Category Archives: Agents

Great Plains, the iconic eco-tourism company, has opened Sitatunga Private Island, a water-based Réserve-Collection Safari Camp in the upper reaches of Botswana’s Okavango Delta. Built on a raised, wrap-around railway sleeper private deck, Sitatunga Private Island can accommodate a maximum of four adults in two separate and stunning private suites. The spacious double-bedroom Sitatunga Private Island Suite hosts four adults or a family of two adults and up to three children, offering a total footprint of approximately 607m2. Sitatunga Private Island can host up to eight guests in total sharing the two suites and the two-bedroom Sitatunga Private Island Suite. Constructed almost entirely of recycled materials, breathing new life into old treasures, the new camp offers discerning explorers a ‘slow safari’ experience that is as sustainable as it is luxurious. Each of the two guest suites, as well as the 2-bedroomed Sitatunga Private Island Suite comes complete with an indoor lounge, gorgeously appointed bathrooms with baths and separate showers, a private deck with outdoor lounging and seating areas as well as a private pool with expansive views over the lagoon that stretches in front of the camp itself. Sitatunga Private Island will provide guests with the most authentic ‘Robinson Crusoe’-inspired experience and a refuge for the soul in the Okavango Delta. Dereck Joubert, CEO of Great Plains, says, “Sitatunga Private Island is unlike any other Great Plains property, pushing the eco-design boundary in a remote region in Botswana whilst also offering the highest level of hospitality and accommodation. It is also one of the few locations in the world where one can still see sitatunga, the rare aquatic antelope, from camp and by boat, which is the main activity here in …

Ajay Prakash, has been re-elected as the TAFI President for the new term in an online election held in Mumbai today. While Anil Kalsi takes over from Kamal Jadhwani as Vice President, Abbas Moiz and Hitank Shah maintain their old position as Secretary and Treasurer, respectively. The new team have also co-opted four members for an extended team.

An Air Services Agreement was signed between New Zealand and India in Auckland which is expected to boost bilateral ties in civil aviation between the two countries. According to the MoU, designated airline(s) of New Zealand may operate any number of services with any type of aircraft, with third and fourth freedom traffic rights to/from six points: New Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Chennai, Hyderabad, and Kolkata.  

Sharing data on India as a cruise source market, Joel Katz, MD (Australasia), CLIA, says, “India ranks much higher among its Asian counterparts. In 2019, India contributed around 313,000 pax to cruise operations internationally, an increase over the previous year of more than 40%. India’s source market had grown at double-digit rates for consecutive years, putting India behind only Mainland China, Taiwan and Singapore in the Asia region, and ahead of Japan and Hong Kong.”

Mani Ganeshan, Global Head of Engineering, Travel Distribution & Centre Head, Amadeus Labs, says, “Personalisation has become the key to success in the industry, and with the integration of IoT, Virtual Reality, Robotics, and AI/ML, we can facilitate this transition seamlessly. The use of data analytics and artificial intelligence allows us to gain insights into guests’ preferences, enabling us to tailor services accordingly and provide recommendations that lead to higher guest satisfaction and loyalty.”  

LCC FlyArysta has announced the launch of the newest route, Delhi-Almaty, from September with fares starting from USD 68. Kazakhstan is a visa-free destination for India citizens. It will currently operate three times a week but plans to increase service to Delhi and other cities in India in the coming months.

Sharing thoughts on How the aviation industry is looking with much anticipation on where India will go, Gavin Eccles, Managing Partner, GE Consulting & Advisory, says, “The new orders form the two biggest carriers is a wake-up call that India is potentially on the crest of a wave on the future of aviation.  Is it time for us to look at India with more reality, and, is the dream of having the largest aviation market space in the world, getting closer?”      

One97 Communications Limited (OCL) that owns the brand Paytm, India’s leading payments and financial services company and the pioneer of QR and mobile payments, has launched ‘Free Cancellation’ for international flight tickets booked on Paytm app. Making travel ticket booking seamless and convenient for users, free cancellation is aligned with the company’s user-first approach. With this, the company that also offered free cancellation on domestic flights, bus and train bookings, has now expanded its free cancellation protection to international flights, offering users a solution against hefty cancellation charges levied by airlines. The company is offering a free cancellation cover that starts as low as ₹499 for international flight tickets on Paytm app for countries like Dubai, Singapore, Honking, Malaysia etc. In case of any emergency or personal reasons, free cancellation enables users to claim a 100% refund for trips that are cancelled at least 72 hours before the scheduled departure time for flights. The refunded amount will be credited instantly into the source account with a no questions asked policy. The company also provides free cancellation starting at a premium of ₹149 for domestic flight tickets, ₹30 for train and bus tickets. Paytm Spokesperson said, “As India’s leading travel platform, we are continuously bringing new features to ensure that our users can experience seamless travel. With free cancellation for international flight tickets, users can be rest assured even in case of emergencies. Offering 100% instant refund, this will make travel planning easier for millions of users.”

Global travel marketplace Skyscanner is today launching a new Hindi language experience across its products and services as part of the company’s commitment to the India market. Hindi is the third most widely spoken language globally, and the number of internet users accessing content in Hindi is also rising. With the India travel market projected to reach US$ 125 billion by FY27 and Indians increasingly preferring to book travel online, the introduction of a new localized experience will benefit travelers and partners alike in metro cities as well as Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities across the country. India’s domestic and international air travel continues to showcase a strong recovery, surpassing pre-covid levels. This is reflective of travel demand on Skyscanner, with the company observing the highest spike in search volume in 2023 since pre-pandemic of 2019 for both domestic and international destinations. Commenting on the launch, Hugh Aitken, VP of Strategic Relations said, “The Indian travel market is one of the fastest growing in the world and we see immense potential to help connect millions of travelers with some of the most ambitious travel providers in the industry. When accessing flight options on Skyscanner travelers will now automatically be redirected to the Hindi locale on the airline or OTA site. As well as native language support, we are also investing across our entire product portfolio, not just for consumers but importantly too for our partners in areas such distribution, advertising, and data.”

Go City® (formerly Leisure Pass Group), the world’s largest attraction pass business, re-establishes its presence in India through Global Destinations. It is present in over 30 destinations from London, New York, Singapore, Dubai, to cities across America, Europe and Asia Pacific. Talking about the APAC & Indian market, Dan Penner, Senior Commercial Director – APAC says, given the importance of Asia Pacific, over the last few years Go City® has invested heavily in building a presence in the region. “We are seeing India emerge as a very strong market and our passes are well received by trade partners and consumers. We have seen a huge increase in outbound travel from India this year, with most purchases to London, Singapore, Dubai and Paris. Our expectation is that New York and the rest of the US will return significantly next year. In 2025, India is expected to hit 29 million outbound travellers which accounts for 6% of the urban population. We believe by appointing Global Destinations we will be in the best position to capture this market.” Pranav Kapadia, Founder, Global Destinations comments “We are happy that Go City® has recognised the potential in outbound travel from India and to represent Go City® once again. Post Covid, India has become one of the fastest growing outbound markets, hence now is the perfect time for Go City® to re-stablish its presence in India.”