Category Archives: Agents

Desert Adventures Tourism, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Thomas Cook India and GCC-based travel conglomerate Kanoo Travel have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to establish a joint venture in Saudi Arabia at Arabian Travel Market 2023. Desert Adventures is a premium Destination Management Company headquartered in the UAE, operating in the GCC and Jordan. The collaboration brings together two of the largest and most reputable travel trade organisations in the Middle East, aiming to create the most comprehensive destination services company in the region. The joint venture marks a significant milestone in both Companies’ history as they combine their expertise, resources, and capabilities to provide travellers with unparalleled travel experiences in Saudi Arabia. Desert Adventures Tourism has been a leading company and partner of choice for many worldwide tour operators with 25 years of experience in destination management in the United Arab Emirates, Jordan, and Oman. The company has developed a reputation for providing stability, consistency, and quality of service that its partners have come to trust. Kanoo Travel, an esteemed travel company with a legacy spanning over eight decades, offers the most comprehensive and reliable travel solutions. With a focus on corporate travel, Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Events (MICE), leisure and holiday travel, airline representation, and marine travel, Kanoo Travel has established itself as a leader in the travel industry. The company’s commitment to delivering exceptional solutions and services has been consistently acknowledged, resulting in numerous regional industry awards.   Peter Payet, CEO of Desert Adventures, expressed excitement about the new venture, saying, “We are delighted to partner with Kanoo Travel to provide the most comprehensive destination services in Saudi Arabia. With their extensive local knowledge and resources and …

Experience Abu Dhabi has announced Indian superstar Ranveer Singh, as an official ambassador, inspiring visitors to discover the diverse range of experiences that can be enjoyed on a trip to Abu Dhabi. During the two-year partnership, Ranveer will share his holiday highlights, inviting Indian travelers to find their pace in Abu Dhabi and enjoy everything that the destination has to offer, from an action-packed calendar of events including IIFA, the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix and the Abu Dhabi NBA Games, to the variety of adventures and cultural experiences that can inspire, excite and restore. Ranveer commences his exciting role by starring in Abu Dhabi’s new summer campaign film, ‘One Summer Isn’t Enough’. In the film, audiences will witness Ranveer explore some of Abu Dhabi’s hotspots, from soaking up the sun in the chilled pools of Saadiyat Beach Club to taking in the wonder at Louvre Abu Dhabi and racing around the famous Yas Marina Circuit, before enjoying retail therapy at one of the city’s incredible malls. A true showman, Ranveer could not leave Abu Dhabi without perfecting the iconic Al Ayyala dance – deeply rooted in UAE culture, it involves performers using thin bamboo canes to move to the steady beat of drums. Ranveer’s infectious enthusiasm and passion for Abu Dhabi is sure to inspire every traveler to add Abu Dhabi to their summer bucket list. With so many things to do, summer is an ideal time to visit the UAE capital. Just like Ranveer, Indian travellers can be inspired by Abu Dhabi’s rich culture and heritage scene across 23 locations, including Qasr Al Hosn and the presidential palace of Qasr Al Watan. Alternatively, those looking for adventure can reach new …

Building on its robust presence in India, Lufthansa today announced the introduction of two new routes – Munich to Bangalore and Frankfurt to Hyderabad.  The new flights on the Munich-Bangalore route will be operational three times a week, with the first flight scheduled on November 3, 2023. The flights from Frankfurt-Hyderabad will commence operations in the coming winter and combined these flights represent the first new routes in Asia Pacific for the Group. This expansion underlines Lufthansa’s long-term vision to strengthen its footprint in the Indian market by catering to the growing population of young working professionals. The brand intends to make the best of India’s untapped growth opportunity – especially in the post-COVID era – by providing consumers with the most premium travel experiences during their international trips, be it for business or leisure. With more than 50 weekly services to India, the Lufthansa Group tradition in India dates back nearly a century, and these new routes will strength its position as the leading European airline group on the subcontinent.

Rezlive.com, TravTalk & Turning Point will host a unique Red Carpet Desert Networking Event on 2 May in Dubai. This will happen on the sidelines of ATM at Camp – Al Awir with dinner. Attendees will have the option to also indulge in dune bashing. For more information, please write to Sonia Butalia at Sonia.butalia@ddppl.com or call +91-9650311174.

Delving into the dilemma dividing sustainable travel in 2023, Booking.com finds that a majority of Indian travellers (97%) say they want to travel more sustainably, while 84% think the global energy crisis and rising cost of living is impacting their spending plans. However, 66% of Indians believing more sustainable travel options are too expensive.

Holiday Moods announce the release of our 2024-25 Air-Cruise programs operated aboard Magellan Explorer and Ocean Nova. The 2024-25 season is now open for reservations. we are celebrating our 20th anniversary and offering promos including an early booking promotion that provides savings of $2,000 per person on all Classic Antarctica Air-Cruise departures of Ocean Nova, available until March 31, 2023.

Minister of Culture, Tourism & DoNER, G Kishan Reddy, has said that India needs private investments in a big way to develop tourism. Referring to the first Global Tourism Investor’s Summit to be held in May, he said, “We have asked the states to present their required investments for tourism development in their areas. The aim is to promote our tourism industry as an investment destination.”

According to the government’s provisional estimates, the foreign exchange earnings from tourism in the country increased by 107% from ₹65,070 crore in 2021 to ₹1,34,543 crore in 2022. Latest data from the Bureau of Immigration show that India received 6.19 million FTAs during 2022 as compared to 1.52 million during the same period of 2021.

Educational trips are a great learning tool for travel consultants and first-hand experience gives them a better understanding of the destination. Keeping this in mind, ETAA organized an educational trip to Nepal in association with The Travel Cube Bangalore and Nepal office head. The Travel Cube have their own set up in Nepal and ensure that itineraries are designed as the requirements of the clients and deliver quality service. About 33 members from India joined the trip. Team ETAA is thankful to The Travel Cube for their efforts in taking good care of members and making the trip a memorable one.

SMA Sheeraz, Director, Sheeraz Tours, has said, “Travellers from Tier II & III cities want to explore places with longer itineraries for this summer, eg. Yas Island in Abu Dhabi, ALULA in Saudi, or destinations like Hua Hin & Chiang Mai in Thailand & Malaysian Kota Kina Balu, Radang. Regular itineraries are not trending anymore.”