Category: News

Accor is all set to introduce its day use service in India where the guests can stay for 12 hours anytime in the day and will pay 60 per cent less of the actual room price. “Today, if you want to use a hotel room from 8 am to 8 pm, its very difficult to book. To solve this, Accor will soon enable its guests to book the room maximum for 12 hours any time in the day that suits them. It will up to the hotel if they want to release their 6 am to 6 pm slot of ... Read more

The sixth edition of Kerala Blog Express, the annual campaign of state Tourism Department, was flagged off on March 21. Rani George, Secretary, Kerala flagged off the sixth edition of the two-week-long Kerala Blog Express from the Grand Hyatt, Kochi at 10.30 am. This year the campaign has 30 bloggers from 21 different countries across the globe participating in the event. The participating bloggers were selected through a voting system. For the first time ever in six years, the Kerala Tourism Department is organizing two trips back to back, one catering the International bloggers and another version exclusive to bloggers ... Read more

Ethiopia’s travel and tourism economy grew by 48.6 per cent in 2018, according to the World Travel & Tourism Council’s (WTTC) annual review of the economic impact and social importance of the sector. In 2018, travel and tourism contributed BIRR 202 billion USD 7.4 billion to the country’s economy, an increase of BIRR 59 billion(USD 2.2bn) on 2017. The sector now represents 9.4 per cent of Ethiopia’s total economy. The WTTC research which compares the Travel & Tourism sector across 185 countries shows that in 2018 the Ethiopian travel and tourism sector significantly outpaced the global growth rate of 3.9 ... Read more

The Emirates A380 drew in more than 3000 visitors in two days at the first ever Saudi International Airshow. The Emirates A380 was the largest commercial aircraft on display at the milestone event. The aircraft received a royal visit from HRH Sultan bin Salman, Chairman of the Board of Saudi Space Agency. HRH was received by Adel Al Ghaith, Senior Vice President, Commercial Operations, Gulf, Middle East & Iran for Emirates, who took him through the flagship aircraft’s signature design details and latest onboard products. The A380 that was on display from 12-13 March was open to both trade visitors ... Read more

Thai Smile, the regional carrier of Thai Airways, is all set to start operating from Kolkata to Bangkok, five times a week, from March 31, 2019. The aircraft used for the operations on this route is Airbus 320. The starting fare for the flight is Rs. 8993 all included. The direct flight will also place TG-coded flight numbers on this route. The flight from Kolkata would take off at 01:00 hrs and would arrive in Bangkok at 05:30 hrs on Monday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday. From Bangkok it will fly every Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday at 22:05 ... Read more

Picture Courtesy: IndiGo Further enhancing its customer experience with the launch of 14 new flights on its network, IndiGo has introduced three new routes and will operate its first flight between Chennai – Raipur, Hyderabad – Gorakhpur and Kolkata – Gorakhpur. The airline will also add flights on its existing routes connecting, Chennai – Trivandrum, Bengaluru – Mangalore, Bengaluru – Udaipur and Bengaluru – Chennai. All new services will commence from April 2019. “We are very excited to add 14 new flights to our network along with along with 3 new routes connecting Chennai, Raipur and Gorakhpur. IndiGo has completed ... Read more

The PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PHDCCI) will be organizing its 8th India Heritage Tourism Conclave with the theme ‘Sustainable Tourism Management at World Heritage Sites’ on March 27, 2019 at WelcomHotel The Savoy, Mussoorie. “The Chamber is taking the legacy forward of hosting its India Heritage Tourism Conclave which first commenced in 2011. Through this Conclave, PHDCCI aims at illustrating how World Heritage Sites can be integrated into broader regional and destination-level tourism management processes, creating a strong platform to exchange best practices, discuss challenges and opportunities in the Heritage Tourism sector,” said D K Aggarwal, Sr. Vice President, PHDCCI. ... Read more

Emirates Flight Training Academy (EFTA), the world class flight training facility developed by Emirates, and the National Aviation Academy (TAYARAN), a not-for-profit vocational training institute in Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to share their expertise and jointly promote their training programmes and exchange cadets pilots and aircraft maintenance technicians in training between the two academies. The MoU was signed by Captain Abdulla Al Hammadi, Vice President Emirates Flight Training Academy and Mohammed T Al Subaie, Director General of the National Aviation Academy, in the presence of HRH Prince Faisal Bin Bandar, Governor of Riyadh ... Read more

Sheraton Hotels & Resorts, Marriott International’s most global brand continues its transformation journey with a nod to its timeless pioneering legacy, as it unveils a new logo that pays homage to its past and depicts its vision for the future. The new design reflects the brand’s holistic vision for the future, making Sheraton the central gathering place of communities around the world, welcoming guests and locals into a public space that embodies the modern town square vibe. “The logo’s evolution reflects the renewed energy and firm commitment we are making to our owners and guests to the resurgence of this ... Read more

Al Noor Island, one of Sharjah’s premier tourist and leisure destinations, is hosting the last leg of a month-long celebration of live oral tradition as part of the third edition of its International Storytelling Festival – Tales on the Island. To conclude on March 16, 2019, this one-of-a-kind cultural festival for children and adults themed ‘Stories: A Treasure of Words’, has featured a stellar cast of 15 storytellers and theatrical performers representing 10 nationalities. On its concluding weekend (March 15–16), seven critically-acclaimed storytellers, Sara Kasir from Lebanon, Michael Harvey from the UK, Katie Knutson from the USA, Martina Pisciali from ... Read more

#VisaFreeAfrica (VFA) has recently introduced the 55 Voices for a Visa Free Africa (55Voices4Africa) writing competition, inviting all African youth to share stories about the challenges they faced with intra-continent travel. VFA is a global campaign to facilitate mobility in Africa driven by the Kigali Global Shapers in partnership with National Aviation Services (NAS), the fastest growing aviation services provider in the emerging markets. Kigali Global Shapers, a community whose vision is to create a platform that engages with the youth to inspire innovation and change launched the writing competition to build further awareness on the important of achieving a ... Read more

The Royal Coronation Ceremony for His Majesty King Maha Vajiralongkorn, a historic event in Thailand, will take place between May 4 and 6. It is an ancient traditional practice, dating back to over a century ago, to celebrate the accession to the throne of the King of Thailand. “On the fourth of May, a time to celebrate not only by the Thais but from the world, His Majesty King Maha Vajiralongkorn will be officially crowned as King Rama the tenth of the Chakri dynasty, according to traditions governing the monarchy,” said Weerasak Kowsurat, Minister of Tourism and Sports, Thailand. The earliest ... Read more

Ahead of World Sleep Day, Westin Hotels & Resorts around the world are today recognizing the power of #JOMO. In lockstep with a growing global demand for well-being and an increased awareness of the value of self-care, Westin will reward guests who find the ‘Joy of Missing Out’ and take time back for extra sleep, exercise or a break from technology. “JOMO is an extension of Westin’s commitment to make it easy for travelers to reclaim their well-being routine while on the road. The brand has been rooted in wellness since the game-changing debut of the Westin Heavenly Bed nearly 20 ... Read more

WTA’s Secretary-General, Liu Shijun and Dr Martin Buck, Senior Vice President, Travel & Logistics Messe Berlin Messe Berlin has been officially awarded membership of the World Tourism Alliance (WTA), the first global non-governmental, nonprofit tourism organization, established in China on 12 September 2017. Members of the WTA include national tourism associations, influential tourism enterprises, academic institutes and other institutions from around the world. ITB China is an international Messe Berlin spin-off and set to take place from 15 to 17 May in Shanghai for the third time. The partnership will help strengthen the communication between the global and Chinese travel industry. Through ... Read more

The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) Dubai & Middle East Office, in association with Royal Thai Embassy in Manama, Bahrain and The Gulf Hotel, Bahrain and Gulf Air, will launch Thai Festival 2019 on March 26 at The Gulf Hotel, Bahrain. The EATHAI VISITHAI 2019 promotion will run from March 26 to April 25, 2019 and will see the city come to life as people celebrate Thai culture and cuisine with incredible discounts on offer at 13 of Bahrain’s finest dining establishments. The participating venues will showcase their appetizing special Thai dishes with tasting and a live cooking show at ... Read more