Category Archives: Breaking News (All Categories)

Between search, social media, 24-hour news, streaming platforms, and online marketplaces, we’ve never had so much information available at the click of a button. So, it’s no surprise that more than half of people (60%) share photos on social media while traveling and nearly a third (30%) use social media as inspiration for their next trip. With social becoming central to booking decisions, travellers are gaining more influence and feeling more empowered to leverage all the data at their fingertips. Travel is a large ticket item for many travellers, and protecting their financial investment is a priority. Social media and sharing reviews become critical to building confidence to book. In fact, most people (92%) want to see reviews before booking. They also look at multiple sources to validate reviews including hotel sites, online booking sites, TikTok and more. And the information they find can be consequential to their decision. According to Expedia Group research, one in three people (33%) opted not to use a travel brand because of a negative post they saw on social media. This is where travel advisors can play a pivotal role in helping a traveller find the right products to meet their expectations. While travellers trust that a highly rated hotel will deliver a great experience, a  travel advisor can add another layer of trust and security to reviews if they’ve vetted properties and apply their “stamp of approval.”

Sarovar Hotels has opened its 100th hotel in India – Lagoon Sarovar Premiere, Pondicherry. Anil Madhok, Executive Chairman, Sarovar Hotels said, “2022 is a milestone year for us as we open our 100th hotel. This hotel holds a special place in our portfolio of hotels. Our vision 27 years ago was to make hospitality accessible in every part of the country. Our future vision is to strengthen our strong presence in tier 2 and tier 3 cities.” Lagoon Sarovar Premiere Resort is spread across 33-acres of land nestled on the banks of Chunnambar Backwaters. Pondicherry’s beautiful French colonial architecture is reflected through our resort’s rooms. Each has a private sit-out area overlooking an infinity pool and tranquil backwaters. Paradise Island, a unique icon of Pondicherry is adjacent to Lagoon Sarovar Premiere resort. Lagoon Sarovar Premiere Resort is conveniently located 20 minutes away from Pondicherry airport, 3 hours drive from Chennai international airport. It’s well connected with Pondicherry’s train and bus stations. The resort houses Flavours – all-day dining restaurant by the lily pond overlooking the pool with an array of local and international delicacies. Rhythm Bar, overlooking the bay offers a variety of Cocktails, Mocktails and Barbeque eats.

IATO has made numerous representations and sent letters to the Tourism Home Affairs and External Affairs Ministry requesting them for restoration of E-Visa for UK, Canada and other source markets as maximum foreign tourists travel to India from these countries. “Having failed to evoke any response from these ministries, we have written to the PM, hoping for a quick resolution” says IATO President Rajiv Mehra.

Arvind Singh, Secretary, Tourism, has said that we should use G20 Presidency to project the strong cases of our nation and showcase the country to the global leaders. “If we are successful in doing that, I am sure it would take our tourism sector to the next level.”

Amitabh Kant, G20 Sherpa, has said that Tourism is not about government. Every single player is from private sector, including tour operators, taxi drivers and resorts. “Government must assist, facilitate, and act as a catalyst to ensure that the private sector is able to put up good facilities at destinations,” he said.

VFS Global is organising a webinar on ‘How to make the most of the Visa At Your Doorstep (VAYD) service today at 11am. It will elaborate how the travel trade and customers can benefit from it. Register at  https://event.webinarjam.com/register/452/n7kngam6.

Spree Hospitality announced the signing of a new hotel in the city of lakes, Udaipur. It is located 1.3 km from Udaipur bus stand and 1.1 km from Pichola lake. This hotel comprises 30 rooms with spacious and luxurious amenities, an all-day dining restaurant, lounge and banquet hall. Commenting on the signing, Sagar Khurana, Vice President of Spree Hospitality said, “We are delighted to partner with Mr. Bilochi. This is our second property in Rajasthan. Udaipur is known for an important tourist destination and this encouraged us to sign the hotel in the city.” With the signing of this hotel, Spree Hospitality started to increase its portfolio in Rajasthan.

Expedia announces a 24/7 call centre facility for the Indian Market. The call centre is dedicated to the B2B Expedia TAAP (Travel Agent Affiliate Program) partners and will be operational 7 days a week including weekends and Public Holidays. The dedicated helpline will cater to the growing travel needs and will offer assistance to our customers 24/7. By calling the dedicated number (0124 4873873) our agents can choose from the required IVR selection, and the calls can be conducted in both English and Hindi language.

Turpal, a platform to boost post reservation sales, will be organizing a webinar on 12 October at 3pm, where a live demo and introduction will be done for the travel trade. To register mail jaspreet.kaur@ddppl.com or call +91 9650196532.  

Praveen Iyer, Co-Founder, and Chief Commercial Officer, Akasa Air, said, “By expanding our network with an aircraft arriving every 15 days, we aim to fulfill our goal of developing a strong pan-India presence and expect to operate 300 weekly flights by October end.”