Category Archives: Breaking News (All Categories)

FHRAI will host its 55th Annual Convention in Bengaluru from 12–14 September 2025, bringing together over 1,200 hospitality leaders. FHRAI President K. Syama Raju said, “The Convention is an opportunity to build a roadmap for resilient, inclusive and eco-conscious hospitality growth in India,” highlighting Bengaluru’s global appeal and focus on innovation.

The Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) has launched a new vision and mission to redefine its role in shaping the region’s tourism landscape. The refreshed vision, “A meaningful Pacific Asia tourism economy”, emphasises purpose-driven growth. PATA’s mission focuses on sharing knowledge, enabling networking and protecting tourism assets through innovation, collaboration and adaptability. With this strategic shift, PATA aims to equip the travel trade with tools to thrive in a rapidly evolving global environment, reinforcing its commitment to sustainability, resilience and industry unity across Asia and the Pacific.

As part of the Three Hundred Seventy Ninth Report on Demands for Grants (2025–26) of the Ministry of Tourism, a Parliamentary Standing Committee has recommended forming a Fund Utilisation Task Force. Comprising financial and project management experts, the task force will conduct monthly reviews to track fund usage and identify bottlenecks, aiming to enhance transparency and efficiency in tourism projects.

flynas, the leading low-cost airline in the world and the best LCC in the Middle East, announced launching five new destinations, including Milan, Italy; Geneva, Switzerland; Krakow, Poland’s second-largest city; Rize, Turkey; and Casablanca; Morocco, in addition to a new route between Jeddah and El Alamein on Egypt’s North Coast, expanding its summer destinations network in 2025 to more than 20 cities around the world and providing more innovative travel options for its guests. As of June 21, flynas will launch four new weekly direct flights between Jeddah and El Alamein, increasing its flight frequency to the Egyptian resort, which is already linked with the Kingdom through direct flights from Riyadh. On Monday, June 23, flynas will begin operating direct flights between Riyadh and Rize, its latest summer destination in Turkey. The coastal city on Turkey’s eastern Black Sea coast will also be connected by three weekly direct flights from Jeddah as of June 27. Starting June 24, three weekly direct flights will operate between Riyadh and Geneva, Switzerland. As of June 26, flynas will connect Riyadh to Milan with three weekly flights. The following day, three weekly direct flights will operate between Riyadh and Krakow, Poland, making flynas the first Saudi national carrier flying to Poland. With these new additions in summer 2025, flynas summer destinations network will include up to 20 cities spread across Africa, Europe, and Asia, including the existing destinations of El Alamein, Hurghada, Sharm El-Sheikh, Sarajevo, Salzburg, Tirana, Vienna, Prague, Antalya, Bodrum, Istanbul, Trabzon, Batumi, Baku, Tbilisi, and Salalah. Passengers traveling with flynas can book their flights through all flynas booking channels: www.flynas.com, the flynas app, the call centre (920001234), or travel agents. flynas operates …

Magnicity, offering panoramic and immersive city experiences, has appointed Aviareps India as its official sales, marketing, and PR representative to strengthen brand visibility and engagement in the Indian market. With India’s outbound tourism projected to become the 5th largest globally by 2027, this partnership aims to expand Magnicity’s presence across key cities in India. Magnicity offers visitors more than just spectacular panoramic views. Alongside immersive storytelling and multi-sensory experiences, guests can also enjoy curated culinary offerings through the city’s culture, architecture, and history. Alexia Vettier, CEO of Magnicity, commented, “We are excited to strengthen our presence in the Indian market, a country known for its vibrant and curious travellers. This collaboration marks the beginning of our expansion plans into Asia, and we look forward to welcoming more Indian visitors to our global locations.” Through this partnership, AVIAREPS India will implement targeted sales initiatives, strategic media outreach, and industry collaborations to position Magnicity as a must-visit experience for Indian FIT and MICE travellers alike.   Ellona Pereira, General Manager, AVIAREPS India, added, “We are delighted to represent Magnicity, a brand that transforms sightseeing into a storytelling journey. With India’s deep-rooted appreciation for culture and immersive experiences, Magnicity’s philosophy will truly resonate with Indian travellers, enhancing their journeys with unforgettable moments and unique perspectives at every destination.” Celebrating its 50th anniversary last year, Magnicity — founded in France in 1974 — has expanded its global presence by using iconic observation spaces atop towering landmarks. The brand now operates across 6 sites: Paris Montparnasse Observatory in France, Berliner Fernsehturm in Germany, 360 Chicago in the USA, Euromast and Celest’ in Rotterdam, Netherlands, and Highline Warsaw coming up in 2025, Poland.    

İstanbul’s Hagia Sophia Grand Mosque, one of the most exquisite structures of humanity’s heritage with its 1.486-year history, has been lately the focus of an extensive restoration project preserving its grandeur for future generations. As part of the ongoing project, the world-famous structure’s majestic dome is now undergoing the most comprehensive reinforcement and restoration process, focusing on resilience. Safeguarding the Crown of Hagia Sophia Hagia Sophia, a symbol of İstanbul’s enduring heritage, is one of the latest conservation projects of Türkiye, which has been conducting numerous archaeological excavation and restoration projects to ensure the sustainability of its cultural heritage. The enormous architectural marvel has been comprehensively restored and reinforced for around three years. Some of the work has already been completed as part of this effort, while the remaining phases are carried out carefully. Now, works will focus on Hagia Sophia’s dome to make it more earthquake-resistant while preserving its original form. All interventions to the central dome will be carried out from the exterior to prevent damage to its mosaic-covered interior surface. The lead coverings on the dome’s exterior will be dismantled and either repaired or replaced with new ones. During this process, the dome’s surface will be temporarily enclosed with a steel structure and high-quality protective tarp to avoid damage from seasonal weather conditions or harm to the mosaics on the interior. The meticulous work at Hagia Sophia’s dome will also include the conservation of the mosaics on the dome’s interior surface. To enable the work on the mosaics, a steel platform system supported by four columns and standing 43.5 metres tall will be installed inside. This setup will ensure that worship can continue without interruption while restoration …

The much awaited and biggest event in Arunachal Pradesh is here. Adventure Mechukha – the 3rd National Adventure Racing Championship 2025 took place between April 17-20, 2025 in the beautiful valley of Mechukha in the northeastern state. The event was organised by NthAdventure along with Arunachal Pradesh Tourism. Positioned as ‘India’s First Border Adventure Race’ – the sporting event is a part of the prestigious Adventure Racing World Series – Asia Series. Held annually, the National Adventure Racing Championship is also a qualifier for ARWS Asia Championship. This year’s Asia Championship is scheduled to take place in Malaysia in October 2025. The biggest advantage of being part of ARWS is that each race receives global visibility and provides access to participating teams to travel to different countries. The 3rd National Adventure Racing Championship 2025 witnessed participation from 12 states of India and 3 countries representing Malaysia, Nepal and South Africa. This race serves as a mega get-together of adventure seekers across the country to test the true team spirit. Mr. Pasang Dorjee Sona, Minister for Tourism, Government of Arunachal Pradesh said, “Arunachal Pradesh is well positioned to emerge as a leading adventure tourism destination in the world. We want to showcase the potential in adventure tourism vested in our state through events like National Adventure Racing Championship. We plan to organize this event in a much bigger way next year.” The Department of Tourism and NthAdventure left no stone unturned to make sure teams have a wonderful experience while they travel to this remote border village of Arunachal Pradesh. The event also showcased natural beauty of the remote regions in Arunachal Pradesh and potential in promoting border tourism. The journey …

Atmosphere Core, a dynamic hospitality company, is pleased to announce the promotion of Ashwin Handa to Chief Operating Officer, South Asia. This strategic elevation comes at a pivotal moment, as the company accelerates its growth trajectory across South Asia and beyond while reinforcing its internal culture and brand identity. This significant promotion is the first of a lineup of strategic elevation of existing and new leadership. Salil Panigrahi, Managing Director Atmosphere Core said, “It is a proud moment that reflects our culture of recognising, trusting, and empowering deserving individuals within the organisation. Ashwin is a collaborative leader who holds our teams, values, and ambitions together. His ability to capture both the big picture and the smallest detail and have it executed seamlessly results in a high level of operational efficiency and strong business performance”. Reflecting on his appointment, Ashwin Handa said, “It is an honour and privilege to be recognised and step into this role at a time of expansion and evolution for Atmosphere Core. I look forward to continuing this journey with our talented teams as we strengthen our brand presence, enter new markets, and build on our commitment to exceptional, heartfelt hospitality”. With more than 3 decades of experience in hospitality in India, Maldives and Nepal, Ashwin brings deep operational expertise, commercial acumen, and people-focused leadership. In this expanded senior executive role, he will oversee operations across all properties in the Maldives, India, Sri Lanka, Nepal, and Bhutan, and is tasked with fine-tuning excellence and embedding the group’s ethos, Joy of Giving, at every guest and team touchpoint.

Hoi, India’s innovative travel-tech platform revolutionising airport experiences, has announced a strategic partnership with Delhi Duty Free, India’s largest duty-free retailer. This collaboration introduces an exclusive offering where Delhi Duty Free customers will receive complimentary e-SIM data of up to 10GB, valid in over 90 countries worldwide. The complimentary e-SIM offering will be available to all Delhi Duty Free customers during the three-month campaign period. The redemption process has been designed to be seamless, requiring minimal steps to activate the data package before international departure. The initiative aims to address a key pain point for international travellers—staying connected abroad—while enhancing the overall airport shopping experience. Effective immediately, customers making any purchase at Delhi Duty Free outlets will be eligible to receive this complimentary data package, providing them with essential connectivity during their international journeys. Commenting on the partnership, Dhruv Godara, Deputy CEO, Hoi said, “Connectivity has become an essential part of modern travel, yet international data roaming remains prohibitively expensive for many. Through this partnership, we’re removing that barrier while introducing travellers to Hoi’s comprehensive passenger experience ecosystem. This collaboration aligns perfectly with our mission to make every aspect of air travel more connected, convenient, and stress-free.” This partnership represents the latest development in Hoi’s growing ecosystem of airport-related services and collaborations. Hoi has already transformed the travel experience across major Indian airports including Delhi, Hyderabad, and New Goa (GOX) through its comprehensive suite of services. The platform leverages sophisticated integration with airport infrastructure systems to deliver real-time flight information with unprecedented accuracy, transforming traditional airport processes into seamless digital experiences.

Minor Hotels announces the arrival of the Avani Hotels & Resorts brand in India with Avani+ Sunray Beach Visakhapatnam Resort, an exclusive new-build resort and branded residences development set along the scenic Sunray Beach in Visakhapatnam, India. The project will feature 117 hotel rooms and 58 branded residential villas, alongside a suite of premium amenities designed to set a new benchmark for hospitality in the region. The announcement comes as Minor Hotels significantly accelerates its expansion strategy in India, targeting 50 new openings in the country over the next decade.