Category: Top Stories

Wide-body flight operations resumed at the Calicut International Airport in Kerala after a gap of three years, with Saudia Airlines from Jeddah landing at the airport. Airbus 330-300 of the Saudia Airlines landed in Karipur 11.10 am on Wednesday, 5th December 2018. The airport was partially closed on May 1, 2015, after the Airport Authority of India (AAI) banned operation of wide-bodied aircrafts including Boeing 777 and B747-400 and Airbus 330 for the runway re-carpeting, to ensure safety of passengers. A convoy of Kerala MPs have visited the Union Aviation Minister several times to seek permission for making the airport ... Read more

The Vice President of India, M Venkaiah Naidu has said that India has the potential to become global aviation hub for MRO (Maintenance Repair and Overhaul) in view of the growing aviation business, huge pool of engineering talent and low labour costs. He was addressing the gathering after inaugurating the first international flight from Vijayawada to Singapore and laying foundation stone for the Integrated Passenger Terminal Building at Vijayawada Airport, in Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh. The Union Minister for Civil Aviation, Suresh Prabhu, the Minister of State for Civil Aviation, Jayant Sinha, the Minister for Finance, Andhra Pradesh, Y Ramakrishnudu, the ... Read more

Emirates, Etihad, flydubai, Air Arabia and Al Fursan took to the skies in unison on December 2, 2018 to celebrate the UAE’s 47th National Day, as well as commemorate the legacy and values of HH Sheikh Zayed. The late founding father of the UAE dedicated his life and leadership to unify and shape a better collective future for the nation, and today’s formation flight is a soaring display of unity as all four carriers showcase the UAE’s aviation success story to the nation and world. The spectacular flypast – a world-first and a UAE civil aviation milestone – involved over ... Read more

Jayant Sinha, Union Minister for State for Aviation said that his ministry was considering introducing 15 helipads at 15 places in the country to promote heli-tourism in the country. The helipads are proposed in hilly areas to exploit the potential tourist destinations in the northern and north-eastern parts of the country where air traffic is not possible by flights. Sinha was speaking at an interaction at a national conclave in Belagavi in Karnataka recently. The minister credited the government for its move to enable inflow of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in the aviation sector with a cap of 49 per ... Read more

Association of Professionals in Tourism (APT) has a new team to lead the organization. Hari KC (East Bound Discoveries) is the new President of APT; Janeesh J (Chalukya Grace Tours Pvt Ltd), the new Secretary and Joe Julian (LPTI) and Arun Kumar (LPTI) are elected as Vice Presidents. Saji R S (Aamantran Travel) and Karthik (Floohoo Travels) are taking charge as Joint Secretaries where Mahesh R (Southern Experts) is the new Treasurer. Biju H Nath (Dharma Connect), Sanjeev Kumar (Voyages Kerala) and Subhash Ghosh (Kerala Greenery) are elected as Senior Advisory Members. Hari KC, President Apart from the new appointments, the meeting has ... Read more

AYANA Komodo Resort, Waecicu Beach Ayana Hotels has opened AYANA Komodo Resort at Waecicu Beach; the first five-star resort to launch on the dreamy island of Flores. Built in just 14-months, and spanning 1.4 hectares, the new resort showcases 205 bedrooms, 2 designer pools, children’s pool, and a handful of hospitality outlets including Rinca Restaurant, UNIQUE Rooftop Bar, Naga Bar, Mesa Bar, Kisik Seafood Grill and famous Japanese restaurant, HonZEN. The resort also features a premium spa, grand ballroom and handful of inspirational meeting spaces. “AYANA Resort and Spa, Bali and AYANA Midplaza, Jakarta are much-loved industry leaders, with guests traveling ... Read more

Cambodia and Nepal signed their first air service agreement (ASA), which allows 14 weekly flights between both countries, according to Cambodia’s State Secretariat of Civil Aviation (SSCA). The agreement was made during Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen’s official three-day visit to Kathmandu, Nepal last week, during which he also attended the Asia-Pacific Summit. “Nepal has become the 45th country to have an ASA with Cambodia. Passengers travel to Nepal currently needs to make a connecting flight to Thailand, Malaysia or Singapore” said  Sinn Chanserey Vutha, SSCA spokesman. Vutha said the deal is an opening air service for airlines from both ... Read more

Third UNWTO/UNESCO World Conference on Tourism and Culture is taking place at Lutfi Kırdar International Convention and Exhibition Center Istanbul, Turkey, from 3rd to 5th December 2018. The 3rd UNWTO/UNESCO World Conference on Tourism and Culture will build on the outcomes of the two previous editions of this event and their respective Declarations: the 2015 Siem Reap Declaration, which recommended closer and targeted partnerships between stakeholders of culture and of tourism; and the 2017 Muscat Declaration, which committed its endorsers to enhancing the contribution of tourism and culture in national SDG strategies. This year the theme of World Conference is ‘for the Benefit of All’, ... Read more

Courtyard by Marriott Paris Gare de Lyon Courtyard by Marriott has welcomed a new property in the heart of Paris, ideally situated opposite the Gare de Lyon train station, which serves as both a domestic and international travel hub for millions of passengers each year. This dynamic area of the city is also home to numerous co-working spaces and start-up incubators, making the hotel the perfect choice for business travellers. Housed in a 19-story tower, Courtyard by Marriott Paris Gare de Lyon offers exceptional views over the city and its emblematic sights. The design in the 249 bedrooms was led ... Read more

India is the second largest most populous country in the world with the tag of fastest-growing major economy globally. Due to this economic growth, its people are earning more year on year and their disposable income is also growing. Air connectivity from India to foreign locations has also improved significantly over a period of time. First-time Indian visitors generally prefer to visit Asian countries due to their proximity to India and being less expensive compared to western destinations. In the case of long-haul travel Indians prefer going to United States (US), Australia, Europe, New Zealand etc. Thailand, Singapore and United ... Read more

Calling all outdoor enthusiasts, weekend warriors, world travelers and nature adventurers: Neat Jug, a revolutionary water purification system, has been officially released on Kickstarter. By utilizing a self-charging mechanism and UV technology, each Neat Jug is NSF Class A system-compliant and can effectively produce up to 20,000 liters of clean and safe purified water. Here’s how it works: By turning the handle for about 180 seconds, the device will be ready to discharge UVC light for 90 seconds (1 cycle) and purify 750 milliliters of water (about the same amount in a typical bottle of wine). “Every detail of Neat ... Read more

Second Philippine Sports Tourism Awards night will be conducted at Savoy Hotel in Manila on 5th December 2018. The objective of the event is to recognize those who are directly or indirectly take part in promoting tourism through sports. At least a dozen awards will be given to different entities, event organizers, hotels, airlines, government agencies, sports associations, destinations, corporate sponsors and charities. Founded by tourism marketing and public relations group, Selrahco, the Philippine Sports Tourism Awards (PSTA) is a result of the Sports Tourism Forum (STF) which had its inception in 2014 in Cebu City. The STF encouraged local ... Read more

Searching for the perfect gift for the travel lover in your life? eBags curated a list of their most popular and highest-reviewed items. With over 33 million bags sold and millions of customer reviews, eBags knows a thing or two about giving thoughtful gifts. In fact, every product in the eBags brand lineup was designed based on feedback from real travelers like you—and each person on your list. The Do-It-All Mom eBags recommends the Anti-Theft Carry All Crossbody bag. With pockets for everything, this versatile bag has a place for water bottles, snacks, wipes, diapers, and a padded sleeve for ... Read more

Kenya tourism seeks the help of hotliers for driving the marketing campaign of the country.  Najib Balala, Tourism secretary has met with hotliers to discuss the marketing programmes. Top hoteliers of the country have been appointed by the tourism secretary to help with the development of tourism by formulating marketing strategies for a sector that suffered a series of terrorism attacks, which discouraged foreign tourists to visit the country for several years. The hoteliers have to feed the Kenya Tourist Board (KTB) with the new trends in Kenya’s tourism sector to help promote the country as business and leisure travel ... Read more

Ayodhya – Photo for representative purpose only After ‘Deepotsav’ and ‘Saryu Aarti’ in Ayodhya, the Utar Pradesh government plans to organize ‘Ayodhya Mahotsav’ in the temple town. The 11 day festival will be organized by the the state tourism department at the Government Inter College from 27th December. “The history of Ayodhya and its culture will be showcased in the event along with other aspects of the historic city,” said Ved Prakash Gupta, MLA of Ayodhya assembly constituency, who is the chief coordinator of the event. The state government will also provide a platform to artisans of Ayodhya and its ... Read more