Tag Archives: India Outbound

The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) celebrated a significant milestone with the arrival of this year’s 2,000,000th Indian tourist at Suvarnabhumi Airport on 16 December. This achievement underscores India’s vital role as a key source market for Thailand’s thriving tourism industry. The grand welcome ceremony was attended by Sorawong Thienthong, Minister of Tourism and Sports; H.E. Nagesh Singh, Ambassador of India to Thailand; Thapanee Kiatphaibool, TAT Governor; Pattaraanong Na Chiangmai, TAT Deputy Governor for International Marketing – Asia and the South Pacific; and executives from Suvarnabhumi Airport and Thai Airways International (THAI). 𝐒𝐨𝐫𝐚𝐰𝐨𝐧𝐠 𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐧𝐠, Minister of Tourism and Sports remarked, “It is with immense pleasure that we welcome the 2,000,000th Indian tourist to Thailand this year. This milestone highlights the growing popularity of Thailand among Indian travellers.”

South Africa Tourism highlights its rich culture and natural beauty, educating the Indian travel trade on lesser-known regions of the country South African Tourism concluded the third leg of its 10th edition of the ‘Learn South Africa’ workshop in Kochi, following successful events in Chandigarh and Nagpur. This initiative aimed to engage key travel trade partners across India, particularly focusing on the growing interest from tier-2 and tier-3 cities. Over 100 travel trade partners from Kochi participated in the event, offering beyond its well-known destinations like Cape Town and Johannesburg and helping them to gain insights into South Africa’s hidden gems such as Eastern Cape, Free State, and KwaZulu-Natal India remains one of the largest source markets for South Africa, with increasing interest from smaller cities like Kochi. Indian travellers are on the lookout for diverse experiences that range from thrilling adventures to rich cultural explorations. In response to this demand, the workshop equipped travel partners with the necessary knowledge and tools to create customised itineraries tailored for travellers in India. The objective of South African Tourism is to position the Rainbow Nation as a premier choice for leisure and MICE travel. Commenting on the event in Kochi, Gcobani Mancotywa, Regional General Manager, Asia, Australasia, and the Middle East, South African Tourism, said, “We have witnessed notable trends among Kochi travellers, such as a growing preference for experiential travel, wellness tourism, and adventure activities. Further, travellers from this region are rapidly emerging as a significant market for South African tourism, we have seen a notable increase in inquiries from local travellers seeking unique and offbeat experiences in H1 2024. Our collaboration with local trade partners has been exceptionally positive, reinforcing …

Inaugural flight on 12th April 2025; New route will be served all year round Iceland, world’s largest vulcano island and known for its rugged nature with geysers, glaciers and waterfalls, becomes the latest addition to LOT Polish Airlines’ growing route network from 12th April 2025. Four times a week, the Polish airline, which is a member of Star Alliance for more than 20 years, will connect its global hub in Warsaw with Keflavik Airport on the outskirts of the Icelandic capital Reykjavik. The departure time is every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday at 21:35h with arrival in Reykjavik after a 4:20 hour flight at 23:55h local time. On Sundays, the flight departs Warsaw at 21:50h (arriving in Reykjavik at 0:10h). The new Iceland flights of LOT Polish Airlines in summer 2025: Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday Departure with LO 499 in Warsaw at 21:35h, arrival in Keflavik at 23:55h local time Departure with LO 500 in Keflavik at 0:45h, arrival in Warsaw at 6:45h local time Sunday Departure with LO 499 in Warsaw at 21:50h, arrival in Keflavik at 0:10h local time Departure with LO 500 in Keflavik at 1:00h, arrival in Warsaw at 7:00h local time Also in winter to Keflavik In the 2025/2026 winter season, LOT Polish Airlines will fly to Iceland three times a week: every Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday with departure from Warsaw at 21:50h and arrival in Keflavik at 1:25h local time. On the flights to Iceland, LOT Polish Airlines will operate modern Boeing 737 aircraft with two service classes: LOT Business Class and LOT Economy Class. “Iceland is an up-and-coming destination with a good tourist infrastructure where visitors experience something truly unique. This small country in …

As per Mabrian’s, ‘India Market Insights: Outbound & Inbound’ report, launched during WTM 2024, several destinations are rising in Europe for Indian arrivals. Spain saw a 3.8% surge in demand, alongside Austria (+9.8%) and Greece (+18.3%), which witnessed highest growth in the past 12 months.

VFS Global has worked with the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland since 2010 and under the new agreement will continue to provide Schengen short terms visa services and Residence permit services including biometric enrolment in 32 countries (including India) across 10 regions. Since 2010, VFS Global has handled more than 8.5 million visa applications on behalf of the Government of Finland. The Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland said, “We anticipate a seamless and professional collaboration with VFS Global. In our tender, we especially highlighted the global coverage of the outsourced services, quality of biometrics and technical capacity, quality control, risk management and customer service. The external service provider receives applications, collects biometric data and application fees and forwards them to the missions. It does not make visa decisions. Visa decisions continue to be the responsibility of Foreign Ministry officials.” Jiten Vyas, Chief Commercial Officer and Head of Business Development, VFS Global, said, “VFS Global is delighted that we will continue to serve the Government of Finland as their trusted service provider. We have enjoyed a strong partnership with the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland and welcome the opportunity to renew our services. We look forward to offering visa applicants best-in-class visa solutions, and a seamless application process across 10 regions globally.” 10 regions worldwide where these services will continue to operate are South Asia, the Americas, Southeast Asia, China, the Middle East, North Africa, Africa, Europe, CIS and Russia. VFS Global is responsible for managing the front-end administrative duties only. This includes the collection of application forms and required documents as per the checklist as well as the enrolment of biometrics. VFS Global does not play a …

Tourism Malaysia, in collaboration with the Malaysian Indian Travel & Tours Association (MITTA), announced the successful culmination of its extensive roadshow. Following successful events in Trivandrum on 23 September, Calicut on 25 September, and Bhubaneswar on 27 September, the roadshow concluded in Guwahati on 30 September. This initiative marks a significant step in strengthening Malaysia’s presence in the Indian travel market and promoting its diverse tourism offerings. The roadshow aims to foster deeper connections with travel agents and highlight Malaysia’s appeal as a premier travel destination. Ahmad Johanif Mohd Ali, Director, Tourism Malaysia Delhi, emphasised the importance of this event, stating, “Our roadshow is a strategic move to engage directly with Indian travel agents. We are eager to showcase Malaysia’s vibrant culture, stunning landscapes, and exceptional hospitality, ensuring that travel agents have the latest information to offer their clients.” A key feature of the roadshow will be the participation of 25 prominent Malaysian hoteliers and travel agents. These industry representatives will engage in one-on-one business meetings with their Indian counterparts, fostering collaborations and exploring new opportunities. The initiative also serves as a prelude to the much-anticipated Visit Malaysia 2026 campaign, which aims to position Malaysia as a top global travel destination. Noriah Jaafar, Director, Tourism Malaysia Mumbai, commented, “With direct flight connections from major Indian cities, including the recently resumed service by Air India after a 16-year hiatus, Malaysia is more accessible than ever. Our roadshow is designed to highlight the ease of travel and the multitude of experiences Malaysia offers to all types of travellers.” The diverse tourism offerings in Malaysia cater to a wide range of interests and demographics. Whether it is a family vacation, a romantic honeymoon, …

~Set across Chandigarh, Nagpur & Kochi, the initiative will educate over 600 travel partners on new destination offerings~ Aiming to attract 100,000 inbound travellers from India by end of the year, South African Tourism has returned with its 2024 edition of ‘Learn South Africa’ initiative. Entering the tier-2 and tier-3 outbound tourism markets of India, the flagship travel trade training workshop will enlighten the tourism board’s travel partners with renewed strategy and equip them with tools to market the Rainbow Nation effectively. In the recent years, there has been a strong uptick in the number of arrivals from India to South Africa. Capitalising on this momentum and in efforts to target emerging markets from the country, South African Tourism’s 3-city destination workshop is set to commence in Chandigarh on 27th September followed by Nagpur on 8th November and Kochi on 13th December. The workshop not only enables the tourism board to share its learnings with the travel trade fraternity but also support its partners in overcoming any obstacles they experience while promoting the destination. Cognizant of India’s outbound tourism potential and its role in achieving South Africa’s long term tourism goals, India is amongst the top 3 focus markets for South African Tourism. With a strong foothold across key metro cities and observing a trend of rising discretionary spendings from tier-2 and tier-3 cities of India, it is vital for the tourism board to continually target newer markets to uphold the increased inclination towards international travel. Programs such as ‘Learn SA’ are instrumental in projecting the Rainbow Nation as a premier leisure and MICE destination. Commenting on ‘Learn South Africa’ 2024 edition, Gcobani Mancotywa, Regional General Manager, Asia, Australasia, Middle …