Hotel Ibis Limited, a hotel development business in Bangladesh today declare the signing of Ramada by Wyndham Cox’s Bazar Kolatoli Beach under a franchise agreement with Wyndham Hotels & Resorts. Cox’s Bazar is the prime beach and tourist town in Bangladesh, locate alongside the beach of the Bay of Bengal, boasting a 120 Km unbroken coastline , reachable through motor transport. This town is located in the Chittagong Division in south-eastern Bangladesh, beside ‘Myanmar (Burma)’. Located about 150 km south of Chittagong Metropolitan city, Cox’s Bazar is connected both by air and road with the capital of Bangladesh, Dhaka and the prime port city Chittagong. With direct beachfront access to the famous Kolatoli Beach, guests can enjoy magnificent sunsets over the Bay of Bengal from the comfort of their guestroom or with a drink at the roof top bar lounge. The hotel will feature 141 contemporary rooms, all day dining, banquet halls and meeting room, health club, spa and an outdoor roof top swimming pool. Alhajj Jashim Uddin Ahammed, Managing Director, Hotel Ibis Limited said, “We are delighted to partner with Wyndham Hotels & Resorts for our newly built hotel at Cox’s Bazar under the internationally recognized Ramada by Wyndham brand. Hotel is currently under the final stages of finishing and will be ready to welcome guest by end of this year.” Nikhil Sharma, Market Managing Director Eurasia, Wyndham Hotels & Resorts said, “We are delighted to partner with Hotel Ibis Limited for this amazingly located hotel on the popular Kolatoli Beach. This signing marks an important step in our expansion plan for Bangladesh by bringing a high-quality midscale hotel in a prime location in Cox’s Bazar.” Through the opening …
Read More »Maldivian to start direct flights from New Delhi to Maafaru & Male’ Airport in Maldives
Maldivian is set to start direct flights from New Delhi to Maafaru and Male’ on 21st October 2021 and will be operating A321 & A320 on this route offering both business and economy class configuration. The national carrier of Republic of Maldives, owned and operated by Island Aviation Services Limited (IAS), currently operates to Trivandrum, Cochin and to Dhaka, Bangladesh. Bird Travels, the airline management arm of Bird Group is the General Sales Agent (GSA) for Maldivian and will be managing their sales and marketing activities in New Delhi. Flights on the new route, New Delhi to Maafaru, will operate on Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays. Maafaru International Airport located in Noonu atoll was opened in 2019 and is also managed by Island Aviation Services Limited (IAS). With three direct weekly flights to Maafaru, another international hub of the largest source market, will connect North Maldives from India. Cocooned by some of the most sought-after luxury resorts in the destination, along with a large number of guest houses, the region is home to over 10,000 tourist beds spread across four atolls making this new route a highly lucrative leisure market. Speaking on the new route, Vijay Bhatia, President, Bird Group said “We are delighted to launch this new service connecting New Delhi with Maafaru and Male’ effective 21st Oct 2021. This direct flight will offer the fastest connection for Indian travelers looking to holiday in North Maldives luxury resorts”. Bird Travels will help Maldivian to further strengthen the airline’s sales team and provide support to the Indian travel trade.
Read More »Philippines lifts travel ban on India, 9 other countries
The Philippines will lift travel restrictions on passengers coming from 10 countries beginning September 6, Malacañang announced on Saturday.”President Rodrigo Roa Duterte approved the recommendation of the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) to lift the current travel restrictions in India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, United Arab Emirates, Oman, Thailand, Malaysia, and Indonesia starting Sept. 6, 2021,” Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said in a statement.
Read More »Select buyers from South Asia at ATS 2021
Asia Travel Show (ATS), from March 15-16, will see select buyers from South Asia – India, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh – in attendance. They will be a mix of travel agents, corporate and M!CE buyers, as well as wedding planners.
Read More »Northeast to get its third international airport by March
With a Rs438 crore project underway to upgrade it, Maharaja Bir Bikram Airport in Agartala, Tripura, is all set to become the third international airport in the Northeast region of India. Government of Tripura aims to connect the state with Bangladesh and neighbouring countries. The upgrade is pegged to be completed by March end this year.
Read More »1300+ buyers & 3,200 meetings at Virtual Spanish Travel Show
The two-day Virtual Spanish Travel Show concluded successfully with more than 1,300 buyers from India, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh interact with 20 Spanish exhibitors. Spain’s first-ever virtual roadshow witnessed more than 3,200 one-to-one meetings take place between travel agents and tour operators, and suppliers that included regional tourism boards, hotels and DMCs.
Read More »Spain Tourism to conduct virtual roadshow on Dec 2-3
The Tourism Office of Spain – Mumbai will be organising a two-day roadshow with 22 Spanish suppliers on December 2-3, 2020. The suppliers will be a mix of local tourism boards, hotels and DMCs, who will meet key travel agents and tour operators from key source markets of India, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh. To attend as buyer, contact Jaspreet Kaur at jaspreet.kaur@ddppl.com or 9650196532.
Read More »Medical tourism in India to grow to USD13.3 bn by 2022
Medical tourism in India by international travellers is expected to grow to USD13.3 bn by 2022, according to a report jointly published by KPMG India and Google. About 1.5 million medical tourists are expected to visit the country in 2022. The medical tourism market in India has grown rapidly over the past decade with India becoming one of the largest global medical tourism hubs. Growth has been driven by a rise in international awareness of India’s affordable healthcare, qualified healthcare professional base, coupled with investment into healthcare infrastructure and privately funded healthcare. Foreign tourist arrivals on medical visas are increasing at a CAGR of 51 per cent. Bangladesh, Afghanistan and Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) countries are the leading source geographies accounting for more than one-third of visitors. Africa and GCC countries are expected to drive larger inbound volumes in the coming five years. The key growth drivers are alternative medicine (AYUSH), cost competiveness driving medical tourism inflow and quality healthcare and travel options at affordable price points. Indian ayurveda market is growing at approximately 16 per cent CAGR, backed by approximately 1 million traditional medicine doctor base and proactive government promotion. Medical procedures in India cost 70-80 per cent lower compared to average treatment costs in the US. A robust private healthcare sector and budget friendly travel destinations ensure lucrative India travel options for the international tourists.
Read More »Bangladesh constitutes 45% of total FTAs to India on medical visa
Bangladesh alone constituted about 45 per cent of total foreign tourist arrivals (FTAs) to India on medical visa in 2017, according to a FICCI study on ‘India: Innovating Transforming and Defining Medical Value Travel’. Bangladesh holds the eighth place among largest population countries in the world. The major destination countries include India, China, Singapore, Thailand, South Korea, Malaysia, Saudi Arabia, the USA, the UK, Australia, Japan and Germany for treatments including cardiology, oncology, neurology and orthopaedic. Majority of deaths in Bangladesh are due to non-communicable diseases out of which cancer has a share of 10 per cent. However, the existing infrastructure caters to approximately 10 per cent of cancer patients with 16 cancer treatment centres in Bangladesh. High costs, poor services, long waiting lists, lack of technology in Bangladesh are the major reasons for medical value travel from Bangladesh.
Read More »IHG marks re-entry into Bangladesh with opening of InterContinental Dhaka
InterContinental Hotels Group has announced the opening of InterContinental Dhaka in partnership with Bangladesh Services. The luxury hotel is situated at Minto Road, with easy access to the downtown business district. Located in the heart of the city, InterContinental Dhaka is easily accessible from all key city landmarks like the Prime Minister’s Office, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahaman Medical University, Bashundhara City Shopping Center, the famous Dhaka University Campus and renowned historical monuments. Built in a contemporary design, the hotel offers 226 stylish guest rooms, including 201 premium or deluxe rooms, 10 deluxe suites, 5 superior suites, 5 diplomatic suites and 5 presidential suites. Guests staying in the Club InterContinental Rooms can access the Club Lounge, to relax, work or enjoy exclusive dining options including breakfast, evening beverages and canapés. InterContinental Dhaka offers 2 ballrooms and 7 spacious meeting rooms equipped with the latest technology. With over 21,000 square feet of designed space for meetings and events, the hotel promises flawlessly executed corporate and social events. Vivek Bhalla, Regional Vice President, SWA, IHG, commented, “Today is a milestone occasion for us as we announce the opening of InterContinental Dhaka – a stunning property that will offer the guests a luxurious experience with signature facilities and high standards of service that we have become renowned for. We are confident that the hotel will be a great success and we look forward to welcoming our guests from around the world. The opening also aligns with our strategy to expand our presence across brands, and key cities in the SWA region.” Md Mohibul Haque, Secretary, Ministry of Civil Aviation and Tourism and Chairman, Bangladesh Services, stated, “We are delighted to partner with IHG to open InterContinental …
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