on a journey through India: from Delhi to Agra to Jaipur to Goa. ‘The Eternal India’ trip is on sale now, with trips running from December 2016. The Eternal India trip will take place over 12 days, following Contiki’s more relaxed ‘In-Depth Explorer’ pace. Travellers get the chance to visit Delhi, Agra, Ranthambore, Jaipur, Udaipur, Mumbai and finally the beach paradise of Goa. It will include excursions to heritage sites, a safari and special stay at Ranthambore National Park and a trip to the world famous Taj Mahal. Some of the optional activities include a cooking demonstration and local family supper in Jaipur, a Bollywood tour in Mumbai, a tour of Mumbai at dawn and a Yoga class on the beach. Director of Sales & Marketing for Contiki Asia, Sam Morrah, says the new trip is not only a fantastic way to showcase India to young travellers from around the world, but will also help increase brand awareness in the India market where bookings to other destinations such as Europe have increased by 30 per cent this year. “It’s unlikely we’ll see many Indian travellers looking to travel on a Contiki trip in their own country. However young Indians will see just how many travellers from around the world choose Contiki to show them the best travel experiences and this will no doubt result in more young Indian travellers seeking to travel with us to other destinations,” he adds.

Indonesia-based travel company Panorama Destination has joined hands with Outbound Konnections Reps to establish a partnership in India and launch a range of products and organise Fam trips for Indian travel agents. Anjum Lokhandwala, Founder & Director, Outbound Konnections, said “We are happy to be appointed as the India office for Panorama Destination Indonesia and Bali. Panorama Destination is the leader in providing competitive packages and quality of services for all travel segments and we are keen to develop and multiply their market share in India. Indonesia has a lot to offer in terms of culture, scenic beauty, adventure and spas.” Panorama Destination has recently joined OTOAI (Outbound Tour Operators Association of India). There will be a range of new, diverse and competitive products created specifically for the Indian market by Panorama Destination in the coming months and a Director of Business Development will also be appointed specifically for the Indian market. The company specialises in inbound services and offering tailored tours. It has its own fleet of air-conditioned vehicles.

Bird Travels has been appointed as the GSA for Avianca Brazil in India. “We are very delighted to represent and promote Avianca Brazil as their GSA in India. Avianca is a member of Star Alliance covering 22 domestic and one international destination with over 200 daily flights. It has a modern fleet of 41 Airbus aircraft. The major hub airports are Rio de Janeiro, Sao Paulo, Salvador. In India we are also entering the BSP very soon for wider distribution,” said Praful Khosla, Executive Vice President, Bird Travels.

Club 7 Holidays and World of Wonders (WOW) Travels have come together in a strategic alliance where both companies will leverage on each other’s strengths, plans and strategies to offer dynamic tours and packages. The alliance will see WOW Travels offering assistance to Club7 Holidays with tour packages, products building, services of professional tour managers, staff training as well as marketing and sales. Sriram Rajmohan, CEO and MD, Club7 Holidays said, “We have been availing services offered by WOW, and have received positive feedback from our customers which has promoted us to enter into a joint venture. With this alliance, we can leverage the knowledge and experience of WOW and expand the base of Club7 from an East-based company to a pan India network.“ At present, both companies will function independently, targeting group holidays, FIT and MICE segments. The companies will also be organising joint roadshows for the travel trade soon. Madhav Pai, CMD, WOW Travels also added, “We are planning to introduce a wide range of products that will be innovative and economical, and will take on the best in the business.”

Thomas Cook India has announced the launch of exclusive international packages – ‘Sharod Shubheccha’ for avid Bengali travellers this Durga Puja, one of the most widely celebrated festivals in India offering a long holiday opportunity, especially in West Bengal. Thomas Cook India has introduced special packages to some of the top favourite international destinations like Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Egypt, China, Dubai, Hong Kong, Macau, France, Germany, Italy, Switzerland, U.K, etc. starting from INR 35,500/- onwards (per person on twin share basis) giving more than one reason to its Bengali travellers, to celebrate an auspicious occasion in a foreign locale. Kolkata & West Bengal, as also Bhubaneshwar & Orissa have been earmarked as an important market for Durga Puja holidays accounting for 10% of our overall leisure travel business and has witnessed an uptake of 27% in bookings y-o-y with consumers booking their holidays almost 2 months in advance. Thomas Cook India’s distribution and reach in West Bengal augments to 6 consumer access centers: 3 owned branches, and 3 Gold Circle Partner (franchise) outlets. Commenting on the Durga Puja special packages Mr. Rajeev D. Kale, President & Country Head – Leisure Travel & MICE, Thomas Cook (India) Ltd. said, “Durga Puja is one of the most significant festive occasions and is widely celebrated in West Bengal. Marked by grand celebrations, the 9-day festive extravaganza is one of the biggest holiday seasons in the state. Keeping in mind the strong support received from our discerning Bengali travellers, also considering their evolving preferences and demands, we at Thomas Cook India have designed special packages at exciting price points, to enable Bengali travelers celebrate their favourite festival at their dream destinations- with their loved …