Category Archives: Breaking News (All Categories)

Oman has a plethora of exciting activities to enjoy during the colder months, as well as tranquil beaches to cool off on during the scorching-hot summer months. While the Gulf area is commonly associated with skyscrapers and five-star resorts, Oman remains one of the prized Arabian pearls that can reconnect one with the diverse traditions and customs of a civilisation that extends back hundreds of thousands of years. More and more people are flocking to Oman to discover what makes this country so special, including marine life off the southern coast of Dhofar Province, a wealth of rich history to discover in Muscat, mountains and deserts to discover, and a paradise of extravagant festivals to discover. Oman also has a terrific infrastructure that is excellent for visitors and is a safe place to visit solo or in groups. Experience Oman’s diverse heritage Ancient mosques, forts, and tombs tell the narrative of the battles, beliefs, and people who shaped this distinct region of the Middle East. The majority of these architectural marvels are open to the public all year and are among the most spectacular relics of the pre-modern Islamic world. Many breathtaking ancient sites adorn the country’s historic cities. Their roots reflect Oman’s many influences and layers of history, with some going back to the Sassanid Empire, the last Persian Empire kingdom before the emergence of Islam. Five Omani sites have been included on the UNESCO World Heritage List. Despite the extraordinary developments that have happened in Oman over the years, the country has remained committed to its traditional arts and crafts. A variety of customs, ranging from music and dances that differ by location, are still widely practiced today. …

As per GlobalData, COVID-19 has accelerated the need for companies in the travel and tourism industry to rapidly invest in digital strategies, including the global online travel market, which is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 8% between 2022 and 2025 to reach $765.3 billion. If companies do not engage in a strong digital strategy, their competitors will gain a larger portion of the market, warns the analytics firm 

Thailand’s Centre for COVID-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) has greenlighted the proposed ‘Thai-Indian Air Travel Bubble’ arrangement, a decision which now awaits Cabinet approval. In line with the ‘Visit Thailand Year 2022: Amazing New Chapters’ marketing campaign, TAT is focusing on further building the Indian market with a particular emphasis on special interest groups with high spending; such as, weddings and honeymoons, golf, millennials, and digital nomads. Among the activities include familiarisation trips and business events.  

Standard Chartered announced it has partnered with the International Air Transport Association (IATA) to launch IATA Pay in India. IATA Pay, which is already available in several European markets, is an airline industry payment platform that brings optionality, convenience and an enhanced experience to consumers when purchasing tickets directly from participating airlines. The service leverages the Unified Payment Interface (UPI), a domestic real-time payments scheme in India, thereby enabling consumers to instantly pay for airline tickets from their bank accounts. 

Austrian National Tourist Office (ANTO) is organising a webinar titled ‘Tirol-Your dream destination 2022’ for the travel trade today, 25th February, 2022 at 3 pm IST. Attendees would be able to explore the various offerings of Tirol through the online show. Register on https://event.webinarjam.com/register/366/rymlobq7 or contact jaspreet.kaur@ddppl.com or call +91 9650196532. 

Pradeep Panicker, Chief Executive Officer, GMR Hyderabad International Airport, has revealed that the new terminal of the airport will be ready by next year and will take the capacity from 12million to 40 million. He was speaking at a special meet organised between Sr delegates of GMR Hyderabad and the tourism committee of FTCCI to discuss tourism opportunities in the state.

To provide further updates on the Vaccinated Travel Lane (VTL) between Singapore and India & Sri Lanka, Singapore Tourism Board will be organising another round of webinar exclusively for the Indian & Sri Lankan travel trade. The ‘Welcome Back to Singapore’ webinar will be held on Monday, February 28 at 11:30am IST/SLST. The virtual session will also touch on Singapore Airlines (SIA) flight operations and the customer experience at Changi Airport and Jewel Changi Airport. To register, contact jaspreet.kaur@ddppl.com or 9650196532

In a shocking discrimination against IATA agents based in India, Air India has restricted sale of tickets from India to Canada to its city offices and web platform. IATA agents based here cannot issue India-Canada tickets, while travel agents worldwide, including the OTA’s having offices outside India, can access and sell AI inventory to Canada. Lodging a protest with Air India in this regard, AI has been practicing this since the onset of the pandemic. Abbas Moiz, general secretary, TAFI, said it is disappointing to see this discrimination by the new management, the TATA Group, too.

Tourism is designated as an industry, and as such, it will benefit from government tariffs and levies in accordance with Industry norms. On Wednesday, Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot presented the state budget for the years 2022-23. According to him, the tourism and hospitality would be recognised as a separate industry in the state. The budget’s main focus was on jobs and healthcare.

Following a competitive review process, Cenizaro Hotels & Resorts has commissioned BRANDit, a specialist in tourism marketing, as its integrated marketing agency in India. The Residence by Cenizaro resort collection, with Maldives and Mauritius at the forefront, will help stakeholders and further enhance the brand’s presence in the India market. BRANDit will fortify Cenizaro’s sales, marketing and PR strategies with a brand-new outlook as part of its mandate. Henry Ngo, Chairman of Cenizaro Hotels & Resorts, said “We are pleased to welcome BRANDit as our new partner in India. We look forward to working with the team to increase visibility for The Residence by Cenizaro portfolio and drive operational growth across different target segments of Leisure, MICE and Celebration. India is a priority market for Cenizaro owing to a vast market size and accessibility to many of our resorts, especially Maldives and Mauritius.”