Tag Archives: Bengaluru

IndiGo is all set to operate daily direct flights connecting Kannur to Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Hubli and Chennai with effect from January 2019. The introduction of these flights will further strengthen the airline’s operations, and will provide connectivity between Kannur and other key cities with all-inclusive fares starting from Rs 1799. William Boulter, Chief Commercial Officer, IndiGo, said, “We are pleased to have the opportunity to fly out of the new airport in Kannur starting January 2019. Kannur will be the 67th destination on our growing network and starting operations will further strengthen the air connectivity from Northern Kerala. IndiGo will operate daily non-stop return flights from Kannur to Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Chennai and Hubli. These new services will benefit our customers with more flying options and will also boost tourism stemming from nearby regional destinations, including Kasaragod and Wayanad in Kerala, and Coorg in Karnataka.”

GoAir has announced the launch of flight operations from Kannur with the launch of the newly commissioned international airport at Kannur. The Kannur schedule introduces direct daily flights connecting Bengaluru six times weekly,  Hyderabad four times weekly and Chennai thrice weekly. With this launch, GoAir will now operate more than 1600 weekly flights by the end of December. The airline plans to also commence its international operations from Kannur shortly post regulatory approvals. On the occasion of the launch, the airline is also operating a special flight between Delhi to Kannur to facilitate guest movement of Kannur International Airport. Cornelis Vrieswijk, CEO, GoAir said “Kannur is a key market and a significant base for business and tourism in the region. Adding Kannur with its ideal geographical location, we reinforce our commitment towards enhancing connectivity across the country. It is our constant endeavor to provide flexibility of choice to our customers along with on time, convenient and affordable flying experience.” Tickets for the new flights can be booked through the company website or online travel portals, GoAir Call Centre, airport ticketing offices, through travel agents and the GoAir mobile app that is available on both Apple iOS and Google Android. Passengers will be required to download the latest version of the App to be able to make the bookings.

Hilton has announced signing of a management agreement with Kalyani Hospitality to develop DoubleTree by Hilton in Bengaluru. Scheduled to open in Q1 2021, the property will be located at the commercial micro-market of the city – Whitefield. The hotel, currently under construction, will have 183 rooms and suites to cater to the needs of both business and leisure travellers, including multiple meeting and banquet spaces, fitness amenities, outdoor swimming pool, restaurant, a bar and a roof-top lounge. Commenting on this signing, Navjit Ahluwalia, Senior Vice President and Country Head, Hilton India, said,“Our partnership with Kalyani Group reinforces our promise to expand our portfolio in India and offer Hilton guests more opportunities to experience the warmth of Hilton hospitality across multiple locations.” Announcing the project, A Mohan Raju, Chairman and Managing Director, Kalyani Group, said, “We are delighted to partner with Hilton to provide world-renowned hospitality within a business‐friendly environment. Owing to its location within the fastest-growing commercial micro market in Bengaluru, the hotel will become a preferred choice of travellers with diverse requirements. We have strong plans to replicate our success in the commercial office segment into the hospitality sector.”

GoAir has recently commenced its international operations from Bengaluru with direct flights to Male and Phuket. The airline’s  international service is operated by Airbus A320 Neo aircraft and it will mark the commencement of a direct service 3 times a week between Bengaluru – Phuket – Bengaluru sector and direct service 02 times a week between Bengaluru – Male – Bengaluru sector. Speaking on the occasion, Cornelis Vrieswijk, Chief Executive Officer, GoAir, said, “Bengaluru is a key market for us and this is the third strategic launch after Mumbai and New Delhi to have commenced international operations on GoAir’s network. We are certain that leisure travellers from Bengaluru and neighbouring cities will be delighted by our convenient connections to Phuket and Male.”

Further expanding its presence in South India, Sarovar Hotels has announced the signing of Shravanthi Sarovar Portico in Bengaluru. The mid-scale hotel, located in JP Nagar, offers 80 newly renovated guest rooms, an all-day dining restaurant, club bar, fitness centre and conferencing facilities. The newly redecorated lobby is spacious and comprises a coffee lounge, just the perfect setting for relaxation or business networking. The total inventory of Sarovar in the city will cross 700 rooms and this will be Sarovar’s sixth hotel after La Marvella Sarovar Premiere, Davanam Sarovar Portico Suites, RBD Sarovar Portico, Radha Hometel and Radisson Blu. Shravanthi Sarovar Portico is special by way of decorative themes that run through each of the four floors of the property. From Scandinavian to Spanish country to Manhattan to the Royal highness, the hotel’s theme floors and rooms leave the traveller with a signature experience akin to none. Commenting on the development, Anil Madhok, Executive Chairman, Sarovar Hotels says, “After covering the IT and commercial hubs of Koramangala, ORR, Whitefield and Jayanagar, we are delighted to sign our next hotel in the heart of JP Nagar. The Shravanthi Sarovar Portico is centrally located and will appeal to the business as well as leisure traveller.”

India has decided to offer visa on arrival to South Korean nationals, a home ministry official said. Like the Japanese nationals (who have been getting the privilege since March 2016), the facility to South Korean citizens include double entry visit for a period not exceeding 60 days for business, tourism, conference and medical purposes for entry through six designated international airports – Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, Bengaluru and Hyderabad. According to an estimate, around 2 lakh Indian visas are issued to South Korean nationals every year, of which 80 per cent are tourists. On an average, 600 South Korean nationals arrive in Delhi daily. Though visa-on-arrival facility was earlier offered to citizens of 12 countries — Cambodia, Finland, Indonesia, Japan, Laos, Luxembourg, Myanmar, New Zealand, Philippines, Singapore, Vietnam and South Korea — it was discontinued in November 2014 after the launch of e-Tourist Visa scheme. The e-visa facility now covers practically all the countries of the world, 166 as of now, and foreigners can arrive at any of the designated 26 airports and five seaports in India without interacting with any official before checking in at the immigration counter. Under the e-visa scheme, an applicant receives an email authorising him or her to travel to India after it has been approved. The tourist can travel with a printout of this authorisation. On arrival, the visitor has to present the authorisation to the immigration authorities who would then allow entry into the country. Source: PTI

Chennai and Bengaluru have been among the top source cities from South India for visitor arrivals from India to Singapore in 2017. Cities like Coimbatore, Trichy, Hyderabad and Kochi registered growth in traveller numbers to the city. The factors contributing to the strong visitorship numbers are the short three-plus hours’ travel time, increased direct flight connectivity of nine cities to the city and quick weekend holidays. In January 2018, the Singapore Tourism Board (STB) organised a consumer-centric mall activity in Bengaluru, featuring the various travel offerings one can indulge in while in Singapore. In the middle of the year, it conducted, together with key trade partners from Singapore, an extensive travel trade roadshow series across Trichy, Coimbatore, Kochi and Visakhapatnam.

IndiGo has operated its inaugural flight to Allahabad from Bengaluru on November 15. The flight was welcomed at Bamrauli Airport by Nand Gopal Gupta Nandi, Minister of Stamp and Court Fee, Revenue, Civil Aviation with the Uttar Pradesh government, and team IndiGo at a ceremony. Allahabad-Bengaluru is the sixth RCS (Regional Connectivity Scheme-UDAN) route and the 60th destination on IndiGo’s network. William Boulter, Chief Commercial Officer, IndiGo said, “Allahabad is a key market for us and the fourth strategic launch in Uttar Pradesh after Lucknow, Varanasi and Gorakhpur on IndiGo’s network. We are strengthening our network from the state and hope to create more affordable, point-to-point connectivity for our passengers. IndiGo will continue to offer an on-time, courteous and hassle-free service and affordable flying experience always.” Both corporate and leisure customers who wish to plan their travel can book tickets via our official website. The introduction of these flights will bring Allahabad closer to the other cities of India with all-inclusive fares starting from Rs 2500.

Tourism Australia has introduced a second tier to its specialist program in India with the introduction of the Premier Aussie Specialist Program. Membership in the Premier Aussie Specialist category is an acknowledgement of the destination expertise, insider knowledge and strong ties with the Australian travel industry of Aussie Specialist agents with an established record of selling Australia. As part of the launch, 70 agents from across cities like Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Chandigarh, Chennai, Coimbatore, Delhi, Ludhiana, Mumbai and Pune have been inducted into the Premier Aussie Specialist Program in India. The programme offers professional validation for retail agents selling Australian holidays to discerning consumers. As part of the membership, Premier Aussie Specialists are invited to attend exclusive travel industry workshops, market updates and training events hosted by Tourism Australia and Australia’s States and Territories. Speaking at the launch, John O’Sullivan, Managing Director, Tourism Australia said, “The Premier Aussie Specialist Program seeks to recognise the invaluable advocacy that travel advisors, who have been selling Australian holidays for many years, deliver for the destination. This group of elite agents are important contributors to our efforts to make Australia a destination of choice for travellers from India and it is a proud moment for us to congratulate and show our appreciation to these industry friends for their incredible passion and dedication to selling Australia.” Tourism Australia’s distribution strategy for India includes an enriched trade engagement programme. As one of the pioneers of the online destination training, Tourism Australia’s Aussie Specialist Program has recruited more than 2,981 travel agents across India.

GoAir is set to further expand its international footmark with the launch of direct flights on the Bengaluru-Phuket and Bengaluru-Male routes effective December 9, 2018. The airline recently announced its direct services to Phuket and Male from Delhi and Mumbai. GoAir will operate three direct flight services per week between Bengaluru and Phuket at an attractive return fare starting from Rs 16,999 (all inclusive); two direct flight services per week between Bengaluru and Male at an attractive return fare starting from Rs 15,199 (all inclusive). The flight schedules are designed to provide flexibility of choice, passenger convenience and customised travel options. GoAir also provides GoHoliday packages, whereby customers can choose from 3/4/5/7 holiday options to both Phuket and Male. The addition of this new connectivity will bolster GoAir’s offering between Bengaluru with Phuket and Male. It will further strengthen the airline’s growing international network and significantly enhance connectivity for passengers. The sector has been introduced in response to the growing demand from leisure travellers from Bengaluru. GoAir had recently announced India’s first-ever direct service to Phuket from Delhi and Mumbai followed by connecting Mumbai and Delhi with Male, Maldives.