Category Archives: NTO (National Tourist Offices)

Palladium Hotel Group the internationally renowned Spanish hotel chain represented by Global Destinations in India recently hosted exclusive cocktail dinners for their top 50 priority travel and trade partners in Mumbai and Delhi. The evenings were graced by The Consul General of Spain Fernando Heredia Noguer along with The Director of the Tourism Office of Spain in India, Elisa Robles in Mumbai, while Delhi saw the presence of Deputy Head of Mission, the Embassy of Spain, Montserrat Momán Pampillo and Incharge of Consular Section, Embassy of Spain, Helana Escorial Lopez in attendance. Sandra Polo Canudas, Asia & ME Commercial Director Palladium Hotel Group presented insights on Palladium’s hospitality and newly established regulations for hassle-free travel for Indian visitors. She touched upon Spain re-opening borders, all ready to welcome Indians back. The guests were acquainted with the gamut of brands under the Palladium Hotel Group and were informed about the upcoming projects & developments in Spain. The evenings were full of sparking conversations with the travel fraternity exchanging tête-à-têtes over cocktails. The events presented an opportunity to reconnect with travel & trade partners in India to showcase the diverse brand portfolio the hotel group has to offer. Canudas said, “After 2 years of meeting virtually it is delightful to meet our key Stakeholders in-person. India continues to be one of our focus markets for Outbound travel. We look forward, to continue increasing our footprint in India and to further our brand presence. With international travel now open, we are ready to spoil our Indian visitors with an array of experiences, fantastic cuisine, and stunning vistas!”

With Indian outbound travel market getting ready to reopen and travel around the world again, KTO New Delhi, Shinhan Bank and Utazzo Travel have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to promote a one of its kind savings cum deposit plan called “Let’s Go Korea” for Indian travellers to plan their dream holiday to South Korea. The plan allows travellers to invest for their future trip to Korea and receive exclusive offers on their Korea travel bookings from Utazzo Travel. The customers can invest in monthly instalments ranging between INR 2,000 to INR 100,000 with Shinhan Bank for a duration of up to 1 year. The Shinhan bank offers an attractive rate of interest of 5.75% * per annum that can be availed at the end of the deposit period. The buyers of this monthly saving cum recurring deposit plan are entitled for exclusive discounts and money back offers provided by Utazzo travel. As the exclusive travel agency partner, Utazzo Travel will curate multiple packages at attractive rates, valid till December 31, 2023. The buyers will be provided with a special 10% discount and 5% cash back on the South Korea package cost & a voucher worth INR 25,000 for other future bookings. Not just this the package buyers will receive an exclusive photo shoot in South Korea. The customers need to enroll for the Let’s Go Korea plan with Shinhan bank and fill a Google form to avail these exclusive offers. One lucky winner from the package Korea package buyers will also receive a free stay for two at a 5 star hotel in India. The list does not end here, Korea Tourism Organization will also be providing a special …

A new e-visa portal that went live on March 30, 2022, is set to enhance the travel to Azerbaijan. The portal was developed as a part of a cooperation agreement signed between VFS Global, the world’s largest outsourcing and technology services specialist for governments and diplomatic missions worldwide and the E-GOV Development Center (EGDC) in the State Agency for Public Service and Social Innovations under the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan. Azerbaijan has been a chosen destination for a diverse segment of travellers globally. Currently travellers from 70 nationalities are eligible to travel to Azerbaijan with travel restriction likely to open for other markets. Fariz Jafarov Director of EGDC, said “We are delighted to partner with VFS Global in our endeavour to encourage seamless travel to Azerbaijan. We are confident that travellers across the globe would realise the advantages of e-visa service and leverage its benefits.” “Azerbaijan is the 64th client served by VFS Global. This mandate reiterates our proven record of nurturing trusted partnerships, excellence in business delivery and our approach on customer-centricity over the past two decades,” said Noel Swain, Business Head – Passport Services, eVisa & Tourism services, VFS Global.

A Qatar Tourism delegation was in Mumbai recently, led by Philip Dickinson, Vice President International Markets, Qatar Tourism, along with Sandeep Shevale – Tourism Marketing & Promotions and Deveekaa Nijhawan – International Public Relations & Communications. The delegation’s DMC participants covered Discover Qatar, Al Tawfeeq Travel and Travel Designer W.L.L. The team was also supported by BRANDit, India Representative of Qatar Tourism. Berthold Trenkel, Chief Operating Officer, Qatar Tourism, said “We are pleased to re-establish our presence in the India market. The objective was to highlight the various facets that Qatar offers not just in the lead up to the FIFA World Cup, but beyond as well. The aim is to leverage our tourism assets based on six demand spaces identified in line with our vision, namely Sun, Sea and Sand; Active Holidays; Relax & Rejuvenate; Cultural Enthusiasts; Luxury City Breaks and Romantic Getaways. With the launch of new hotels, theme parks, cultural hotspots, retail outlets, leisure projects and more.” To reaffirm trade partnerships, Qatar’s national carrier, Qatar Airways in association with Qatar Tourism hosted a networking dinner at The St. Regis Mumbai on 14th March 2022. The interactive evening was well-attended by travel trade partners representatives. The guests were acquainted with the destination and informed about various tourism products, developments and projects underway in Qatar. “India is and will continue to be a significant and rapidly growing market for us at Qatar Tourism. Pre-pandemic, we have witnessed a significant rise in arrivals from India and look forward to accelerate our efforts in sustaining the momentum and fully unlocking the potential of travellers across segments of leisure, MICE and weddings. It is an exciting time for the global tourism industry …

Fanatic Sports, the Joint Exclusive Sales Agent of MATCH Hospitality in India for the sale of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™ Official Hospitality Programme is estimating an exponential revenue growth for the showpiece international men’s football championship, to be held in Qatar. “Indian market for official hospitality is approximately 4-5% of the global market and Fanatic Sports is expecting to contribute to more than 50% of this ever-rising market scenario in India. As Official Hospitality Programmes are becoming a key part of corporate entertainment, rising income levels, a whole new generation of young aspirants and passionate sports fans indicate that people not only have the knowledge but also want to build lifelong memories. We identified this opportunity and pioneered in curating this once in a lifetime experience,” says Raghav Gupta, Founder and CEO of Fanatic Sports. According to industry estimates, the global sports industry is more than Rs 600 billion and with India moving to the concept of experiential tourism this has resulted in redefining how Indians traditionally watched sports. This year’s FIFA World Cup will be value for money as one can enjoy complete match experience along with food, beverages and lounge access.  “Sports experiential market in India has huge potential. Despite pandemic impacting travel, we have seen a steady rise in Indian sports fans wanting to travel for such experiential travels. In 2018, the hospitality sports revenue business had generated close to Rs 80 crore but this time we are expecting India to be among the highest revenue generators for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™,” said John Parker, Director at MATCH Hospitality AG, appointed as the worldwide Exclusive Rights Holder of the Official Hospitality Programme for …

With the mission of creating awareness about Utah as a potential tourism destination for Indians, AVIAREPS India along with Utah Office of Tourism organized its first exclusive B2B virtual sales mission in India on 8th March 2022. The virtual event was attended by the representatives of Utah partners like Visit Salt Lake, Kane County Office of Tourism, Bryce Canyon Country, Explore Utah Valley and Utah Office of Tourism among others. Indian trade partners like Thomas Cook, Flamingo, Make my Trip, N. Chirag, Kesari were also a part of it. Zach Fyne, Global Markets Specialist, Utah Office of Tourism, said, “India has been among the Top 10 markets for the state of Utah in international visitation over the last five years, so we’re excited to further increase our efforts and exposure of what our state has to offer to the Indian visitor. We are confident the Indian market will be delighted by the experiences and beauty Utah that has to offer from our Mighty 5® national parks and 44 state parks, to skiing the Greatest Snow on Earth® at our 15 world-class ski resorts, to taking in the night sky at the 24 internationally-recognized dark sky areas and parks, to everything in between that is connected by driving through our 28 scenic byways. We’re excited to welcome more people from India to the beehive state!” Elaine from San Juan County shared, “We are happy to participate in the first of hopefully many, virtual India B2B sales missions. We know we already have travellers from India who are visiting San Juan County, so we are really looking forward to the opportunity to speak directly with travel trade partners in India to not …

Thailand’s Centre for COVID-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) today approved the lifting of the pretravel testing requirement for international arrivals beginning 1 April, 2022, as the kingdom prepares a four-phase plan to downgrade the COVID-19 pandemic to an endemic disease. International arrivals under any of the current three entry schemes – TEST & GO, Sandbox, and Alternative Quarantine (AQ) – will be allowed to enter Thailand without the need to show proof of a negative RT-PCR test within 72 hours of travel. Two tests remain in place for the TEST & GO and Sandbox travellers: RT-PCR test upon arrival (Day 0) and an antigen self-test on Day 5. The Sandbox staying period has also been reduced to 5 days from currently 7 days. After completing five days within the Sandbox destinations, travellers will be allowed to travel domestically within Thailand. Quarantine is also reduced to 5 days and an RT-PCR test on Day 4-5.

After a monumental year of exciting development and new experiences, Los Angeles’ Comeback Story is unfolding in Southern California. To educate and engage travel trade partners from across the globe, Los Angeles Tourism has created an on-demand webinar on what’s new in LA, including new hotels, attractions, experiences, and more. In addition to the latest news, travel trade partners will learn what their clients can expect as they start their own comeback story in the City of Angels. Viewers will also experience an exclusive virtual tour of the revamped Warner Bros. Studio Tour Hollywood. “The importance of travel trade to Los Angeles can’t be overstated,” said Kathy Smits, Senior Vice President, Global Tourism. “We are so grateful for the continued support of our valued partners and hope these webinars will serve as a useful tool.” The on-demand webinar can be accessed at any time and represents the first in a series of travel trade webinars promoting L.A. Travel sellers can visit the Webinar Library to rewatch the What’s New webinar as needed and keep an eye out for new webinars in the future.

Commencing their India market activation, Ajman Department of Tourism Development has announced Intrepid Marketing and Communications as their representative, who will be implementing all sales, marketing and communications initiatives in key target markets. Ajman Department of Tourism Development is venturing into the evolving Indian outbound market for the first time to capitalize on the upcoming travel season and accelerate footfalls to the smallest city of the United Arab Emirates. Ajman Tourism Development Department, will be penetrating their reach in the wedding, MICE and luxury FIT segments in India through sustained activities assisted by Intrepid Marketing & Communications. On the appointment of its India representative, Khadija Turki, Director of Tourism Development and Marketing, Ajman Department of Tourism Development, said, “We are ecstatic to set foot in the India market as we are aware of the country’s unique travel appetite and look forward to welcoming our guests seeking an exquisite getaway. India is an exciting yet a complex market for several factors and we are thrilled to work with Intrepid Marketing and Communications team and collectively derive the best methods to establish and expand our presence. The team will be endorsing our products and itineraries across key segments and markets and provide their core insights to make Ajman one of the fastest emerging destinations amongst outbound Indian travellers.” Acknowledging the latest addition to Intrepid Marketing & Communication’s growing portfolio, Madhuri Verma, Director, said, “We are stoked to introduce Ajman Department of Tourism Development to India and promote the city’s diverse tourism aspects amongst the travel trade community. Although UAE has been an established destination, Ajman as a destination is relatively new and hence will be exciting for both agents and travellers. We …

The Switzerland Travel Experience (STE) 2022 brought together over 60 leading travel agents and tour operators from across India associated together with 21 partners from the Swiss tourism industry including destinations, hotels, attractions, public transportation, mountain excursions, and other related companies, at its annual event held in Goa between March 14-17, 2022. In the wake of the tourism sector emerging from its most challenging years, Indian tourists are increasingly looking at Switzerland as a preferred travel destination. According to the main tour operators, there has been a 40% increase in enquiries from Indian travellers for Switzerland. This is not only because of the plethora of activities available in the scenic country like adventure, sports, culture, food but also because of the multiple experiences it offers for all types of travellers be it solos, couples, families as well as the adventure seekers. The rise in interest can also be attributed to Switzerland’s longstanding reputation as one of the cleanest countries in the world, and additionally, because the country has been keeping up with the needs of today’s traveller for authenticity, proximity to nature and considerate consumption as part of their Swisstainable sustainability strategy. Multiple safety measures put in place during the pandemic like the ‘Clean and Safe Label’ which promotes strict protection plans laid down by the government and boosts the guests’ confidence in Switzerland as a travel destination have also led to great confidence in the country among Indian travellers. “As the borders opened up, confidence in travel returned with the acceleration in vaccination programs making travellers seek out new experiences to make up for the many months spent under restrictions. This has led to pent-up demand among travellers who have been waiting for …