Category: News

In what can be called a big relief to Indians, the UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) has announced an extension of the Super Priority Visa service (SPV) to Pune and Bengaluru. The new announcement means more Indians would be able to get a decision on their visa in less than 24 hours. SPV is an optional service for customers in India who need to travel to the UK urgently. The facility is available in five cities with Pune and Bengaluru adding to the already existing centres in Delhi, Chennai and Mumbai. SPV applications are assessed to exactly the same high ... Read more

Los Angeles Tourism & Convention Board launches ‘L.A. Insider,’ a online training tool for travel trade professionals in the Middle East. The mobile and tablet-friendly programme is the first of its kind for L.A. Tourism. The programme, developed by TravPRO, has been designed to help travel trade better sell the city and stay up-to-date with its latest offerings. A record 48.3 million tourists visited L.A. in 2017, and is expected to reach 50 million by 2020. “We’re proud to launch such an advanced training programme, one that will help our clients discover L.A. like an insider and sell L.A. like an expert. ... Read more

Okinawa, an island destination located in Japan, is facing an outbreak of measles, ahead of the summer holidays. As per the government data, over 65 infections were registered within a span of one month. Meanwhile, hoteliers have received over 170 cancellations from inbound and outbound travellers. The epidemic began to spread after a Taiwanese man was consulted with the airborne disease on 20th March. However, the Okinawa authorities are providing vaccination programmes to the visitors. In 2015, the World Health Organization announced Japan free of measles with strong health policies. Also, most of the hoteliers in the hospitality industry expressed ... Read more

Emirates has unveiled its new Boeing 777-300ER First Class Private Suite exhibit at the Arabian Travel Market 2018 (ATM), the region’s leading travel and tourism exhibition will run from 22 – 25 April. The Emirates stand will offer visitors a chance to experience the airline’s recently-launched products and service enhancements. The game changing, fully enclosed First Class private suites on exhibit have floor to ceiling sliding doors, soft leather seating, high-tech control panels and mood lighting. Incorporating cutting-edge technology, the suites also feature several world-firsts, including: ‘virtual windows’ using real-time fibre-optic camera technology, a NASA inspired ‘zero-gravity’ seating position, and ... Read more

Emirates, the world’s largest international airline, bagged four awards at the World Travel Awards Middle East 2018 winning – Middle East’s Leading Airline, Middle East’s Leading Airline Brand, Middle East’s Leading Business Class Airport Lounge and Middle East’s Leading Cabin Crew titles. The red carpet ceremony was attended by more than 500 industry leading figures and professionals from across the Middle East. Khalid Al Serkal, Emirates’ District Manager Sharjah received the awards on behalf of the airline. “It is an honour to be recognised by the World Travel Awards Middle East 2018 for our ongoing efforts to continually enhance the ... Read more

New York City, as part of initialising the green protocol, is about to ban cars from entering to their most esteemed Manhattan Central Park. The 843 acre Central Park was established in 1857 and was designed by architect Frederick Law Olmsted and landscape designer Calvert Vaux. However, vehicles can encircle the nearby pathway of the park within the specific lanes in West Drive, Terrace Drive and Center Drive. The new law is as part of reducing air pollution and traffic accidents, that will come into effect on 27th June. “This was not the purpose of this park, to be built ... Read more

The Etihad Airways stand at the Arabian Travel Market 2018 in Dubai hosts humanoid robot Sophia, the AI-powered robot who is famous for its speech at the UN and interviewing celebrities and world leaders alike. Sophia was named the United Nations Development Programme’s first ever Innovation Champion for Asia and the Pacific, and is also the first robot in the world to have a nationality, after being granted citizenship by Saudi Arabia. Sophia will take part in a one-on-one interview with host Damian Watson, head of station at Abu Dhabi Media Company, to discuss the future of innovation and technology in ... Read more

An earthquake measuring over 3.7 on the Richter scale shook Gujarat, with Sardar Sarovar Dam located in the Narmada dam being the epicentre. According to media reports, the exact location of the quake was developed 38 km east of the Narmada dam, by around 4.56 pm on Saturday. Institute of Seismological Research (ISR) following the incident has reviled that the current epicentre has a calibre to produce over 6.5 magnitude quake. Back in 1970, a 5.4 magnitude quake was felt at Bharuch with Narmada rift being an active quake zone. Meanwhile, it was the fourth consecutive earthquake in the state ... Read more

With the recent engine explosion in the Southwest Airlines of the US, Jet Airways is planning to initialize a thorough investigation on its similar 737 engines. A warning has been issued by the US and European aviation authorities to avoid any such consequences within the faulty CFM56-7B engines. Meanwhile, a faulty CFM56-7B engine explosion from a Southwest Boeing aircraft which was on its way from Newyork to Dallas, killed one of the passengers as the fan blade hit from the side window. “Received the latest Emergency Airworthiness Directives from the FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) and EASA (European Aviation Safety Agency) ... Read more

Dubai’s Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM) has launched Tourism 2.0, a blockchain-enabled marketplace that connects potential buyers directly to hotels and tour operators. The initiative, which is DTCM’s contribution to Dubai 10X, will further the department’s mission to establish Dubai as the leading destination for global travel, business and events by 2020. His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, Chairman of the Dubai Executive Council and Chairman of Dubai Future Foundation’s Board of Trustees, launched the bold plan, among a host of innovative proposals for Dubai 10X at the 6th World ... Read more

The newly revised liquor policy by the state government in Kerala has reflected an increase in tourist arrival in Kerala. According to the recent data released by the Kerala Tourism. Ernakulam has been spotted with a notable change in the number of arrivals. Furthermore, it is a good news for the industry, as the overall revenue generation by the hotel industry also grew pretty well. The Minister for Co-operation, Tourism and Devaswom, Kadakampally Surendran has pointed out that the positive change is as part of the liquor policy reversal, which further reflected in the MICE tourism (Meetings, Incentives, Conferencing, Exhibitions) ... Read more

The American multinational Hotel operators Hyatt is all about to open the Grand Hyatt Kochi at the picturesque Bolgatty Island in Ernakulam. The property, worth over ₹1,800 crore, is spread across 26 acres. The 1,30,000sq ft Lulu Bolgatty International Convention Centre nearby is expected to take Kochi to next level by capitalizing the MICE tourism potential of Kerala. The hotel made with a fusion of Arabic, Dutch and Portuguese architecture is aimed to focus international travellers on a huge extent. The convention center, capable of hosting 6,000 people at a time, is among the biggest in the country. The hotel ... Read more

Liga Skromane, the Latvian tourist who has been missing from Thiruvananthapuram, is believed to be dead. Liga’s sister Ilze has identified her body and the dresses the foreign tourist was wearing at the time she was missing. But, the police is yet to confirm the death as the bosy was spotted in a putrified state. The head of the body was found lying away from the rest of it, in a marshy spot. The police department will conduct a forensic examination, including DNA sample matching to confirm that the body is that of the 33-year-old foreigners’. The body, which is assumed ... Read more

West Indies international cricketer Christopher Henry Gayle, also known as Chris Gayle acknowledges, that the secret behind his comeback is through practising yoga. Over the last couple of IPL seasons at Bangalore Royal Challengers, he was seen as the elephant in the room, leaving everyone clueless about the cricketer’s form out. At a time when he was almost being ignored by many, that Virender Sehwag, invited Gayle to Kings XI Punjab’s at a price of Rs 2 crore. It was the moment of truth, that just saved Gayle’s IPL career. “A lot of people thought I’m too old. After this innings, ... Read more

The long-awaited Islamabad International Airport (IIA) is all set to begin operations for international and domestic flights on May 3, replacing the old Benazir Bhutto International Airport in twin city of Rawalpindi. Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi is expected to formally inaugurate the airport. IIA is Pakistan’s largest international airport, designed for up to 15 million passengers annually in the first phase, and up to 25 million in future. Spread over 19 square kilometres, the new, Y-shaped airport is located 30km from the heart of Islamabad’s business centre, Blue Area. It will be Pakistan’s first airport to accommodate the double-deck Airbus ... Read more