Category: News

Getting on the top listing on TripAdvisor had always been a difficult task for hoteliers and they had to heavily bank on the user reviews to find a top place in the travel review site. Hoteliers no longer need to rely on the user reviews and competitive rates, you can now buy a top spot with TripAdvisor launching Sponsored Placements. TripAdvisor has officially launched the paid hotel placements following a three-month beta period.Access to Sponsored Placements is available to all accommodation providers with an active Business Advantage subscription and who share rates and availability through TripAdvisor. The new advertising subscription will complement ... Read more

Kenya, the paradise of wildlife-safari, located on the eastern coast of the African continent, has launched a national level programme, to equip indigenous tourism product managers and sales representatives to sell travel skills online. The Kenya Tourism Board (KTB) has associated with  Google, mobile operator Safaricom, marketing society of Kenya, Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS), Tourism Finance Corporation and KTB’s online consultant for the launch of the programme. “KTB will work with the identified partners to engage players in the tourism and travel sector and show them how to utilize the internet to their advantage, said Betty Radier, KTB Managing Director. ... Read more

Saudi Arabia is all set to host its first fashion week from April 10 to 14 at the Ritz Cartlon in Riyadh. The four-day event will feature local Arab designers and European brand names including Roberto Cavalli and Jean Paul Gaultier. “Since the initial announcement made in February, Arab Fashion Week Riyadh has garnered significant interest from international guests wanting to attend,” said Layla Issa Abuzaid, the country director for Saudi Arabia at the Arab Fashion Council. The event, which was scheduled to be held in February, got postponed “to accommodate all the international guests who had applied to attend,” said ... Read more

Birth tourism is the common term used for travelling to another country for the plan of giving birth. It is one of the oldest, as well as, trending forms of tourism that enhances the possibility of getting citizenship in a more advanced country. Meanwhile, in Africa this old form of tourism is getting popularity as many of the underdeveloped countries lacks basic facilities for growing up a child. Also, most of the European countries discourage birth tourism and has passed strong laws behind the citizenship laws. Birth tourism also requires financial assistance, as it would cost between $25,000 and $60,000 ... Read more

Flipkart has announced its tie-up with MakeMyTrip for travel bookings. Through the partnership, users can now make travel bookings through MakeMyTrip’s services using Flipkart’s mobile application. The partnership will be rolled out with domestic flight bookings in the next few weeks, followed by hotels, bus, and holiday bookings. “The partnership will help us reach out to an even wider consumer base through MakeMyTrip’s multiple travel booking sites — MakeMyTrip, Goibibo and redBus — and open up the online travel market significantly,” said the founder and Group Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of MakeMyTrip Deep Kalra. The companies did not disclose the ... Read more

Rove Hotels has launched the 5th property in its budget brand of “lifestyle hotels” in Dubai with rooms under Dh 300 a night. Part of Emaar Hospitality Group, Rove Dubai Marina will be opening its doors on April 7. The rooms will be charged Dh282 per night including taxes in July, and from about Dh400 including taxes at busier times. The hotel, located on Marina Promenade at the southern end of Dubai Marina, has a 24-hour gym, pool, sundeck, a restaurant, meeting spaces and free self-parking and Wi-Fi. A buffet breakfast at the Rove Dubai Marina costs Dh55 and is free for ... Read more

Every Sunday until Ramadan, Wafi Mall’s rooftop will open the city’s first outdoor Bollywood cinema. The open air cinema will serve Indian street food and also features a bar. Some of Bollywood’s all-time favourite blockbusters including 3Idiots, Lagaan, Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara and Bhaag Milkha Bhaag will be screened in the cinema over the weeks. Organisers have partnered with Asha’s restaurant in Wafi Mall to provide a selection of Indian street food, with a bar featuring unique movie-themed beverages. Tickets are Dh70 per person, and include a small masala popcorn and one drink. A luxurious VIP package includes sofa seating and a three-course meal ... Read more

The newly imposed 28 per cent tax on luxury hotels in India, is a burden for most of the global hoteliers, as it would affect the future development plans of the brands. Major hotel brands have raised their concerns, at Hotel Investment Conference-South Asia (HICSA), that India is one of the immense taxed counties in the world. “It is a singular tax so it makes it easy to do business. But, in relation to the quantum of the tax, it makes it one of the highest taxes in the world on travel. In terms of the quantum of the tax ... Read more

Emirates have launched their spring flight deals. Now, passengers can fly from London to Dubai from £319 this April. Alongside the London Airport, the airline is offering cheap flights from Manchester, Glasgow, Birmingham and Newcastle. Alongside flights to Dubai, the airline is offering discounts on flights to Vietnam, Malaysia and Australia. Between April and June, customers can secure cheap flights from a wide variety of UK airports. An economy class return ticket to Dubai from London Gatwick or Stansted starts at £319 when flying between 3 April and 14 June. From either Manchester Birmingham, Newcastle or Glasgow, a flight to Dubai with ... Read more

After the successful introduction of Pink line, there comes the good news for the natives of South Delhi, Noida and West Delhi as the new magenta lines would connect all in one stretch. A half portion of the new project is currently in service connecting Botanical Garden and Kalkaji Mandir. The other half Kalkaji – Janakpuri West is nearing completion, which would be opened to public this month, after the final inspection from the railway officials. The new Magenta line will connect over 25 stations out of which 15 underground and 10 on-bridge. The stations are located at south Delhi ... Read more

File photo An earthquake of magnitude 6.2 strikes the island of Mindanao in Philippines. There were no immediate reports of casualties or damage from the quake, which hit at a depth of 61 km (38 miles), about 128 km (80 miles) east of the island’s key city of Davao.  

McDonald’s is giving away free cups of coffee till March 9 between 5 am and 3 pm every day. You don’t need to buy scores of food/drinks to avail this offer. Just walk-in to any of the McDonald’s outlets in Dubai between the said time and claim your coffee. The offer is running in all McDonald’s branches in Dubai except at airports and KidZania. Since the deal is not available on McDelivery, you have to visit the store to get your free coffee. McDonald’s has almost 162 stores across the UAE.

Istanbul, the largest city in Turkey, is coming up with a giant airport complex, worth over $12.3 billion. The new engineering marvel on finalization would become a new world-class aviation hub, that connects over 350 destinations with 100 airline fleet. 80 per cent  of the structure is completed and is scheduled to launch on 29th October 2018. The airport authority has installed world’s smartest LED lighting system for the runways, that consist of over 34,183 LED lights. It also hosts a 24X7 dedicated cargo transportation department. According to media reports, the passenger capacity of the airport would be around 90 million, ... Read more

A Jodhpur court today convicted Salman Khan in the 1998 blackbuck killing case. His ‘Hum Saath Saath Hain’ co-stars, Saif Ali Khan, Tabu, Sonali Bendre, Neelam were acquitted . Chief Judicial Magistrate Dev Kumar Khatri pronounced the verdict in the case that had been going on for 20 years. Salman was accused of killing two blackbucks on October 2, 1998 in Kankani village in Jodhpur during the shooting of “Hum Saath Saath Hain”. The trial of the case has been in progress for the last 20 years. Salman was facing charges under Section 51 of the Wildlife (Protection) Act. The ... Read more

Picture for representational purpose The state government of West Bengal is planning to implement tourism kiosks in as many as 49 helpdesks or kiosks, which would come up at different locations, right from the prominent tourist destinations to important transit points. The kiosks are set up to assist tourists with information necessary during his/her tour. Tourists often face inconvenience in getting information about accommodation, transport and tourist sights of attraction. They will have to bank on cab drivers or local residents. It is in this context that the government has decided to set up kiosks to ensure that they get relevant ... Read more