Category Archives: Breaking News (All Categories)

Amidst ongoing controversial remarks by Maldive’s politician, a lot of agents and companies are cancelling Maldives bookings. Riaz Munshi, President, OTOAI, said, “Approximately, Maldives faces 40%-50% cancellation by Indian trade. Due to this comment, there is uproar in social media, impacting sentiment of people in India. Some outbound operators have also cancelled their bookings”.

EbixCash joins hands with Sheraton Travels to inaugurate their new EbixCash Travel Experience Centre in Connaught Place, Delhi. Naveen Kundu, Managing Director, EbixCash Travel, announced, “We plan to open approximately 30 centers similar to this one in tier two, tier three, and tier four cities across the country.”

Oman Air has been named the most punctual airline in the Middle East and Africa for 2023, scoring an outstanding 92.50/o On-Time Performance (OTP), the highest among all carriers across all categories. The rankings, published in the 2023 On-Time Performance Review by global aviation analytics leader, Cirium, measured performance data collected from more than 600 sources of real-time flight information. It’s the second consecutive time the Muscat-based airline has taken the top spot, having scored 91 TO/o during 2022. In aviation, on-time performance represents a pivotal cornerstone shaping the passenger experience. Flights that are on time mean smoother, less stressful journeys, making it a key differentiator for guest satisfaction. By committing itself to achieving exemplary on-time performance, Oman Air continues to prove its reliability, reduce travel uncertainties, and increase passenger confidence, underscoring its dedication to elevating the overall travel experience.

According to ResearchAndMarkets.com, the global luxury travel market size reached US$ 2,049.2 Billion in 2022. Looking forward, the market is expected to reach US$ 2,683.9 Billion by 2028, exhibiting a growth rate (CAGR) of 4.60% during 2022-2028.

Following the annual convention held in Nairobi, OTOAI has received 15-30 new applications for enrollment. The association is also stringent about accepting the applications and is not approving every application that comes in. “We are now working towards capitalizing on the convention,” said Riaz Munshi, President of OTOAI.

As per HVS Anarock, in line with the season, Goa regained its spot at the top with the highest average rates (surpassing ₹12,000) followed closely by Mumbai (also exceeding ₹12,000). Kolkata saw a substantial 30% spike in its average rates from the previous month and a 23% increase compared to November 2022.

Türkiye’s Eastern Express, one of the world’s finest railway routes provide an unforgettable journey from the center to the east of Türkiye, started welcoming its passengers. As a route that every adventure seeker visiting Türkiye should experience, the Eastern Express recently completed its first service of the 2023-2024 period. Spanning approximately 1,310 kilometers, the train journey begins in Türkiye’s capital, Ankara, continues to Kırıkkale, Kayseri, Sivas, Erzincan, and Erzurum, and concludes in Kars. Taking around 26 hours, the trip allows passengers to observe the diverse geography of Türkiye along the route and see how the eastern provinces transform into extraordinary winter destinations during the season. A ‘One-of-a-kind’ adventure Two separate trains operate on the Ankara-Kars route, the Eastern Express and the Touristic Eastern Express. The Eastern Express grew so popular recently that a touristic version was added to the route in 2019 to meet demand. The Eastern Express features pullman and couchette wagons and has approximately 50 stops, whereas the Touristic Eastern Express includes sleeping and dining wagons and has 29 stops. While the Eastern Express has limited break times, the Touristic Eastern Express has two- to three-hour breaks so passengers can see more along the route. The Touristic Eastern Express’s new season service makes sightseeing stops at the Erzincan and Erzurum stations in the Ankara-Kars direction and at the İliç, Divriği and Sivas stations in the Kars-Ankara direction, which is the return route. The Touristic Eastern Express has eight sleeping beds and one dining car, which are pretty comfortable. Each sleeping car has ten compartments (rooms) with two beds. Although passengers can enjoy breakfast and dinner in the dining car, a growing trend – influenced by social media – …

P A Mohamed Riyas, Kerala Tourism Minister, mentioned, “Heli-tourism endeavour enables tourists to save time during their visits to destinations. Travellers may sometimes face a few hiccups with surface travel in the state. Thus heli-tourism will be of immense benefit”.

Larry Yim, General Manager, Away Bangkok Riverside Kene, mentions that we want to focus on closely working with some Indian partners to boost direct booking this market for the Indian market. We are also focusing on incentives & FIT groups from this market.

Bali provisional govt introduces tourism tax system from all international arrivals  with effect from 14 February 2024. The compulsory levy will see all international tourists pay IDR 150,000 (US $10). The authorities claim that payment process will take only 23 seconds at Bali Airport.