Category Archives: Breaking News (All Categories)

FCM Meetings & Events has revealed that events, event travel and meetings are leading the business travel to bounce back globally. It states that M!CE market size, in terms of revenue, is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 6.6 per cent from 2022 to 2030 to reach USD1563.3 billion by 2030.

Kanneganti Sameer, Manager Northern & Eastern India, Singapore Airlines, said, “We operate to 8 different cities, and we will operate to 5 more cities, making Singapore Airlines in 13 cities across India. We offer unparallel connectivity across India to meet the requirements of a lot of corporate partners.”

Rail Europe invites the Indian outbound travel trade to attend an exclusive webinar on train travel in Europe on April 2 at 3 pm. It successfully managed to train more than 5,000 agents last year together with its NTO partners and GSAs. Participate in the quiz and win exciting prizes! For more information, write to jaspreet.kaur@ddppl.com or 9650196532.

The next edition of Rendezvous France is scheduled to take place on 1-2 April 2025 in Lyon. This year, the country is all set to offer a sports and cultural extravaganza with the Olympic Games Paris 2024. “We are expecting over 100 million international visitors,” said Caroline Leboucher, MD, Atout France.

Kean Bon, Area Director- India, South Asia & Africa, Singapore Tourism Board, said, “India is one of our top markets for foreign tourists’ arrival and M!CE is a very important segment of visitors for us. We deeply appreciate and honour the support of our M!CE partners in the market and hope that everyone continues to support Singapore M!CE business and continue to work closely with us this year.”

Skyscanner Horizons 2023-2024 report revealed that Indians have budgeted more for travel in 2024. According to the report, 63% of Indians are planning to spend more on travel this year, the highest of any country followed by the UAE at number 2, with 56% of travellers planning to spend more. Indians are also willing to spend on comfort during travel such as upgrading to business or first class or seat selection and access to airport lounges, it added.

As per ABS (Australian Bureau of Statistics), arrivals from India for the year-ended January 2024 stood at 402,200 which is 101% of 2019 levels. This is the first time that Tourism Australia has crossed the 400,000 arrivals milestone from India. India has also significantly improved its ranking to be the 5th largest inbound market for Tourism Australia in 2024, from number 7 in 2019. In the month of January 2024 alone, Australia witnessed 26,200 visitors from India, which is 106% of pre-pandemic levels in 2019. India has also significantly improved its ranking to be the 5th largest inbound market for Tourism Australia in 2024, from number 7 in 2019. Australia’s allure as a favored destination for Indian tourists has never been greater, buoyed by targeted marketing initiatives, the speed and ease of an entirely digitized visa application process, and the growing air travel options between the two nations. Moreover, the sustained rise in visitor numbers year after year since 2019 underscores the success of Tourism Australia’s joint endeavors with its airlines, key distribution partners, and over 5,000 Aussie Specialist Agents in India to drive consideration and conversions. Nishant Kashikar, Country Manager – India & Gulf for Tourism Australia shares, “This resurgence of Indian tourists to Australia is a testament to the resilience and rebound of international travel, particularly from one of our most valued markets. This is a clear indicator of the strong desire for travel and exploration among the Indian travelers, who are drawn to Australia’s unique landscapes, wildlife, and the multicultural vibrancy of our cities.”

Tourism New Zealand will conduct an exclusive training sessions for the travel trade on visitor visas led by Immigration New Zealand live on Thursday, April 4 from 10am – 11am. Attendees can gain valuable insights and updates on visa procedures and regulations for the destination. For more information, write to jaspreet.kaur@ddppl.com or 9650196532 to register.

MoT recently conducted a roadshow in Moscow and St Petersburg – its first international roadshow since 2019 and engaging Russian outbound tour operators.

In summer 2024, the Indian aviation industry will witness a higher number of domestic and international flights as per the Summer Schedule 2024 released by the DGCA. According to the schedule released by the civil aviation regulator, there will be 24,275 domestic departures to and from 125 airports. There is an increase of around 6% in comparison to the Summer Schedule 2023, which had 22,907 weekly departures per week from 119 airports.