Category Archives: Agents

Singapore Tourism Board conducts immersive virtual FAM for more than 200 Indian travel trade stakeholders

The Singapore Tourism Board (STB) took its Indian travel partners on an immersive virtual tour of Singapore that is filled with fun experiences, ranging from a wildlife tour up close with animals to a mixology masterclass. The SingapoReimagine Virtual Experiences Familiarisation Day aimed to create a differentiated and immersive experience for the travel trade fraternity in India, and to reimagine and evolve their definition of travel. The event was held on the 27th July for travel agents from the South and West region and then on 31st July for travel agents from North and East India. The tour kicked off with a virtual in-flight experience of landing in Singapore on Singapore Airlines, which was a much-welcomed throwback to the days of pre-pandemic travel. The agents went on to enjoy edutainment tours that were conducted by Wildlife Reserves Singapore, getting up close virtually with the animals at the Singapore Zoo, and a virtual stroll down by the Singapore River, one that was livened up by games, quizzes and nuggets of trivia by Monster Tours. Guests were treated to a curated Singapore-themed lunch with a sumptuous spread delivered to their homes. They also toured the Brass Lion Distillery, a full-fledged working distillery known for its special Singapore dry gin. The highlight of this session was a cocktail making masterclass conducted by the Distillery’s brand ambassador and mixologist, Kino Soh, complete with specially-curated cocktail hampers delivered to the agents so that they could try their hand at mixing the drinks during the session. Said Akhil Verma, Director – Brand Solutions, Tripoto Travels, “This SingapoReimagine event was brilliantly put together and showcased how technology will pave the path for travellers in the new age. The …

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Actor Sonu Sood to launch travel portal and App for agents in rural India

Bollywood actor Sonu Sood has announced that he will be launching a travel-tech business venture to digitally empower and build a travel agent business community in rural India. The launch is slated to take place virtually on August 6, 2021. Called Travel Union, it is an assisted travel business brand for rural India and has an App as well as a web portal. Travel Union promises to empower the rural audience by enabling them to do business at zero investment.

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ibis India hotels to now allow pets, offers amenities

ibis India has announced a new offering perfect for pet parents in need of a getaway. The hotel brand’s latest pet-friendly policy will help pet parents to enjoy their stay at ibis hotels, with their pets. To make these stays hassle-free, a number of welcome amenities such as food bowls, puppy pads, and plenty of treats are available on request. A pet-friendly in-room menu is also available.

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Spain re-opens borders for tourism for fully vaccinated travellers from India

Effective 2 August, 2021, Spain has re-opened its borders for tourism for fully vaccinated travellers originating from India. The last dose of the vaccine should be received 14 days prior to the departure date. Turespaña has introduced a microsite called ‘TRAVELSAFE’ within its official web site. and aims to aid international travellers with information on travel restrictions which is updated regularly.

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Vaccinate tour operators, hotel staff: Centre to states

The Centre has asked states to vaccinate its tour operators, hotel employees, drivers and other industry stakeholders on priority to bring back confidence in the sector. Tourism Secretary Arvind Singh said, “We have taken it up with state governments that vaccination of all tourism stakeholders should be done on priority so that we gain a sense of confidence.”

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VFS Global advises prospective students to be wary of scamsters

With borders slowly reopening for Indians, student visa applications for various countries are at a record high. With this higher demand for visa application appointments, VFS Global has continually faced the issue of scammers posing as employees or associates of the organisation and embezzling customers. Misusing VFS Global’s trusted name in the visa space, such scammers lure aspirants with the false promise of overseas settlement. An all-too-frequent modus operandi involves a scammer using new software and other technology to clone VFS Global’s web page and mask their phone numbers, so it appears that the call has indeed come from an official VFS Global line. The victim is then asked to verify the number on the official website, leading him/her to further believe the caller. “We understand anxieties engulfing students and parents with the reopening of international borders. With high demand for student visas, it is also important for our customers to be wary of miscreants looking to take advantage of this peak demand period. VFS Global urges prospective students to beware of such malpractices. VFS Global is taking all necessary and proactive measures to accommodate students visas as per directives from the respective Embassy or Consulate,” said Pranav Sinha, Head – South Asia, VFS Global. Touts could also reach out to customers via chat apps, offering simple assistance such as booking an appointment slot to apply for a visa at a VFS Global centre at an additional fee. VFS Global does not charge customers for appointments to submit applications. All appointments are available online on a first-come-first-served basis completely free of cost. No VFS Global employee or third party can assure an appointment based on payment. With the increasing number …

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Northeast India holds immense potential to attract Southeast Asians for medical tourism

SS Dev Barman, Regional Director, Indiatourism North East, has said that the region provides an immense opportunity for medical tourism which can attract tourists from Southeast Asian countries. Besides this, he adds, the Northeast is endowed with diverse tourist attractions, biodiversity, wildlife and prominent archaeological sites, and each state has its own distinct features.

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IACC-NIC summit on tourism tomorrow at 2:00 pm

IACC-NIC will host the 2nd Indo-US Services Summit tomorrow, July 31, with a session on travel, tourism and hospitality scheduled from 2:00-3:00 pm. Titled ‘Living with COVID – Yesterday, Today & Tomorrow’ and moderated by Ajay Bakaya, MD, Sarovar Hotels, the Chief Guest for the session will be Tourism Secretary Arvind Singh. Also in attendance will be Ross R Belliveau (Commercial Attache US Embassy), Ragini Chopra (InterGlobe Enterprises), Jyoti Mayal (TAAI) and Sudeep Jain (IHG).

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Punjab sanctions Rs 5 cr to develop light & sound Show at Hussainiwala Border

Gurpal Singh Chahal (IAS), Deputy Commissioner – Ferozepur District, Government of Punjab, informed that recently Punjab Government has sanctioned Rs 5 crore for developing light and sound show at the National Martyrs Memorial at Hussainiwala Border. The Indo-Pak Retreat Ceremony at Hussainiwala Border is a popular activity and can be witnessed from as close as 100 feet from the Zero Line. If developed and marketed properly, this can outshine the retreat ceremony at Wagah Border.    

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Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru still most searched destinations in India: Amadeus

Amadeus’ latest Travel Trends report says that Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru are still the most searched destinations in India in 2021, the same as 2019. Mani Ganeshan, its Head of R&D, Asia Pacific, says, “This suggests that Indian travellers are looking to explore closer to home, albeit cautiously. However, in 2021, the travellers’ duration of stay is lengthening which tells us the desire to travel never falters, and that travellers are creatively making the most out of their travel and taking advantage of the new hybrid working model we are seeing unfold.”

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