Category: Top Stories

The Ministry of Culture and Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), has conducted the 3rd Award Ceremony of Adopt a Heritage Project at New Delhi for awarding the Letters of Intent to the shortlisted agencies under Phase IV of the project. The project ‘Adopt a Heritage: Apni Dharohar, Apni Pehchaan’ was launched on 27th September 2017, that aims to preserve the rich natural heritage and culture of India, for the smooth promotion of tourism to the country. Under the Phase -4 of the project, around 22 monuments has been undertaken by 9 agencies to ‘protect, preserve and market’ the heritage of ... Read more

Singapore Airlines is all set to launch the world’s first non-stop flight with almost 20 hours in the air, by the end of this year. Singapore Airlines’ newest plane, the Airbus A350-900ULR will connect Singapore to New York. On April 23, the plane had its first test flight, an almost five-hour round-trip that launched from the airframer’s assembly plant in Toulouse, France. The Ultra Long-Range will be able to fly a remarkable 11,160 miles, an increase of more than 1,800 miles over the standard A350. It means that Singapore Airlines will reclaim the crown of running the world’s longest non-stop air route. ... Read more

dnata has bagged two prestigious awards at the World Travel Awards Middle East Gala Ceremony 2018 – for the fifth year running. dnata secured the accolade of ‘UAE’s Leading Travel Agency’ and ‘The Middle East’s Leading Business Travel Agency’. The World Travel Awards Middle East, presented at a gala dinner in Ras Al Khaimah, in front of the region’s leading travel groups, are voted on by travel and tourism professionals worldwide. They recognise commitment to service excellence which organisations receiving awards have demonstrated during the past twelve months. “It’s particularly gratifying to know our hard work and dedication to our ... Read more

Emirates has introduced Home Check-in, a new service which allows customers to check in for their flights from anywhere in Dubai. The service is available for customers across all classes travelling on Emirates flights. The new service enables Emirates passengers to complete the security check and check-in from the comfort of their home, hotel or office and have their luggage transported to the airport prior to their flight. An Emirates check-in agent will arrive at the preferred location to weigh and tag the bags as well as check-in the customers and issue boarding passes. Customers can then make their own ... Read more

India’s flag carrier Jet Airways is about to offer free international flight tickets exclusively through an online contest. According to official reports, contestants have to answer a set of 10 multiple choice questions based on King’s day celebration in Netherland. The competition is held in association with KLM (Koninklijke Luchtvaart Maatschappij) Royal Dutch Airlines- flag carrier of Netherlands, that offers two couple tickets from New Delhi to Amsterdam, on the occasion of Nertherland King Willem-Alexander’s birthday named King’s Day celebrated on 27th April. Participants have to use their Facebook profile for signups, that allows the Dutch embassy to connect with the ... Read more

Thomas Cook (India) has been selected as a preferred partner for the Tourism Industry Partnership (TIP) Programme between Tourism New Zealand (TNZ) and Immigration New Zealand (INZ). The TIP programme between Tourism New Zealand and Immigration New Zealand will focus on streamlining the visa process for Indian visitors to New Zealand. Through this partnership, Indian leisure travellers will benefit from a more streamlined visa service with a faster processing time of three days compared to the previous online application processing time of 15 days. “We are honoured to have been selected as a preferred agent for this partnership. This programme ... Read more

Orhan Abbas, Emirates’ Senior Vice President, Commercial Operations for Africa and Sherin Francis, Chief Executive Officer of the Seychelles Tourism Board. Emirates has announced its renewed support to Mauritius and the Seychelles by extending its global marketing agreement with the respective Tourism Boards of the two countries. A Memorandum of Understanding was signed at the 2018 Arabian Travel Market, by Orhan Abbas, Emirates’ Senior Vice President, Commercial Operations for Africa and Sherin Francis, Chief Executive Officer of the Seychelles Tourism Board and Devi Seewooruthun, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Tourism, in the presence of the Minister of Tourism of ... Read more

The Sharjah Commerce and Tourism Development Authority (SCTDA) is stepping up efforts to consolidate the emirate’s position as an ideal global tourist destination with the recent launch of its new website, VisitSharjah.com. The new website will allow local, regional and international tourists to learn more about what Sharjah has to offer, from essential destinations to exciting activities catering to all types of travellers. “The new website will help increase awareness about the emirate’s tourism infrastructure and services, which will reinforce its reputation as a highly preferred destination. We are proud to announce the launch of the VisitSharjah.com website, consolidating Sharjah’s ... Read more

Russia is facing a huge drop in tourist arrivals to the US and Britain. The tour operators are pointing this drop is as part of the political bias that exists between the two countries. Moreover, with the reverse in US visa policy, a lot of travellers are facing lag in acquiring visa from the authorities. “A decrease in the flow of Russian tourists to the US is expected precisely because of difficulties with obtaining visas,” said Maya Lomidze, Russian Tour Operators Association acting director. In the case of Britan, the country is also facing a huge drop on the occasion ... Read more

Emirates won four accolades at the Business Traveller Middle East Awards 2018. The airline was crowned Best Airline Worldwide, Airline with the Best Business Class, Best First Class Airport Lounge in the Middle East and Airline with the Best Cabin Crew – a testament to its commitment to meet and exceed customer expectations in the air and on the ground. Emirates has won Business Traveller Middle East’s Best Airline Worldwide award five years in a row. The awards celebrate the region’s best in business travel and hospitality and the ceremony was attended by key travel industry executives. “It’s an incredible ... Read more

Dubai Cruise Tourism, a department of Dubai’s Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (Dubai Tourism), hosted a ceremony at the Dubai stand at this year’s Arabian Travel Market (ATM) to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) officially launching the Dubai Cruise Committee. This ceremony confirms the implementation of a collaborative framework designed to consolidate the city’s position as ‘cruise hub of the region’. The Dubai Cruise Committee is a strategic network of leading industry partners; Dubai Tourism, DP World UAE Region FZE, Emirates Airline, The General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs – Dubai, and Dubai Customs. This newly-signed MoU ... Read more

World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC), has declared the ‘Tourism for Tomorrow Awards’ at a special function conducted at Buenos Aires in Argentina. The awards are distributed under 5 categories in the travel and tourism industry namely – Community Award, which was bagged by Global Himalayan Expedition, India. Destination Award by Thompson Okanagan Tourism Association, British Colombia, Canada. Environment Award by Airport Authority Hong Kong. Innovation Award by Virgin Atlantic. People Award by Cayuga Collection of Sustainable Luxury Hotels and Lodges, Costa Rica. The highlights of the awards are based on the business practices, that supports people, planet and profits. ... Read more

Asus, the Taiwanese multinational electronics manufacturing company, has launched their latest Asus Zenfone Max Pro M1 in India. The phone comes with a 6 inch full HD display that has an aspect ratio of 18:9. The battery is power-packed by a massive 5000mAh that run the latest Snapdragon 636 SoC chipset. The budget model comes in two variants – a 3GB and 4 GB Ram along with a 32 and 64GB storage options. The phone can support dual nano-SIM cards and runs with the latest Android 8.1 Oreo on top of it. While going through the camera specification, the device ... Read more

Hainan, a small southern island province of China, plans to offer visa-free on arrival for over 59 countries. According to media reports, the policy might come into force from 1st May in which the travellers are permitted to stay for over 30 days. As part of the new policy, individual tourist and groups from countries namely Britain, France, Germany, and the United States, can visit Hainan visa-free and stay there for up to 30 days on conditions. However, since 2000 Haina has offered a 15-day visa-free stay for over 21 countries, which was extended to more countries back in 2010. The ... Read more

Oman Air unveiled the new First Class Mini Suite of its Dreamliner 787-9 fleet, on the opening day of Arabian Travel Market, at the Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre. The event concludes on April 25. H E Maitha al Mahrouqi, Undersecretary, Ministry of Tourism unveiled the Mini Suite at the Oman Air stand on Sunday. The First Class suite offers unparalleled levels of comfort and ultimate luxury with one of the longest lie-flat seat available on any commercial airliner, electronically controlled privacy divider, à la carte dining as well as an in suite minibar. H E Maitha said, “It ... Read more