Category Archives: Breaking News (All Categories)

The Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi) has signed a series of strategic partnerships targeted to drive tourism growth and enhance visitor experiences across key international markets. The new initiatives span collaborations with leading travel operators, hotel groups, and destination management companies, and will focus on attracting visitors from Europe, Saudi Arabia, India, and other key markets, while showcasing Abu Dhabi’s diverse offerings and year-round appeal. DCT Abu Dhabi and Expedia have launched the Sunshine Pass campaign – the latest initiative in their ongoing strategic collaboration. This year-round campaign aims to showcase Abu Dhabi as a destination for all seasons, highlighting its culture, adventure, and wellness offerings to international leisure travellers. Through a multi-channel marketing strategy, the campaign will ensure maximum visibility in key outbound markets, reinforcing Abu Dhabi’s position as a vibrant and appealing destination throughout the year. Abdulla Yousuf, Director of International Operations at the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi said: “The strategic partnerships signed at Arabian Travel Market 2025 represent a significant step forward in our efforts to position Abu Dhabi as a world-class tourism destination. Targeted collaborations across Europe, Saudi Arabia, India, and other key markets, enable us to enhance Abu Dhabi’s international profile and reinforcing its appeal as a dynamic, year-round destination. Globally and locally, these partnerships underline our commitment to sustainable growth, offering unique, tailored experiences that resonate with diverse global audiences, while ensuring the long-term resilience and innovation of the sector.”

Travstarz Global Group, a Trip.com invested company hosted a networking evening and training for its travel agent partners at Hotel Grand Mercure, Agra on 28th April, 2025. The successful event saw a packed crowd with over 35 agent partners joining in for the evening from Agra and surrounding cities. Pankaj Nagpal, Managing Director, Travstarz Global Group added “Over the last 3 years we have been regularly conducting Training and Networking Workshops for our Agent Partners across various cities. Our core strength has always been Tier 2 & 3 Cities and this time we chose Agra for our event and we are very proud that we are the first DMC in India to have hosted such an event in the city of Taj.  We received an overwhelming response from the agent partners, and I was personally amazed to see the kind of existing and potential outbound business from Agra. We showcased our entire portfolio of products and destinations specially focussing on Abu Dhabi, Turkey, Greece, Egypt, Vietnam, Japan and Georgia which have been recently added to our DMC list taking our Total DMC Offices to 21 Destinations now. We already have unmatched offerings for USA and Canada both with over 600 short and long-haul itineraries for these countries alone with our Head Quarters in Los Angeles, USA and we hope to get a strong support from Agra for all our DMC locations” Vani Singh, Vice President, Travstarz Global Group also added “We have been wanting to do such an event in Agra for quite some time now since we have witnessed good volume of outbound business coming from here already. These shows and networking events are our way to reconnect with …

According to Tourism Economics, global cruise deployment increased by 25% from 2019-2024, with a 5% expansion in 2025. The Caribbean, Europe, and Asia-Pacific lead in deployment, while the Middle East has seen a significant 125% rise in average cruise days spent in the region. This growth highlights the ongoing expansion and popularity of global cruise markets.

Due to government notification on airspace restrictions, IndiGo in a press statement said, “Over 165 IndiGo flights from multiple airports (Amritsar, Bikaner, Chandigarh, Dharamshala, Gwalior, Jammu, Jodhpur, Kishangarh, Leh, Rajkot, and Srinagar) are cancelled until 0529 hrs. IST of 10 May, 2025. The airline advised its customers to check their flight status on the airline’s website or mobile app before heading to the airport. Customers whose flights are affected can reschedule the booking on the next available flight or opt to cancel their bookings at no additional cost, and a full refund will be processed, it added.

Samual Machado, MD, India & South Asia, Sabre Travel Solutions, has said that Sabre brings a lot of value for their customers. “Going forward, our focus will be to become a multi-source platform, which has everything available for travel consumer ecosystem like OTAs or agencies on one side and on the other side, there are enough layers of artificial intelligence which allows customers to consume the content in the most efficient manner,” he said.

Suman Billa, Additional Secretary and Director General of Tourism, said, “A unified national strategy, skilled talent, digital tools and strong state-led promotion can propel us into the top five MICE markets by 2025.” While India already has the necessary infrastructure and market demand, he pointed out that the real challenge lies in coordination. Billa emphasised the need for city-level convention promotion bureaus, a strong national MICE brand, skill development academies and a seamless digital portal.

The Abu Dhabi Stopover Programme, launched by DCT Abu Dhabi and Etihad Airways, has experienced significant growth. With 25,000 bookings and 44,000 visitors between January to April 2025, bookings have surged by 47%, while visitors increased by 76% compared to the previous year. The programme continues to attract repeat travellers, with Etihad aiming for 130,000 stopover guests in 2025.

At the World Audio Visual and Entertainment Summit (WAVES) 2025, Madhya Pradesh made an impression on the global creative community, spotlighting its rich culture, film-friendly ecosystem, and vast tourism potential. Actor Aamir Khan visited the vibrant “Incredible Madhya Pradesh” pavilion and was welcomed by Shri Sanjay Dubey, Additional Chief Secretary, Department of IT, Science & Technology, and Shri Sheo Shekhar Shukla, Principal Secretary, Tourism, Culture, and Religious Trusts & Endowments Department, and Managing Director, Madhya Pradesh Tourism Board. Aamir Khan expressed deep appreciation for the state’s conducive filmmaking atmosphere, saying, “People in Madhya Pradesh are incredibly cinema-friendly, which makes the filmmaking process smooth and hassle-free for the entire crew. The state’s beautiful and diverse locations ease the shooting of varied scenes, ultimately saving both time and budget.” He lauded the newly launched Film Tourism Policy 2025, emphasising that films rooted in Madhya Pradesh’s rural settings are earning critical acclaim. Khan also showed keen interest in the state’s revamped AVGC-XR Policy 2025, hinting at future collaborations. It is noteworthy that “Laapataa Ladies,” a film shot in MP, was India’s official entry to the Oscars. A panel discussion titled “With Digital Dreams and Cinematic Vision: Madhya Pradesh—The Next Creative Hub” was held at the Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Centre (NMACC). Key voices included Shri Sheo Shekhar Shukla, filmmaker Ekta Kapoor, FICCI AVGC Forum Chairman Ashish S. Kulkarni, founder of August Media Group Jyotirmoy Saha, Creative Land Studios CEO Shobha Senthil, noted writer Naman Ramachandran, and actors Amit Sial and Sharad Kelkar. The event witnessed the official launch of MP’s Film Tourism Policy 2025, the AVGC-XR Policy 2025, and the second phase of the state’s Film Facilitation Portal. Noted filmmaker Ekta Kapoor praised the state for offering everything that modern-day film production demands — financial incentives, seamless single-window clearances, breathtaking locations, and ease of shooting — all …

Amid ongoing tensions between India and Pakistan following the Indian Army’s precision strikes on Pakistani terror camps, Spicejet Airlines issued a flight advisory for airports in the northern parts of the country. “Airports including Dharamshala, Leh, Jammu, Srinagar and Amritsar would be closed until further notice. Departures, arrivals and consequential flights would also be impacted. Passengers are advised to plan their journey accordingly and check their flight status before flying,” the advisory stated.

Amid ongoing airspace restrictions triggered by escalating tensions between India and Pakistan, many flights to and from Pakistan and northern India have been cancelled or delayed at Dubai International Airport. Dubai-based carriers Emirates and flydubai have reported delays and cancellations. According to the airport’s latest flight status, the following flights have been cancelled: Multan (MUX): FZ 340 Lahore (LHE): EK 623, AC 7617, FZ 360 Sialkot (SKT): EK 619, FZ 338 Karachi (KHI): FZ 332 Faisalabad (LYP): FZ 356 Islamabad (ISB): FZ 354 The following flights have been delayed: Lahore (LHE): PA 416, EK 625, AC 7579 Sialkot (SKT): PK 179 Islamabad (ISB): PA 210, EK 613, AC 7571 Multan (MUX): FZ 326 New Delhi (DEL): EK 513 Peshawar (PEW): EK 637 Abu Dhabi cancels flights Several flights from Zayed International Airport have been cancelled as airspace restrictions continue to disrupt operations in the region. According to the airport’s latest flight status, the following flights have been cancelled: Etihad Airways (EY297) – Karachi Pakistan International Airlines (PK264) – Lahore Air Arabia Abu Dhabi (3L335) – Multan Passengers are advised to check with their airlines for the latest updates and reschedule if necessary. Qatar Airways suspends flights to Pakistan Qatar Airways has temporarily suspended all flights to Pakistan following the closure of Pakistani airspace. The airline said it is closely monitoring the situation and reaffirmed that the safety of passengers and crew remains its top priority. Passengers have been advised to check the latest updates on affected flights by visiting qatarairways.com or by contacting the airline’s customer service centre at +974 4144 5555.