Category Archives: Breaking News (All Categories)

In a significant boost to Kerala’s hospitality landscape, renowned developer Mr. Asok Thirikkoth today announced the upcoming launch of Ramada by Wyndham Wayanad Vythiri, a 52-room upscale hotel set amidst the lush natural beauty of Vythiri. The hotel is being developed in collaboration with Wyndham Hotels & Resorts, the world’s largest hotel franchising company by number of properties, and is expected to open in 2026. Strategically located in the heart of Wayanad’s verdant hills, the new hotel aims to cater to a growing segment of domestic and international travelers seeking immersive nature, wellness, and leisure experiences. The property will feature well-appointed guest rooms, an all-day dining restaurant, a spa, modern meeting facilities, and other thoughtful amenities designed to meet the needs of today’s sophisticated guests. Mr. Asok Thirikkoth, Owner, Ramada by Wyndham Wayanad Vythiri, said: “We are proud to bring the globally respected Ramada brand to Vythiri, a region that is fast becoming a major hub for wellness and eco-tourism. This collaboration with Wyndham Hotels & Resorts reinforces our commitment to developing high-quality hospitality experiences that complement Wayanad’s natural offerings. We are confident this hotel will play a pivotal role in enriching the region’s tourism landscape.” Mr. Rahool Macarius, Market Managing Director, Eurasia, Wyndham Hotels & Resorts, said: “Bringing the Ramada brand to Wayanad marks an important step in our strategy to expand across India’s key leisure destinations. Our collaboration with Mr. Thirikkoth reflects our shared vision of delivering quality hospitality experiences in emerging tourism hubs, and further reinforces our presence in South India.” The addition of this property underscores Wyndham’s focus on expanding in India’s high-growth tier-2 and tier-3 cities, as well as prominent leisure destinations where there is …

Since its post-pandemic re-entry in the Indian market, Taiwan has emerged as one of the fastest-growing tourism destinations out of India. Following a strong 2024, Taiwan has now reported a robust 30.73 percent growth for the January-May 2025 period. The island nation has recorded 19,202 Pax in Indian arrivals to Taiwan during the five-month period. Some 14,688 Indians visited Taiwan during the January-May period in 2024. Taiwan Tourism Administration (TTA), the national tourism agency of Taiwan, made its post-pandemic return to the burgeoning Indian market in January 2024 with a strategic 360⁰ market development plan. Thanks to a slew of market-focussed and targeted initiatives and campaigns, 2024 had also resulted in a strong 20.81 percent growth. Some 38,158 Indians visited Taiwan last year. According to Paul Shih, Director, TTA Singapore Office, “We are very bullish about India’s outbound tourism potential for us. Over the last one and a half years, we have worked extensively and hard to build strong tourism ties with India’s ever-growing outbound tourism market, particularly focusing on strengthening partnerships with the Indian trade. And with 20.81% growth from India last year, vis-à-vis India’s overall outbound growth recorded at 8.44%, I am glad to share that TTA’s efforts have resulted in nearly 2.5 times larger growth for Taiwan from India.” As part of its widening marketing efforts in India and also aligned to its global promotion campaign “Taiwan – Waves of Wonder”, TTA is continuously expanding its product offerings and market outreach. Following a year and a half of highly successful destination marketing campaigns, Taiwan has recently launched Taiwan’s rich Golfing experiences while also expanding its marketing outreach to the East India region with a road show in …

Garuda Indonesia and Singapore Airlines (SIA) will strengthen their long-standing commercial cooperation in August 2025, with the launch of joint sales of fare products, additional codeshare destinations, and reciprocal lounge access. From August 2025, customers will be able to book flights operated by both airlines for services between Singapore and Indonesia within a single itinerary, offering greater convenience, and a wider range of fare options for travellers. The two carriers will also expand their codeshare arrangement in August 2025 to offer customers more travel options between Indonesia and Singapore, and beyond. Garuda Indonesia customers will gain access to four additional SIA destinations — Bengaluru, Kolkata, and Delhi in India, as well as Male in the Maldives. SIA customers will be able to connect to popular Garuda Indonesia flights from Denpasar to Labuan Bajo, as well as Jakarta to Labuan Bajo, Lombok, and Manado. Customers will continue to enjoy existing codeshare options on flights operated by both carriers between Singapore and Denpasar, Jakarta, and Surabaya in Indonesia, as well as SIA operated flights to London (Heathrow), the United Kingdom, and Mumbai, India. From mid-August 2025, members of GarudaMiles and KrisFlyer frequent flyer programmes will enjoy reciprocal lounge access when travelling between Singapore and Denpasar, Jakarta, and Surabaya. This covers the Garuda Executive, KrisFlyer Gold, and the Business Class SilverKris lounges in Singapore and those destinations. Members will also be able to earn and redeem miles on the new codeshare routes, under the frequent flyer partnership that was launched in February 2025. SIA increased its flight frequency between Singapore and Jakarta to nine daily services in May 2025, up from eight. Subject to regulatory approval and operational considerations, Garuda Indonesia will boost …

Group Concorde has been appointed as the General Sales Agent (GSA) for China Southern Airlines – Passenger Sales across India, effective from 1 August 2025. Group Concorde will represent and support China Southern Airlines’ passenger sales operations throughout the Indian market. This strategic partnership marks a significant milestone in strengthening China Southern’s presence in India and is a testament to Group Concorde’s proven track record and deep-rooted expertise in airline representation

As 13 new Boeing 737 MAX 8 is going to join LOT Polish Airlines fleet by the end of 2026, the airline is rejoicing the delievery of the first shipment of RECARO Aircraft Seating products, which will be installed on both its Boeing 737 MAX 8 and Airbus A220 aircraft. The initial set was manufactured at RECARO’s facility in Świebodzin and will be fitted into one of the thirteen Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft. In total, LOT will take delivery of about 14,000 modern, ergonomic seats – with passenger comfort as a top priority. The new seats are part of LOT Polish Airlines’ broader initiative to modernise its aircraft cabins. The interiors of the Boeing 737 MAX 8 fleet will be completely redesigned, drawing inspiration from LOT Polish Airlines’ Polonez business lounges in Warsaw and Chicago. The goal is to create a unified look across the entire fleet, aligning the new design with the cabin style of the Boeing 787 Dreamliners – which are also set for a comprehensive interior upgrade. This retrofit will take passenger comfort to an even higher level across all classes of service.

Neemrana Hotels will be restoring heritage sites namely Baruasagar Fort in Jhansi, Uttar Pradesh, and Raja Rani Mahal in Chanderi, Madhya Pradesh. The official opening of these properties are expected by 2027 for Baruasagar Fort and 2028 for Raja Rani Mahal.

Nishant Kashikar, Country Manager, India & the Gulf countries, Tourism Australia, informed, “India continues to climb the ranks as one of Australia’s most promising source markets, almost reaching the 453,000 visitor mark for the year-ended May 2025. This reflects a 9.5 per cent increase in arrivals compared to the previous year, positioning India as Tourism Australia’s 5th largest inbound market.”

Speaking at GPS Chandigarh, Raju Akolkar, CEO, GPS, said, “The 2-day event witnessed a strong participation from Punjab and Himachal’s travel industry. We noted a distinct regional preference for luxury travel, including upscale hotels and premium destinations. The northern market’s flair for glamorous trends was evident.” The event witnessed the particiaption of over 450 buyers alongside 35 exhibitors.”

As per HVS Anarock July 2025 report, Mumbai and New Delhi maintained their premium positioning with Average Room Rates (ARR) exceeding ₹10,000 and ₹8,500 respectively in June 2025. Meanwhile, Hyderabad saw the highest year-on-year growth. However, Goa was witnessed a year-on-year dip in average rates in June 2025.

The Andaman and Nicobar administration has decided to build 5-star resorts at five locations, including the uninhabited Aves Island, which will be opened for tourism for the first time. The other four eco-tourism properties will come up at Neil Island, Megapode Resort in Port Blair, Long Island and Smith Island.