Category Archives: Breaking News (All Categories)

CRISIL has upgraded its rating on the bank facilities of Thomas Cook (India) Limited (TCIL), at ‘CRISIL AA- / Stable / CRISIL A1+’. The upgrade of the long term to ‘AA- / Stable’ from ‘CRISIL A+/ Stable’ and short term rating to ‘CRISIL A1+’ from ‘CRISIL A1’ reflects the Thomas Cook India Group’s strong scale up in revenue across businesses and expectations of sustained momentum driven by brisk revival in demand post pandemic induced disruptions. The ratings are indicative of TCIL’s strong business risk profile with leadership position in travel and foreign exchange segments and healthy presence in hospitality (Sterling Holiday Resorts) and digi-photo imaging (DEI) segments. The Company has also improved its financial risk profile following sharp revival in business activity. The upgraded ratings factor in the strong parental support from Fairfax Financial Holdings Ltd.

Cordelia Cruises, India’s premium cruise line, has made a triumphant return to Mumbai this month, after a successful four-month posting in Chennai. Cordelia Cruises returned to the esteemed Mumbai port on the 23rd of September and it will homeport here till June 2024. After a series of successful sailings to Sri Lanka in June 2023, Cordelia became the first Indian cruise to set sail internationally. This represents a monumental stride in the Indian cruise operations and marks an achievement for the country. Cordelia Cruises embarked on an incredible journey, introducing a perfect blend of Indian hospitality and world-class amenities to more than 400,000 passengers since its inception. With a vision of transforming India’s vast coastline, which spans over 7,500 square kilometres, into a bustling hub for coastal tourism, Cordelia Cruises aims to propel the nation into the global cruise tourism industry spotlight.

On the occasion of World Tourism Day (WTD), the UNWTO revealed this week its global campaign, ‘Tourism Opens Minds’, in a universal pledge to address the challenges facing the tourism sector.  This global initiative presents an opportunity to rediscover the way people travel and encourages tourists to venture into a wider range of destinations, to open their minds and hearts to places they haven’t previously imagined visiting. A YouGov survey released earlier this week showed that while 66% of travellers prefer familiar destinations over exploring new horizons, 83% report that the experience of traveling to new places, broadened their perspective and enabled them to develop a better understanding of other cultures.

Hilton unveils the much-anticipated upscale full-service hotel brand, DoubleTree by Hilton, in the vibrant city of Varanasi. The city, home to historical structures, temples and forts and is also a member of the UNESCO creative cities given its cultural prominence. DoubleTree by Hilton Varanasi is conveniently located in the city centre, has opened under a franchising agreement between Hilton India and JHV Construction Co Pvt Ltd, a well renowned and prominent business conglomerate in Varanasi. Known for its w hospitality and commitment to guest comfort, DoubleTree by Hilton has rapidly emerged as a fast-growing brand within the Hilton portfolio. This opening further underscores Hilton’s unwavering commitment to expanding its footprint in non-metros and delivering exceptional experiences to travellers throughout the region.

RKM Enterprises, a partnership firm based in Delhi, today announced opening of Ram1ada by Wyndham Goa in partnership with Wyndham Hotels & Resorts, the world’s largest hotel franchising company with approximately 9,100 hotels across over 95 countries. Located in prime area of Arpora – North Goa, Ramada by Wyndham Goa Arpora, has 65 rooms, a lobby lounge, an all-day restaurant and bar, a wellness area, an outdoor swimming pool as well as 3 event spaces. The hotel offers guests easy access to the popular Baga and Calangute beaches, as well as several transport links like the Vasco railway station, International Airports- Mopa & Dabolim. Mr. Rakesh Mediratta owner of M/s RKM Enterprises said, “We are happy to be opening the Ramada by Wyndham Goa Arpora under the popular Ramada brand. Wyndham Hotels & Resorts is one of the fastest growing hotel chains in Asia with a significant presence in major source markets for India and we are proud to be associated. We look forward to a successful collaboration and bright future ahead.” Nikhil Sharma, Market Managing Director Eurasia, Wyndham Hotels & Resorts said, “After the stellar success of Ramada by Wyndham Mussoorie, we are delighted to open our second hotel with RKM Enterprises in Goa, bringing the iconic Ramada by Wyndham brand to Arpora Goa. This latest addition marks an important step in our expansion plan for the country by bringing a high-quality midscale hotel in a prime location in Goa.” Ramada by Wyndham Goa Arpora, M/s RKM Enterprises has created more than 100 jobs in the state of Goa.    

Adedayo Olawuyi, CCO, Uganda Airlines, announced that the airline is all set to revive the Mumbai-Entebbe route from october 7, 2023 after 40 years. This route was earlier serviced by Air India. Uganda Airlines will start a three weekly direct flight between the two cities targeting VFR traffic, business travellers and medical tourists, but also mice and leisure tourists.

During a panel discussion at the 38th IATO convention, Vikramjit Singh, President, Lemon Tree Hotels, revealing their expansion plans shared that the brand is to inaugurate India’s largest hotel in Mumbai, a 669-room property, scheduled to open in October.   

After a hiatus of three years, the physical edition of the PATA Travel Mart commences today in New Delhi at International Exhibition-cum-Convention Centre, Pragati Maidan. The Mart is scheduled to take place from 4-6 October, bringing together tourism professionals from across the world.   

Rakesh Verma, Additional Secretary Tourism, announced that the MOT is working in partnership with states to create a content management system. This system will enable states and destinations to update information and facilitate collaboration on a new platform and will integrate information from hotels, airlines, and OTAs.   

Continuing its trusted partnership with the Thailland government, VFS Global, the world’s largest outsourcing and technology services specialist for governments and diplomatic missions worldwide, re-won the contract to process visa applications for Thailand from India. The company will cater to travellers from India across visa categories through visa application centres and drop off centres as per the jurisdiction of the Royal Thai Embassy in Delhi and Royal Thai Consulate General in Kolkata, Mumbai, and Chennai. VFS Global’s relationship with the Government of Thailand dates to nearly two decades. The company has processed more than 2.2 million Thai visa applications since 2005. As a part of the mandate, VFS Global will roll out drop box services in tier 2 cities such as Ranchi, Aurangabad, Bhopal, Indore, Nagpur, Nasik, Coimbatore, Mangalore, Thiruvananthapuram, Vijayawada, Currently the service is available at Agra, Amritsar, Dehradun, Jaipur, Ludhiana, Guwahati, Patna, Bihar, Bhubaneswar, Jamshedpur, Siliguri and Visakhapatnam. The VFS Global newest visa application centre (VAC) in Lucknow (a drop box facility earlier) will also accept applications for Thailand visas. “The renewal of the Thai visa contract attests to VFS Global’s superior business performance, commitment to improving customer experience, and unshakable faith placed in us by the 70 sovereign governments we work with, including Thailand,’’ said Prabuddha Sen, Chief Operating Officer – South Asia, VFS Global.