Tag Archives: Chief Executive

In the Union Budget 2023, it was announced that the government has increased Tax Collection at Source (TCS) for overseas packages from 5%to 20%. Riaz Munshi, President, OTOAI, says that instead of reducing the TCS, it has been increased and it will hamper the business. Rajeev Sabharwal  (CA), Chief Executive, Gaurav Travels, says outbound industry should oppose this move.

Virgin Atlantic has announced the launch of three new ways to fly economy as part of a multi-million pound investment in the cabin for the 21st century traveller. Recognising that one size doesn’t fit all, from spring 2018 Virgin Atlantic will introduce ‘Economy Delight, ‘Economy Classic’ and ‘Economy Light’ tickets. The three new ways to fly will allow passengers to choose the product that suits their budget and travel style. “We’re unveiling the biggest change to our Economy cabin in over a decade – launching three new ways to fly, and a host of innovations on the ground and in the air as part of a wider £300 million investment. We know that one size doesn’t fit all, and soon our passengers can afford to be choosy and still travel in the UK’s leading economy cabin,” says Craig Kreeger, Chief Executive, Virgin Atlantic.

Sriperumbudur-Oragadam, Chennai’s upcoming industrial and automobile belt, saw the opening of its first international hotel – Mercure Chennai Sriperumbudur. This marks AccorHotels’ sixth property in Chennai and seventh in Tamil Nadu. Mercure Chennai Sriperumbudur features 100 guest rooms, including six suites. The hotel is located 45-minute drive from Chennai International Airport and an hour’s drive from the historic monuments and beaches of Mahabalipuram. Neeraj Govil, Chief Executive, SMP Management Group said, “We have a long standing association with Chennai and hence, it was quite logical for us to commence our association with AccorHotels from Chennai. We are privileged to partner with AccorHotels in bringing Mercure, the first international brand to the new and fast-growing industrial corridor of Oragadam.” “It is a proud moment for us to announce our first Mercure in Sriperumbudur. The opening of the hotel marks yet another milestone for AccorHotels’ expansion and growing brand presence in the country,” said Jean-Michel Cassé, Chief Operating Officer, India & South Asia, AccorHotels. “Chennai is an important market for us as it enjoys the unique positioning of being a business hub with a rich cultural heritage. The launch of this hotel has made us the largest hotel operator in Chennai with six hotels and a combined inventory of more than 950 rooms. We are well represented in the Tamil Nadu market with brands like Novotel, Mercure and ibis.” said Cassé.

VisitBritain has launched ‘Find Your GREAT Britain, I Travel For’, a digital marketing campaign with UK Minister of State for Trade and Export Promotion Baroness Rona Fairhead, as part of the India-UK Createch Summit in Mumbai. The event was attended by more than 200 delegates from the travel trade industry across India, 50 UK businesses representing transport, technology, healthcare, film and music and a further 150 Indian businesses from a variety of industry sectors. Sally Balcombe, Chief Executive, VisitBritain said, “India is an important inbound tourism market and a huge opportunity for VisitBritain. Our new campaign builds on the strong growth we have seen in visits from India by showcasing that Britain is bursting with fun activities, adventure and new experiences to come and discover right now.” The first phase of VisitBritain’s campaign is rolling out from February 7 for eight weeks with the launch of short films across Facebook and Instagram in India. Research by VisitBritain shows the powerful influence social media has in positioning Britain as a destination of choice for international visitors. The ‘Find Your GREAT Britain, I Travel For’ marketing campaign is part of the UK Government’s global GREAT Britain campaign, which showcases the very best of what Britain has to offer as a place to visit, study and do business.

Azamara Club Cruises has entered into an agreement to purchase the Azamara Pursuit, a ship that will complement the brand’s proposition further by taking travellers to destinations hitherto unexperienced. Come March 2018, TIRUN Travel Marketing, the exclusive India representative of Azamara Club Cruises will provide Indian travellers the opportunity to enjoy the most uniquely-curated destination experiences in the sister ship of Azamara Journey and Azamara Quest. Commenting on the acquisition, Ratna Chadha, Chief Executive, TIRUN Travel Marketing, said, “Azamara Pursuit will further add to the brand’s value as a cruise line that guarantees the best of aesthetics, experience and extravagance to travellers, bringing its guests the experience of a boutique hotel at sea. We are pleased to extend the opportunity to our guests to travel to destinations as exciting as Uruguay, Buenos Aires, Belfast, Akureyri and many more on this ship.” The Azamara Pursuit will be covering a total of 61 destinations, out of which 15 destinations have not been visited yet by any of Azamara’s ships. The ship will be travelling across all the seven continents, allowing travellers to experience an assortment of geographies and cultures.

Indian travellers will now be able to enjoy Indian cuisine at the Sabor Indian Cuisine, the premium restaurant in Royal Caribbean International’s cruise ship Navigator of the Seas. Sabor, which originally featured a Mexican cuisine. Sabor will be available for 2017 European sailings only and can only be booked onboard. In recent months, the number of Indian guests on the Royal Caribbean sailings has increased exponentially which motivated RCI to change Sabor’s menu. Commenting on the decision, Ratna Chadha, Chief Executive, TIRUN said, “The number of Indian travellers onboard Royal Caribbean International has increased considerably. RCI decided to have a menu that comprises dishes reflecting the culinary heritage of India. Inspired by the flavors of the country, cuisine at Sabor has been kept as diverse as the region’s expansive culture.” All sailings of the Navigator of the Seas will leave from Southampton till October 2017, with itineraries distributed across different durations from five days to 14 days sailings, which are popular with Indians. The cruise ship will sail though England, France, Spain, Portugal, Morocco, Italy and more.

Visa applicants wishing to contact UK Visas and Immigration by email will be charged £5.48 (Rs. 455.31), as customer enquiries are shifted to a new commercial partner, Sitel UK. This change and others, which include the reduction of languages in which services are offered, and changes to opening hours were needed to “help the government reduce costs and ensure those who benefit directly from the UK immigration system make an appropriate contribution,” UK Visa and Immigration reportedly said in a statement earlier this week. Britain’s share of India’s outbound tourist market has halved in the past decade. “We welcome our many visitors from India to the UK but we cannot take their interest in coming here for granted,” Ufi Ibrahim, Chief Executive, British Hospitality Association, was quoted as saying. “Tourism is a highly price and time sensitive activity. If the visa application process is too cumbersome, demands too much time and the cost of the visa is perceived to be too high, potential visitors are put off and quickly turn to the completion.” Ibrahim contrasted Britain’s falling share of India’s tourism market (which has been growing at an annual rate of 10 per cent) with that of German and France. (Source-PTI)

TIRUN, the exclusive India representative for Royal Caribbean International announces the news of the global cruise line’s newest addition, Symphony of the Seas, the world largest cruise ship. PortMiami’s Terminal A, will herald the arrival of what will be the most astounding cruise ship in size and luxury that the world has ever seen. She and Oasis-class sister ship Allure of the Seas, each with a bold and unexpected lineup of thrilling experiences that have revolutionised the cruise industry, will unite in November 2018 to offer island-hopping adventures through the Caribbean from the Magic City and add Basseterre, St. Kitts & Nevis to other marquee Oasis-class ports of call. Symphony’s inaugural year of Europe and Caribbean itineraries are now available to book; Allure of the Seas’ 2018-2019 itineraries will open for sale later in the month. Ratna Chadha, Chief Executive, TIRUN Travel Marketing said, “We are delighted and absolutely thrilled to share the news about Symphony of the Seas with Indian cruise enthusiasts, the fourth in the widely-celebrated category of Oasis-class cruise ships led by Royal Caribbean. Symphony of the Seas will claim the title of the world’s largest and most adventure-filled cruise ship, offering more and latest amenities, innovations and thrilling experiences even than her newest sister ship Harmony of the Seas. It’s the absolute, unparalleled best that the line has to offer and no other ship in the world comes close. With best-in-line services, impeccable amenities on board and sheer grandeur for visual appeal, Symphony will really make for the ultimate holiday experience as far as discerning Indian guests are concerned and will enhance their propensity to opt for cruise vacations like never before.” The 26th ship in …

Ireland witnessed a growth of 20 per cent in the number of visas issued to Indians travelling to the destination. This was revealed by Niall Gibbons, Chief Executive, Tourism Ireland, at their sales mission in Mumbai and New Delhi. Gibbons informed that the destination witnessed 27,500 Indian tourist arrivals in 2015, corresponding to 14 per cent increase over 2014. Also, the total number of tourist arrivals from January to August, 2016, was up by 12.3 per cent with 6.55 million people visiting the destination during this period. “With Northern Island also a part of Ireland, we expect to have 10 million visitors by the end of 2016 with a double digit growth. Our traditional markets are Great Britain, North America, Germany and France, comprising 70 per cent of the tourism business but we feel the potential of India as a market is huge for Ireland. The number of visa applications for Indian nationals has seen a growth of over 20 per cent and the BIVS scheme has also facilitated many Indian visits. We have interacted with over 150 companies in New Delhi alone,” said Gibbons. He also added that Tourism Ireland is committed to grow visitor numbers to Ireland from India and the sales mission will play a significant role in helping to achieve this goal. “Our sales mission is a key element of our promotional programme in India. It will give our tourism partners a platform to inform, influence the Indian travel trade about what the island of Ireland has to offer and importantly encourage them to include the destination in their brochures and programmes,” he said.

Tourism New Zealand’s annual travel trade event, Kiwi Link India, is scheduled to take place from July 11-13, 2016, in Mumbai. The event will include full-day workshops on July 11 and 12 and a frontline training for travel trade agents in Mumbai on July 13, 2016. The event provides the opportunity for the Indian travel agents, product managers and planners to interact with New Zealand operators and understand the new developments in the tourism sector. Kevin Bowler, Chief Executive, Tourism New Zealand, says, “Kiwi Link India 2016 will see participation from 35 operators from New Zealand, four airlines, Immigration New Zealand and 80 Indian delegates. Tourism New Zealand will also be hosting key buyers from around India in Mumbai for the first two days of the event. It is one of Tourism New Zealand’s biggest trade shows and is very important to us as India is one of our priority emerging markets. Having a well-informed travel trade is critical to converting interest into bookings. This event provides an ideal platform for us to strengthen relations with our stakeholders in the Indian travel trade, supporting their ability to sell travel to New Zealand, particularly during the shoulder seasons”.