Category Archives: Breaking News (All Categories)

Leading B2B travel portal ETrav, in collaboration with Riders Rally, successfully hosted its landmark Republic Day celebration, “Spirit of Unity 2.0,” on January 26th, 2025. The joint venture brought together more than 2,000 Bikers in Mumbai for a spectacular display of national pride and adventure spirit. The grand rally, which commenced at Hotel Red Carpet, marked a significant milestone in ETrav’s mission to transform adventure tourism across Asia. The event kicked off with a flag hoisting ceremony at 9:00 AM, symbolizing both national pride and the collaborative commitment to expanding India’s adventure tourism sector. The grandeur of the event was significantly enhanced by the presence of prominent social media influencers, who added significant star power to the celebration. The partnership between ETrav and Riders Rally showcased the growing adventure tourism community and highlighted ETrav’s upcoming expansion of adventure tourism experiences to Vietnam and Bali later this year. “The overwhelming response to Spirit of Unity 2.0 demonstrates the powerful impact of adventure tourism. There is vast unexplored territory in this spectrum, and we at ETrav are committed to providing the perfect platform by promoting it on a huge scale,” said Heniel Rupaarelia, Managing Director at ETrav. “By joining forces with Riders Rally, we’ve been able to truly celebrate both our national spirit and the growing adventure tourism community.” The event featured various recognition categories, with participants receiving awards for their involvement, further encouraging the spirit of adventure tourism. The rally served as a networking platform for airline partners, and adventure tourism enthusiasts, fostering new collaborations in the adventure tourism sector. The presence of representatives from SpiceJet Airlines, Vietjet Air & Oman Air further underscored the event’s significance in bringing together key …

Celebrating its 75 years of leadership in hospitality, Jimmy Shaw, President, HRAWI, said, “We are set to roll out special initiatives and commemorative events throughout the year to elevate the hospitality sector. As we celebrate this milestone, we reaffirm our dedication to promoting growth, advocating for progressive policies, driving sustainability and strengthening India’s position as a global tourism hub.”

Highlighting that luxury hospitality is no longer confined to metropolitan hubs and is expanding to emerging cities, Nikhil Sharma, Managing Director and Area Senior Vice President, South Asia, Radisson Hotel Group, said, “tier-II and tier-III cities in India are becoming important markets as affluence rises and travel preferences diversify.”

Informing Rajya Sabha about the progress made in the Nodia Airport, KR Naidu, Minister for Civil Aviation, GoI, said, “Jewar International Airport, poised to become Asia’s largest, will commence regular operations from April. He highlighted the enthusiasm among airlines to operate from the airport, which is expected to boost global connectivity significantly.”

With the allocation for Incredible India campaigns abroad cut down drastically, Rajiv Mehra, President, IATO, said, “The government announced to develop 50 destinations this year but we are yet to see any progress in the projects announced in 2023. We have no idea what will happen with earlier announcements. But a decrease in promotional activities overseas will impact tourism activities.”

The capital of Russia has signed an MoU with Thomas Cook India Group in Mumbai. The agreement marks the beginning of active co-operation with the Indian side in the field of tourism. The document is aimed at promoting Moscow as a key destination for leisure and business tourism in the Indian market, which the authorities of the Russian capital consider a priority market. Under the agreement, the parties plan to strengthen cooperation through the exchange of knowledge and best practices. They will also work on increasing awareness about Moscow’s tourism and MICE potential, and developing new travel products that are tailored to Indian travellers. “The Indian tour operator expressed interest in bringing its clients to Moscow this spring as part of a familiarization trip. The MoU was signed at the trade show, after we had agreed to organize a special presentation of Moscow as a tourist destination for Thomas Cook India Group and its clients, particularly in the MICE segment,” – said Evgeny Kozlov, First Deputy Head of the Office of the Mayor and the Government of Moscow, Chairman of the Moscow City Tourism Committee. According to him, Thomas Cook India Group representatives expressed their interest in promoting Moscow in the Indian market at the Meet Global MICE Congress: BRICS Edition, which took place in Moscow in December 2024. “The Thomas Cook India Group team are big fans of Moscow, and are considered trendsetters in the Indian tourism industry,” Kozlov explained.

Traditionally dominated by travellers from the U.K., U.S., and France, Kerala’s Tourism Department is now exploring untapped markets. In a significant move, a meeting was held with Russian authorities to facilitate a chartered flight from Russia to Kerala. While the discussions showed promise, logistical hurdles such as a shortage of Boeing aircraft in Russia remain a concern. Despite these challenges, efforts are underway to attract Russian tourists, especially considering the growing number of Russians traveling to destinations like Turkey and the UAE due to restrictions imposed by European countries.

WTTC recently unveiled a report highlighting the gap between travellers’ desire for sustainability and their actual behaviour. According to the report, cost and quality remain top priorities, with over 50% prioritising cost. Julia Simpson, WTTC President & CEO, stated, “Travellers care about sustainability, but cost and quality are king. Businesses must offer affordable sustainable options to inspire change.”

Lufthansa Group’s integration with ITA Airways brings seamless benefits for travellers. Frequent flyer programs are now interchangeable, lounge access expands across 130 locations, and codeshare flights offer over 100 new connections. From March 30, 2025, ITA Airways will also move to Lufthansa’s terminals in Frankfurt and Munich for smoother transfers.

In a written reply in Lok Sabha, Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, Tourism Minister, announced that the Government of India has sanctioned ₹3295.76 crore for 40 projects across 23 states under the Special Assistance to States for Capital Investment (SASCI) scheme. These projects aim to develop iconic tourist centres globally, with guidelines issued for evaluation and submission, and to enhance branding and marketing efforts