Category: News

WelcomHeritage has added one more property to its existing portfolio – WelcomHeritage Kalyan Bhawan in Jaisalmer, which was the former home of the Ruler of Jaisalmer – Maharawal Jawahir Singh ji and was called as ‘Kanwar Pada’, meaning Princes’ Residence in local parlance. The property features 22 exquisite rooms and has been refurbished in the original art deco style to meet the requirements of the modern traveller and caters to both leisure and business travellers who want to enjoy the local flavors of town. The former haveli was an old mansion which is now recreated so as to make the ... Read more

Korea Tourism Organisation (KTO) is organizing a two-day Korea festival showcasing Korea’s rich art, culture and heritage on 13 -14 April at High Street Phoenix in Mumbai. Prior to the festival, a press conference will be held on 12th April, 2019 to announce KTO’s business plans for the year. Organised by KTO, the two-day extravaganza aims to popularize South Korea as a hot favourite destination among Indian travellers by giving a glimpse into the rich Korean culture. The aim is to acquaint Indian tourists with famous South Korean tourist destinations, delicacies, local culture and the country’s modern legacy. “Indian outbound ... Read more

The Indian Association of Tour Operators (IATO) has appointed Rahul Chakravarty as the Chief Operating Officer (COO) to enlarge the scope and area of operations in the 1600-member body. Rahul Chakravarty, who took over the charge of office on April 1, 2019, has extensive experience in the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) where he looked after tourism for 15 years. Gour Kanjilal, who was the Executive Director of IATO for the past 14 years, has resigned recently. The IATO leadership is confident that Rahul, with his vast experience in tourism, will help the organization to grow.  

American Airlines has announced the launch of its nonstop flight between Phoenix and London. The year-round flight will use the Boeing 777-200ER, which fits 273 people and offers three classes of service: business class, premium economy and main cabin service. The daily flight leaves London at 9:30 am and arrives in Phoenix at 12:30 pm, then leaves Phoenix at 3:10 pm and arrives in London at 9:25 am. Partners American Airlines and British Airways now offer a total of 14 flights to London per week out of the Phoenix airport.

Mizoram has only one direct air link with Kolkata, operated by Air India, after Jet Airways withdrew its service from the state citing non-viability of route. Air India (AI) has deferred the additional flight service to Mizoram on the Kolkata-Aizawl-Kolkata sector from April 2-9, said the principal consultant for state civil aviation, Wing Commander Joe Lalhmingliana on Monday. The schedule was postponed owing to operational compulsion, a statement said. The airline also fixed fares, as per which, Kolkata-Imphal route was fixed at Rs 5,716, Imphal to Aizawl at Rs 2,995 and Aizawl- Kolkata (via Imphal) was fixed at Rs 3,495. The additional flights ... Read more

The annual Business of Wine & Food Tourism Conference, currently in its fourth year and known as the Wine & Food Tourism Conference from 2019, is introducing the Wine & Food Tourism Awards. “The aim of this new awards platform is to recognise those individuals and teams who have made exceptional contributions to the development and promotion of the South African wine and food tourism industry,” said Margi Biggs, wine and gourmet tourism specialist and convenor of the Wine & Food Tourism Conference. “We have so much in our favour in South Africa. We have physical beauty, we have critically ... Read more

The 2nd edition of the India Tourism Mart (ITM), organised by the Federation of Associations in Indian Tourism and Hospitality (FAITH), will be held from September 23 to 25, 2019. “The 2019 edition of trade show will be held from September 23-25, 2019 at The Ashoka, New Delhi. We are expecting to shortlist around 500 international buyers in this year’s ITM. In 2018, around 250 buyers attended the show,” said Subhash Goyal, Honorary Secretary, FAITH. “The process of selection is very transparent, all details are available online. For this year’s show, we will also have representatives of the Ministry of Tourism, ... Read more

Mumbai International Airport Limited (MIAL) has completed its runway re-carpeting and maintenance work at the intersection and will resume regular work after a twenty-one-day runway shutdown. The key to success of this project was handing precision on-time re-carpeting work of the runway within its stipulated six hours, maintaining Mumbai’s challenging flight schedule. The re-carpeting of the 50,000 sq. mt. intersection was carried out using state-of-the-art technology which allows ease application, quick-setting features and enables airports to take a load of normal air traffic immediately after application. The resurfacing work was carried by a team of 600 workers in-line with a ... Read more

Air India is all set to fly from Delhi to Kannur, starting April 2, 2019. The newly launched flight will be operating five times a week. The flight will commence from Delhi at 09.05 hours on Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday and will reach Kannur at 1215 hours. After this it will continue to operate from Kannur at 1300 hours to Kozhikode at 1330. The flight will return to Delhi by 1845 hours on the same day via Kannur. “Air India has declared to connect Delhi with a direct flight to Kannur and back with effect from April 2, ... Read more

Emirates has launched a pan-African brand advertising campaign that celebrates the talent and achievements of young Africans, taking the message of ‘New Africa’ to the world. The campaign also features an original music video produced by Kenyan musician and DJ Blinky Bill, inspired by contemporary African electronic club music. Paying tribute to a new generation of African disrupters who are making their mark globally across music, fashion, literature and the arts, the campaign celebrates the cultural renaissance taking over Africa. The short films produced by the BBC (British Broadcasting Corporation) for Emirates, tells the stories of unique individuals from different ... Read more

Emirates anticipates high passenger traffic this spring break weekend with visitors travelling to and from Dubai. The busiest time for departures in Terminal 3 was on Friday 29th March with more than 42,000 passengers travelling abroad. Peak travel is expected to continue until Tuesday 2nd April 2019 with more than 205,000 Emirates passengers travelling from Dubai to destinations beyond. During this time, Emirates will also be welcoming more than 160,000 passengers to and through Dubai. Customers are reminded to arrive at the airport at least three hours before their flight departure to avoid any delays. With road works continuing to cause ... Read more

Vistara has announced the addition of Raipur as its 23rd destination. Effective 31st March 2019, Vistara will operate two daily flights between Delhi and Raipur, providing convenient same-day return option to travellers from both cities, along with convenient one-stop connections between Raipur and Amritsar, Chandigarh, Srinagar, Jammu, Lucknow and Varanasi. Bookings are now open on all direct and indirect channels at an introductory all-inclusive one way fare in Economy Class starting Rs 2698. Flight No.UK 793 from Delhi will take off at 6.40 am and will reach Raipur at 8.20 am. The return flight will take off from Raipur at ... Read more

The Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGI), New Delhi, is planning to roll out express check-in counter service for air passengers taking domestic flights from the airport. The service can only be availed by travellers with handbags as luggage. The airport will introduce this facility by April 2019 at Terminal 2, where low-cost airlines such as Indigo, SpiceJet and GoAir operate. The facility is expected to be extended to Terminals 1 and 3 in future. The setting up of express check-in counters at the IGI airport will reduce crowding at the check-in zones of the congested terminals. About 40 per cent ... Read more

Arrivals in India through e-tourist visa increased at a CAGR of 180 per cent during 2014-18, according a report by India Brand Equity Foundation (IBEF). In 2018, 23,69,941 tourists have arrived in India through e-tourist visa.  Tourist arrivals increased at a CAGR of 251.59 per cent during 2014-17 to reach 1,697,000 tourists in 2017. The government has recently made a series of amendments in the e-visa regime to make it more tourist-friendly. The duration of stay in India of e-tourist and e-business visas is maximum up to one year with multiple entry subject to the stay stipulations. Also, the existing restriction of ... Read more

Marriott International and Dur Hospitality has announced the opening of Riyadh Marriott Hotel Diplomatic Quarter and Marriott Executive Apartments Riyadh, Diplomatic Quarter. The complex is strategically located in the heart of one of the most sought-after areas in the city with easy access to key embassies and major corporate headquarters, just a 30-minute drive from King Khalid International Airport. “We are delighted to enhance our footprint in Saudi Arabia with the opening of two strategically important hotels that not only complement each other but also deliver very distinct brand experiences. Saudi Arabia continues to be one of our key markets ... Read more