Category Archives: Breaking News (All Categories)

The Global Rep, a trailblazer in travel management and distribution, today announced the launch of ZOROAM (www.zoroam.com), the world’s first B2B wholesale platform dedicated to travel eSIMs. This game-changing platform is set to revolutionize global connectivity, empowering travel businesses to offer seamless, cost-effective, and uninterrupted data solutions for international travelers. With the global travel industry rebounding at an unprecedented pace, the demand for reliable and affordable mobile connectivity has surged. According to the World Travel & Tourism Council, international travel is expected to grow by 30% in 2025, with over 1.8 billion travelers crossing borders annually. Traditional roaming services remain expensive and inconvenient, with travelers often facing excessive charges and network limitations. ZOROAM bridges this gap by providing travel partners access to eSIM technology, reducing connectivity costs by up to 70% compared to retail roaming providers. ZOROAM’s B2B wholesale model enables travel businesses—tour operators, travel agencies, airlines, and corporate travel providers—to seamlessly integrate eSIM solutions into their offerings. This innovation ensures that their clients can enjoy hassle-free mobile connectivity across multiple international destinations without the need for physical SIM cards or exorbitant roaming fees. With ZOROAM, travelers can activate their eSIM instantly upon arrival, ensuring continuous connectivity. Sandeep Khetarpal, Founder of The Global Rep, emphasized ZOROAM’s potential to redefine the travel technology landscape, “Connectivity has become as essential as accommodation and transportation for travelers. With ZOROAM, we are solving one of the most persistent challenges in international travel—reliable and cost-effective mobile data. Our mission is to equip travel professionals with innovative, cost-saving solutions that set them apart in an increasingly competitive market.” Key Benefits of ZOROAM: Affordable Connectivity: Wholesale rates allow travel partners to provide cost-effective data solutions. Seamless Integration: …

With the upcoming India and Spain Dual Year 2026 collaborating in culture, tourism and AI, H.E. Juan Antonio March Pujol, Ambassador of Spain, announced that India will be in the spotlight at FITUR 2026. “It will be the moment to strengthen our links. We are going to devote a special place for India at the show. As the embassy we are putting efforts in 3 things: direct connectivity, streamline tourist visas, and boost film and tourism cooperation.”

Speaking about the hotel sector landscape, Mandeep Singh Lamba, President & CEO (South Asia) HVS Anarock, says, “India is transitioning from a nascent hotel market towards a more mature one and it is going to be an exciting time as this transition takes place over the next decade or so. If the sector is to remain attractive and draw in more capital and more leading players, a pressing need is to reduce the time it takes from inception to completion of a hotel which today stands anywhere between 42 to 60 months.”

We’re showcasing our Starring GREATBritain screen tourism campaign in India at a series of events in Mumbai and Delhi with top travel trade and industry leaders, reveals Shuja Bin Mehdi, Senior Manager Industry Engagement – India, VisitBritain. “We want to inspire visitors from India to choose Britain for their next trip and explore more of our destinations when they come, driving growth. India is an incredibly important visitor market for the UK and we’re forecasting strong growth in visits and spend.”

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.