Category Archives: Breaking News (All Categories)

Before the Mahakumbh in 2025, the airport in Prayagraj will be made an international facility, Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya has said. He said Prayagraj has huge tourism potential and the authorities are mulling constructing a “Kanwar path” for the easy movement of devotees of Lord Shiva. 

Gagan Katyal, Head of Sales & marketing. Ananta Hotels & Resorts said that MICE is expanding on all fronts, small and large. Sustainable, responsible, green, and experiential MICE are becoming increasingly popular among travellers and corporates.

Ravi Gosain, VP, IATO said, “Technology plays an important part in our lives, and travel is not different from that. In the coming years, it will change the life of travel agents and tour operators in the way they are working.” 

The World Travel and Tourism Council reports that the travel and tourism industry is facing a staffing deficit of 1.2 million in 2022, with Italy the most hard-hit country. Pay is a major issue in key sectors of the industry, especially in hospitality.

Continuing with its series of webinars to help the travel trade discover Spain, the Tourism Office of Spain – Mumbai, along with Valencia Tourism, will conduct an exclusive one-hour webinar titled ‘Know Valencia’ on Tuesday, Sept 6 at 3pm IST. Sign up today for the Spain Specialist Program (SSP) and register now to attend the webinar. The webinar will conclude with an exciting quiz on the destination and the winner will leave with a 5-day trip to Valencia in November 2022. For more information, write to jaspreet.kaur@ddppl.com or 9650196532.

According to Boeing Managing Director (Marketing) David Schulte, India’s airlines will lead air traffic growth through 2040, growing at a rate of 6.9 per cent. Strong recovery is gaining momentum in Indian aviation and it is one of the fastest growing markets. 

The central government has issued new guidelines for the Leave Travel Concession (LTC) availed by employees, which will now include air tickets. The Centre in a missive sent to all central ministries and departments said that the Department of Expenditure’s circular from June regarding air travel on government duty will also be applicable for air travel for LTC. The circular stated that air tickets to be availed under LTC shall be only bought from three Authorised Travel Agents (ATAs), which are Balmer Lawrie & Company Limited, Ashok Travels and Tours and Indian Railways Catering and Tourism Corporation. LTC is an allowance given to employees for meeting travel expenses when the employee is on leave from work. The same is exempted from tax under the Income Tax Act.

Bird Travels has been appointed as the GSA for Asiana Airlines, a member of Star Alliance and a major airline of South Korea for passenger and cargo in India with effect from 1st September 2022. Asiana Airlines, established in the year 1988 has its headquarters in Seoul and a very strong India connection. It established its service in 1997 and stands committed to deliver optimized connectivity between the two nations and to onward destinations as well. Founded on the ideology, ‘maximum safety and customer satisfaction through service’, Asiana Airlines has a wide network with a presence in:

Thomas Cook India Limited (TCIL) is set to expand its customer base as it successfully targets both online and offline channels, and by capitalizing on its branch network, which is the company’s primary competency and a significant contributor to sales and profits, says GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company. GlobalData’s latest Report, ‘Case Study: Thomas Cook (India) Limited (TCIL)’, reveals how TCIL is marrying its online and offline channels to drive sales of trips and additional services. Akshat Sharma, Travel and Tourism Analyst at GlobalData, comments: “GlobalData Q4 2021 Consumer Survey* reveals that 25% of Indian respondents reported booking holidays through the online channel, while 5% reported booking holidays in store. As TCIL is well established online, it is able to cater to this preference. With its 160+ store network, it is also well-placed to attract customers who prefer to book in person by visiting its physical stores.” Sharma continues: “A key part of the company’s strategy is to use the online channel to supplement its offline operations. For example, many of its customers book travel packages online, and then the company invites them to visit its stores for additional value-added services such as forex, insurance, and visa application assistance.” Customers are first engaged online by TCIL before they are transferred to the company’s physical stores for these additional services. Those looking for a store to book their vacation can also take advantage of TCIL’s range of services in one location. This multi-channel strategy is expected to increase both internet traffic and brick-and-mortar sales. Customers who have previously interacted with TCIL will continue to do so, avoiding visits to multiple agents for different services. Sharma concludes: “While the company …

Jyotoraditya M Scindia, Minister of Civil Aviation, has said that looking at the non-metro growth rate, which was 10.8% in 2010-2015 has today grown to almost 31%. “The future growth is going to come from the non-metros, and that’s where regional airlines will come in an that’s where the last mile connectivity would come in with small aircraft,” he added.