Category Archives: Agents

In a shocking discrimination against IATA agents based in India, Air India has restricted sale of tickets from India to Canada to its city offices and web platform. IATA agents based here cannot issue India-Canada tickets, while travel agents worldwide, including the OTA’s having offices outside India, can access and sell AI inventory to Canada. Lodging a protest with Air India in this regard, AI has been practicing this since the onset of the pandemic. Abbas Moiz, general secretary, TAFI, said it is disappointing to see this discrimination by the new management, the TATA Group, too.

As per GlobalData, there were 73 deals declared in the global travel and tourism sector in January 2022, a decrease of 27% from the 100 deals announced in December 2021. Deal activity decreased across the board (under coverage). Deal activity was sluggish in most of the key markets.

With many people eager to get back on the road, new research from Bounce finds that the cheapest month to visit Jaipur is March. The study looked at the average nightly cost of a 3* hotel in 70 of the world’s most popular tourist sites, comparing both months of the year and days of the week. Jaipur is the second most cost-effective location in the world, with Dubrovnik, Croatia, in first position and Santiago, Chile, in third.

Ajay Prakash, President of TAFI, has emphasised the importance of working with the government to devise a method to protect travel agents’ funds. “We must now continue to build on this as a team to ensure security for our travel agents.” Payments to principals by travel agents constitute unsecured credit, and we must ensure that some type of system, such as escrow, guarantee, or underwriting-based methods are in place to keep travel agents’ money safe. We look forward to engaging with the government on this,” he said.

M. Vinod, President, Andaman Association of Tour Operators (AATO) has expressed concern on Andaman & Nicobar shutting down the only civil airport of the islands for four days every week starting from March to May 2022. The reason being the re-carpeting work of the runway. He said, “The decision will prove to be catastrophic for the Andaman Islands’ economy, people’s welfare, lives and livelihoods.” He has written to the Home Minister, Defence Minister and Civil Aviation Minster, highlighting that tourism in Andamans runs exclusively on the airport.

The Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) has resumed cooked meals on all trains from February 14 after the service was stopped last year owing to Covid-19 restrictions. As of January, cooked food services was restored in 80% of trains. As of January, cooked food services was restored in 80% of trains. Ready-to-eat meals, however, will also continue to be served on demand. Due to the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic and the consequent unprecedented lockdown, e-catering services were suspended on March 22, 2020.

The matter regarding extending the validity of the approval/ recognition of the existing stakeholders (tour operators/ travel agents/tourist transport operators) given by the Ministry of Tourism and grant of provisional recognition for the new agencies in view of crisis caused due to the Covid-19 pandemic has been considered in the Ministry. It has been decided to give extension to the existing validity of the tour operators, travel agents and tourist transport operators upto 30.06.2022.

Travelport has launched a new Trip Manager portal on Travelport+, offering self-service for travelers to carry out fast, easy transactions for their trip on the go and continues its Intelligent Storefrontmission by making it easier for agents to understand offers and compare brands with similar attributes on a like-for-like basis. Agencies using Travelport can also better manage the hotel bookings they sell with a simple self-service rules engine, the Content Optimizer.

As of 24 January, a ‘vaccination pass’ is now required for people aged 16 and over in almost all places where the Health Activity Pass was previously necessary. The ‘vaccination pass’ requires proof of double vaccination and A negative Covid-19 test (PCR or antigenic) will no longer be sufficient.  The “vaccination pass” does not apply to adolescents between 12 and 15 years of age. However, they are required to have a “health pass” to access the places mentioned above (bars and restaurants, leisure activities, large shopping centers, inter-regional transport). Vaccines accepted by France are those recognised by the European Medicines Agency: Pfizer, Moderna, AstraZeneca/Vaxzevria/Covishield and Johnson & Johnson. For more information, log on to: https://www.diplomatie.gouv.fr/en/coming-to-france/coming-to-france-your-covid-19-questions-answered/

Qatar Tourism has announced new superyacht luxury cruises in partnership with Emerald Cruises, sailing from Doha launching in January 2023. Emerald Azzurra will offer a seven-night, eight-day itineraries from Doha, with stops at Sir Bani Yas Island, Abu Dhabi; Khasab, Oman; Fujairah, UAE; Zighy Bay, Oman; and Dubai and vice versa. Pre and post cruise tours are available where guests can opt for a three-day package to explore the sites and culture of Qatar. Highlights include the National Museum of Qatar, designed by French architect Jean Nouvel, in the style of a desert rose; or a visit to Souq Waqif, to purchase local souvenirs and spices. Visitors can take a trip into the desert and visit the Inland Sea, before enjoying dune bashing and a camel ride. The news comes as construction continues on the new Grand Cruise Terminal located in central Doha, near the Museum of Islamic Art and Souq Waqif. The terminal will have the capacity to host two megaships and will offer various attractions, including an aquarium and art gallery. Chief Operating Officer of Qatar Tourism, Berthold Trenkel, said: “In line with the national strategy, Qatar National Vision 2030, we are expanding our tourism value proposition and are excited to welcome travellers from around the world to experience the best of Qatari hospitality both on sea and land. The new itineraries launching with Emerald Cruises are another step towards achieving this vision. “Qatar has an incredible range of hotels, restaurants, activities and cultural landmarks which can be enjoyed pre and post the cruise, allowing guests the freedom to explore Qatar at their leisure. We welcome travellers from around the world to experience our beautiful country and the best …