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Air India to offer Hajj flights from seven cities
Mark Elliott	 Aug 17, 2015
Air India has announced that it will operate special Hajj pilgrimage flights from seven Indian airports. The national carrier will offer direct services to the Saudi Arabian city of…
AirAsia to connect KL with Goa
AirAsia will launch its first international flights to Goa this month. Commencing on 27 August, the low-cost carrier will operate three weekly flights between Kuala Lumpur…
Dubai Tourism aggressively promotes its 2015-16 cruise season
In an effort to boost cruise passenger numbers from the India market, Dubai Cruise Tourism conducted a four-city roadshow in the sub-continent. The road show highlighted the emirate…
SpiceJet flies back into the black
Mark Elliott	 Aug 6, 2015
Indian low-cost carrier SpiceJet, which was on the verge of collapse last year, has surged back to profit in the first quarter of its 2015-16 financial year. The Delhi-based airline…
Thomas Cook India offers online visa service
Thomas Cook India has started offering a new online visa service for its customers. The new service provides travellers with visa information via the Thomas Cook India website, including…
Lufthansa upgrades F&B in long-haul business class
Lufthansa has started rolling its new 'Restaurant Service' F&B concept for business class passengers on long-haul flights. Effective this month, premium passengers on Lufthansa's…
Air Canada welcomes first extended Dreamliner
Air Canada has taken delivery of its first Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner, the extended version of the new long-haul aircraft. The national carrier took delivery of its first smaller B787-8…
India to fund yoga tourism
Mark Elliott	 Jul 31, 2015
India will develop its yoga and meditation facilities as a means of boosting tourism. The country's Minister of Tourism, Culture & Civil Aviation, Dr Mahesh Sharma, said this week…
Qatar Airways "only interested in IndiGo"
Qatar Airways has said that it is not considering investing in Indian low-cost carrier SpiceJet, but is talking to IndiGo. The Doha-based carrier issued the statement this week in…
SpiceJet allows passengers pay in instalments
SpiceJet has launched a new scheme allowing passengers to pay for their fares in instalments. Under new 'Book Now, Pay Later' initiative, the Delhi-based airline will offer customers…
Jet Airways boosts domestic network with multiple flights
Jet Airways is expanding its domestic network with the addition of new flights to multiple Indian destinations. The expansion has already commenced, with the addition of new daily…
India e-visa applicants jump 956%
The number of tourists visiting India on electronic tourist visas (e-visas) surged 956% in the first half of 2015, following the expansion of the scheme. The government of India…
British Airways deploys Dreamliners to UAE and Oman
British Airways will soon take delivery of its first Boeing 787-9 aircraft in 2015 with UAE, Oman and Delhi routes to be served. The airline has announced that the new Boeing 787-9…
Sheraton debuts in Hyderabad
Starwood Hotels & Resorts has launched its first Sheraton hotel in Hyderabad. The new Sheraton Hyderabad Hotel is located in the city's financial district and adjacent to the…
BA reveals 787-9 route plans
Gemma Greenwood	 Jul 15, 2015
British Airways is set to take delivery of its first Boeing 787-9 aircraft in 2015 with the UAE, Oman and Delhi routes among the first to welcome the Dreamliner. The airline has…
IATA calls on Indian government to help aviation
IATA has called on the Indian government to do more to help the country's aviation sector. The airline association believes that a "comprehensive policy" for aviation needs to be…
Tourism Boards
Tourism can be "backbone" of Indian economy – minister
The tourism industry has the potential to become the "backbone of the Indian economy", according to Dr Mahesh Sharma, the country's Minister for Tourism, Culture & Civil Aviation.…
India welcomes 3.8m visitors in first half
India's tourism industry continued to rise in the first half 2015, albeit at a slower pace than in 2014. According to the latest figures from India's Ministry of Tourism, the country…
Air Canada flies Dreamliner to Brisbane
Mark Elliott	 Jul 9, 2015
Air Canada will launch a direct service between Vancouver and Brisbane next year, using its new Boeing 787 Dreamliner. Commencing on 17 June 2016, the route will initially operate…
New Indian airline cleared for launch
India will soon have another new airline, after the country's aviation authorities awarded an operating licence to Turbo Megha Airways. Operating under the Trujet brand, Turbo Megha…
Air India welcomes 21st Dreamliner
Air India has taken delivery of its 21st Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft. The new twin-aisle jet touched down at New Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport on 28 June 2015,…
Geneva the world's most expensive hotel dining destination
Aaron Greenwood	 Jun 25, 2015
Geneva has once again topped a list of the world's most expensive destinations for hotel dining. The Club Sandwich Index (CSI), published by Hotels.com, found the Swiss city is not…
Kolkata tourism to get a boost with SriLankan-Mihin Lanka code share
Mark Elliott	 Jun 19, 2015
SriLankan Airlines recently announced a code share agreement with Mihin Lanka for the operations of flights between Kolkata and Colombo. With commencement of the new code share with…
Mumbai deemed most expensive city in India
A recent survey by Mercer's 'Cost of Living Survey 2015′ has deemed Mumbai the most expensive city in India and is ranked above Dallas, Frankfurt and Vancouver, as reported in Feonline.…
Face‑to‑Face
Bhutan on the radar for British travellers
Gemma Greenwood	 Jun 18, 2015
Welcome to the country that officially recognises Gross National Happiness over GDP How is Bhutan performing in terms of UK visitor numbers? What are the projections for 2015?…
Vistara commences service to Bengaluru
Vistara has announced its intent to introduce two daily flights connecting Bengaluru to New Delhi and Mumbai. The airline's inaugural flight from New Delhi to Bengaluru will take off…
Air India seeks US pre-clearance
In light of growing popularity of US destinations and rising competition from Etihad-Jet, Air India has put forth its requisition to the external ministry. The request is to deploy a…
Emirates opens Japan lounge
Emirates recently announced the opening of its 38th dedicated lounge at Terminal 2 of Narita International Airport. The new lounge at Narita International Airport is the first…
Airports & Aviation
Emergency landing at Agartala airport
The Agartala airport recently witnessed the emergency landing of a Chinese jet with nine people on board, as reported by ANI. The emergency was due to engine technical difficulties.…
Kailash Mansarovar Yatris flagged off
The first batch of Kailash Mansarovar Yatris was recently flagged off by external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj, as reported by ANI. The travellers will travel through the Nathu La…
德里机场出现技术小故障
根据经济时报报道,近日,在印度德里英迪拉·甘地国际机场发生了移民局技术鼓掌,导致许多乘客的行程受到延误。 根据机场官员的说法,该技术鼓掌导致移民局的电脑系统关闭。 这一技术鼓掌影响了上千的乘客。许多乘客既无法合理出关,也无法进入印度。有关官员正在调查此事故。
Myles expands its self-drive service
Myles has recently announced its intent to expand its presence across 10 airports in India. The airports covered are namely Delhi, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Chennai, Mumbai, Pune, Vizag,…
Air Canada launches new routes
Gemma Greenwood	 Jun 7, 2015
Air Canada has further expanded its global network with the launch of direct services from Amsterdam to Toronto and Montreal to Mexico City. "The addition of Amsterdam to our global…
AirAsia moves into northeast India
Mark Elliott	 Jun 5, 2015
AirAsia India has launched a new route connecting two cities in the country's northeast. The low-cost carrier has commenced services between Guwahati, the largest city in the state of…
St Regis to debut in India
Starwood Hotels & Resorts will launch its luxury St Regis brand in India later this year. The existing Palladium Hotel in Mumbai is currently undergoing a rebranding and will be…
Oman Tourism tours India
Ministry of Tourism, Oman has conducted multi-city roadshows in India in a bid to promote the Sultanate in the country. Commencing in Chennai, the roadshow was also conducted in…
Oman Tourism conducts multi-city roadshow in India
Oman's Ministry of Tourism recently conducted a roadshow in India, meeting the country's travel trade in four cities. Events were held in Chennai, Bengaluru, Delhi and Mumbai, and…
Abu Dhabi International Airport's busiest summer ever
Mark Elliott	 May 31, 2015
Abu Dhabi International Airport is readying itself for its busiest ever summer. It is scheduled to note 1,504 flights departing from the UAE capital each week, 22% more than in the…
SIA unveils A380 for Golden Jubilee
Singapore Airlines has unveiled a special aircraft livery to celebrate Singapore's Golden Jubilee. The new paintwork has been rolled out on two of the airline's Airbus A380 aircraft,…
Golden Tulip expands in India
Golden Tulip Hotels has continued to expand its footprint in India with the launch of a new property in Noida, near Delhi. The new Golden Tulip Vasundhara is positioned as a…
New tourism school launches in Noida
A new tourism and hospitality school has opened in Noida, near Delhi. The new school forms part of the Asian Academy of Film & Television (AAFT) and will offer undergraduate and…
India plans year-long series of commemorative events
The Indian government has unveiled plans to hold a year-long series of celebrations to commemorate some of the country's leading historical figures. The country's National…
Air Arabia expands Indian payment options
Air Arabia has started allowing passengers to pay for flights using Indian debit cards and online banking services. Customers from India can already book the UAE-based low-cost…
Jet Airways offers seat selection via travel agents
Jet Airways has extended its seat selection service to the travel trade. This new offering will enable passengers to pre-select their seat when making a flight reservation via an…
SpiceJet celebrates 10th anniversary
SpiceJet will celebrate its 10th anniversary tomorrow. The low-cost carrier launched its first commercial flight between New Delhi and Ahmedabad on 23 May 2005. And despite some…
Singapore Airlines previews $80m revamp of Premium Economy
Aaron Greenwood	 May 21, 2015
Singapore Airlines has unveiled its new Premium Economy Class seats and the in-flight offerings that customers will enjoy when the new cabin class enters service in August. The…
Singapore Airlines unveils new premium economy cabins
Singapore Airlines has unveiled its new premium economy seats and cabin features, ahead of the launch of the new travel class this August. Following a two-year development programme…
Air India starts flying to West Bengal's new airport
Air India has become the first airline to launch commercial operations at the new Kazi Nazrul Islam Airport in West Bengal. The inaugural flight, operated by Air India's regional…
Vistara launches flights to Lucknow
Vistara launched its first ever flight to Lucknow on 18 May. The new service from Delhi to the capital of Uttar Pradesh, India's most populous state, will initially operate daily,…
India, Japan plan to restore Nepal's cultural heritage
A Japanese delegation arrived in India recently to discuss the restoration of Nepal's cultural heritage following the recent earthquake. Led by Kentaro Sonoura, Japan's Vice Minister…
SpiceJet adds more flights for summer season
SpiceJet has announced plans to mount additional flights to four Indian destinations for the summer season. The Delhi-based low-cost carrier will increase the frequency of its service…
3月印度航空运输量增加18%
印度国内航空运输量在今年3月继续上涨。 国际航空运输协会最新发布的数据显示,今年3月印度的航空旅客运输量(根据客运周转量衡量)比去年同期上涨17.9%。 与此结果相比,印度的航空公司只多增加了5.2%的可使用座位,所以现在的平均载客率是非常健康的80.3%。 国际航空运输协会表示,持续的运输量增长是因为当地航空对市场的不断刺激,以及不断增长的经济实力。…
Indian air traffic jumped 18% in March
India's domestic air traffic continued to surge in March 2015. According to the latest data from the International Air Transport Association (IATA), the country's passenger traffic…
Indian tourism slowdown continues
Mark Elliott	 May 9, 2015
The growth of international visitor arrivals to India continued to decelerate in April 2015. According to the latest data from the country's Ministry of Tourism, just 540,000 overseas…
Macau commands Asia's highest hotel rates – study
Macau has emerged as the destination with highest hotel rates in Asia Pacific, according to a new report. The HRS Hotel Price Radar for the first quarter of 2015 found that Macau…
Uniworld unveils new river cruise itineraries in India
Uniworld Boutique River Cruise Collection has released its 2016 brochure, which, for the first time, includes itineraries in India. Alongside its existing collection of river cruises…
River cruise operator adds India to 2015-16 itinerary
Aaron Greenwood	 May 7, 2015
Uniworld Boutique River Cruise Collection has released its 2016 Preview Boutique River Cruises and Journeys Brochure, which includes 30 itineraries across Europe, Russia, Egypt, Asia and for…
Park Hotel Group appoints rep for US, India
Singapore's Park Hotel Group is aiming to extend its sales and marketing reach with the appointment of a new general sales agent (GSA) for the US and India. From this month onwards,…
Vistara adds Lucknow and Bengaluru
Mark Elliott	 Apr 26, 2015
New Indian airline Vistara has continued its rapid domestic growth, with the announcement of the launch of two new destinations: Lucknow and Bengaluru. Bookings are now open for the…
India's visa-on-arrival scheme accounts for 3% of visits
Just 3.3% of visitors to India used the country's new electronic visa-on-arrival (VOA) system in the first quarter of 2015. According to the latest official data, India's airports…
Malaysia Airlines cuts Kochi flights
Malaysia Airlines will cancel its Kuala Lumpur-Kochi route as part of a major cost-cutting programme. In the latest stage of the airline's 12-point Recovery Plan, which was outlined…
Indian arrivals climb 3% in Q1
International visitor arrivals to India continued to climb in the first quarter of 2015. New figures released by the country's Ministry of Tourism show that India welcomed a total of…
Air India starts flying to Puducherry
Air India has launched a new route to the southern coastal city of Puducherry. The new service links Bengaluru with the Union Territory and former French enclave, which was formerly…
Air India adds new link to Andaman Islands
Air India has enhanced connectivity to the remote Andaman & Nicobar Islands, with the launch of a new service to the archipelago's largest town, Port Blair. The new flights will…
Vistara touches down in Pune
Vistara has continued its Indian expansion with the launch of flights to Pune. The inaugural flight from Delhi to the Maharashtra city took off on Thursday 9 April and Vistara will…
JW Marriott arrives at Mumbai Airport
Mark Elliott	 Apr 9, 2015
Marriott has continued its expansion in India with the launch of its second luxury JW Marriott hotel in Mumbai. The JW Marriott Mumbai Sahar is a brand new property located just one…
Indian Tourism Ministry meets with states for new national policy
The Indian Ministry of Tourism has held a meeting with state authorities regarding the formulation of the country's new National Tourism Policy. Dr Mahesh Sharma, India's Minister for…
Radisson Red prepares for Indian expansion
Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group has announced plans to roll out its new Radisson Red brand in India. The company said this week that its new upscale lifestyle hotel concept would be…
India showcase for Ajman Palace Hotel
The Indian travel industry will soon get a glimpse of the Ajman Palace Hotel. The hospitality group will participate in a road show in India from 5-9 April showcasing the facilities…
Oman Air touches down in Goa
Oman Air has launched a brand new service to the Indian resort enclave of Goa. The new service, which was first announced in January 2015, touched down in Goa for the first time on 29…
Indian air traffic surge continues
Indian airlines have continued to experience strong demand for domestic flights in 2015. According to the latest data from the International Air Transport Association (IATA), Indian…
India could bid for Olympics
India is considering making a bid for the 2024 Olympics, it has been revealed. According to local media reports, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is keen on attracting the world's biggest…
Vistara flies to northeast India
Vistara has launched its first ever flights to India's northeast. On 2 April 2015, the Delhi-based carrier commenced daily services to Guwahati, in the state of Assam, and Bagdogra,…
Jet connects more Indian cities with Abu Dhabi
Jet Airways has enhanced its links with Abu Dhabi, with the launch of three new routes to the UAE capital. On 29 March 2015, the Indian carrier launched new services to Abu Dhabi from…
Air India denies hijacking reports
Mark Elliott	 Mar 29, 2015
Air India has denied reports of a hijacking attempt on a flight from London. Flight AI 112 departed the UK capital's Heathrow Airport for a flight to New Delhi on 17 March 2015, and…
Indian wedding planners take fam trip to Thailand
Thirty major Indian wedding planners are visiting Thailand on a fam trip to learn more about the facilities the country has to offer. Organised by the Tourism Authority of Thailand…
Preferred unveils branding switch in India
Preferred Hotel Group has unveiled its new single brand concept in India. The hotel company's president & CEO, Lindsey Ueberroth, attended an event at Le Cirque The Leela Palace…
airberlin gets trade sales boost in India
airberlin will be able to increase its travel trade sales in India, having joined IATA's Billing & Settlement Plan (BSP) in the country. Participation in BSP India enables all…
UAE rolls out its India road show
The National Council for Tourism and Antiquities (NCTA) recently launched a road show in India. The initiative was rolled out to promote tourism to India and to provide special offers…
SAA expands in India with Etihad, Jet
South African Airways (SAA) will add several more destinations in India next month, following the launch of a new codeshare partnership with Etihad and Jet Airways. Effective 1 April…
Cricket World Cup drives Indians Down Under
The impact of the Cricket World Cup on Indian travel plans has been revealed by Wego.com. The travel search site has released data showing a spike in Indian searches for trips to…
Jet Airways adds more routes to Qatar
Jet Airways has introduced two new direct flights to Qatar. This week, the Indian carrier launched new routes from Thiruvananthapuram and Kozhikode to Doha. Both will operate three…
New air link connects India with provincial China
A new air route will be launched this year offering connections between India and China's Shandong province. According to the Xinhua news agency, Shandong Airlines will commence a new…
Shanghai, Jakarta lead hotel construction boom
Shanghai and Jakarta have more new hotel rooms under construction than any other city in the Asia Pacific region, a new report has revealed. In its latest Construction Pipeline Report…
Indian arrivals edge higher in February
International visitor arrivals to India continued to climb in February 2015, but at a slower rate than in previous months. The country welcomed a total of 761,000 overseas visitors…
Bhutan tourism continues to rise
Bhutan continued to emerge on the Asian tourism scene in 2014, as the country recorded a double-digit increase in visitor arrivals. The Himalayan kingdom attracted 133,480…
Air India celebrates Women's Day with all-female flights
Mark Elliott	 Mar 9, 2015
Air India has operated a series of all-female crewed flights to mark International Women's Day. On its international network, the national carrier operated all-female flights on the…
Indian women 'feel safe' travelling in their own country
Gemma Greenwood	 Mar 8, 2015
The majority of Indian women feel safe when travelling in their own country, but still prefer to travel in groups, according to a new survey. Launched to coincide with International…
Safety in numbers for Indian female travellers
The majority of Indian women feel safe when travelling in the country, but still prefer to travel in groups, according to a new survey. Launched to coincide with International Women's…
Vistara forays into northeast India
New Indian airline Vistara has unveiled plans for its first flights to the northeast of the country. On 2 April 2015, the Delhi-based carrier will commence daily services to Guwahati,…
Thailand's Onyx makes major play in India
Thailand's Onyx Hospitality Group has unveiled plans to enter India, , with at least 10 new properties expected to open in the coming years. The company has kicked off its Indian…
Vistara flies to Hyderabad
New Indian airline Vistara has launched a new service to Hyderabad. The new route commenced on 1 March 2015 and will now operate twice a daily direct from Delhi. One of the daily…
Oman Air boosts network in South Asia
Oman Air will continue to grow its South Asian network this year, with the addition of new services to Goa and Dhaka. The Middle Eastern carrier already operates flights to 17…
Jet Airways, Bangalore Airport partner for mobile boarding passes
Mark Elliott	 Feb 28, 2015
In a first of its kind initiative for the Indian aviation industry, Jet Airways and Bangalore International Airport Ltd (BIAL) have teamed up to test mobile boarding passes. The two…
Marriott brings Courtyard to Taj Mahal
Marriott International has expanded its Courtyard brand in India with the launch of its first property in Agra - the home of the Taj Mahal. Located within walking distance of the…
Air India adds 19th Dreamliner
Air India has taken delivery of its 19th Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft. The new twin-aisle jet touched down at New Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport on 24 February 2015,…
Thailand brings 2015 tourism campaign to India
Thailand has launched its new national tourism campaign in India. The '2015 Discover Thainess' campaign was unveiled to Indian audiences at the Thailand Trade Investment Tourism Road…
India's Smartairtrip.com raises US$10m
Indian online travel company, Smartairtrip.com, has raised US$10 million following the sale of a 10% stake in the company. The online travel company, which forms part of Delhi-based…
The latest industry appointments
SANDEEP VERMA has been announced as the new director of operations at The Claridges New Delhi. With a career spanning more than 18 years, Verma has previously worked with Taj Hotels, Jet…
"Make tourism affordable for common man," says Indian minister
India's Minister for Tourism & Culture, Dr Mahesh Sharma, has said that domestic tourism in the country "should be made affordable for the common man". Addressing a consultative…
South Africa targets India with new campaign
South African Tourism is aiming to attract more Indian travellers to the country with the launch of a new outdoor advertising campaign. Launched this month, the #MeetSouthAfrica…
Etihad arrives in Kolkata
Etihad Airways has launched a new service to the Indian city of Kolkata. Flights commenced on 15 February 2015, operating direct to the West Bengal capital from Abu Dhabi. Services…
Passenger opens door on Air India flight
An Air India flight was delayed last week, when a passenger opened one of the aircraft doors prior to take-off. The Economic Times reports that the Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft was…
India breaks ground on two tourism training institutes
Construction work has started on two major new tourism and hospitality institutes in India. The country's Minister of Tourism, Culture & Civil Aviation, Dr Mahesh Sharma, recently…
India's tourist arrivals rise 4% in January
Following a record year in 2014, tourist arrivals to India kept climbing in January 2015, albeit at a slower pace. According to the latest data from the country's Ministry of Tourism…
Air India unveils cricket-themed in-flight food
Mark Elliott	 Feb 8, 2015
To celebrate the start of the Cricket World Cup in Australia and Zealand, Air India is getting into the swing of things by introducing a new range of cricket-themed in-flight meals. Fancy…
India, Philippines discuss tourism tie-up
A tourism delegation from the Philippines arrived in India recently, to discuss future cooperation between the two countries. The Philippines' Tourism Minister, Ramon Jimenez Jr, met…
Dusit moves into Myanmar with D2 brand
Dusit International has unveiled plans for its first hotel in Myanmar. Scheduled to open in 2017, the dusitD2 Residence Yangon will form part of the Thai hotel group's contemporary D2…
OTAs & Tour Operators
Goway Travel unveils luxury India safari
Goway Travel has launched a new eight-day "luxury safari" in India. The travel company's 'Indian Wildlife Luxury Safari' itinerary takes guests from Delhi to the Panna National Park…
India to welcome SIA's new premium economy class
Singapore Airlines' has revealed that its new premium economy class will be made available on flights to Mumbai and Delhi. The two Indian cities form part of the initial roll-out of…
SIA's new premium economy class opens for booking
Singapore Airlines' new premium economy class is now available for booking. The new cabins will be launched on 9 August 2015 on select flights from Singapore to Sydney, before being…
Hyatt adds new Place in India
Hyatt has continued its recent growth in India with the launch of a new Hyatt Place hotel in the emerging city of Pune. Located at the Rajiv Gandhi Infotech Park, less than 150km from…
India surge for Abu Dhabi
As per recent statistics, Abu Dhabi welcomed 231,702 Indian hotel guests in 2014 at a growth rate of 32% over 2013. These guests delivered 850,443 guest nights, which is up 23%…
Jet boosts key domestic routes
Jet Airways will operate 16 additional daily domestic flights between now and 28 March 2015, to meet increased demand on key sectors. The carrier will put on additional early morning…
Indian tourism comes together at SATTE 2015
The Indian travel industry was on show at last week's SATTE 2015 event in New Delhi. With the Indian government promising a renewed focus on the tourism sector, multiple state…
E-ticketing introduced at Taj Mahal
Mark Elliott	 Jan 29, 2015
Visitors to the Taj Mahal will now be able to take advantage of a new e-ticketing service. The scheme was launched recently as part of the new Indian government's drive to modernise…
Yas Island bolsters its India presence
Yas Island is keen to boost its India presence. The destination management company will be participating at the South Asian Travel and Tourism Exhibition (SATTE) in New Delhi. As…
Vistara joins SIA's FFP
Vistara, the new Indian airline, has formed a new partnership with Singapore Airlines' frequent flyer programme. The arrangement will enable KrisFlyer members to earn miles when…
Hyatt plans Singapore's first Andaz hotel
Hyatt has announced plans to bring its Andaz hotel brand to Singapore for the first time. The company has signed a management contract with M+S Pte Ltd to develop an Andaz hotel in the…
Etihad retimes US flights for better South Asian connections
Etihad Airways has announced a number of changes to its North American flight schedules, intended to enable more convenient connections for passengers in the Indian sub-continent.…
India's expanded visa scheme takes off
The expansion of India's tourist visa-on-arrival (VoA) scheme in November 2014 has already produced results, with massive increase in terms of VoAs issued in December 2014. In total,…
Air India Dreamliner makes unscheduled landing
One of Air India's new fleet of Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft was forced to make an unscheduled landing in Budapest on Thursday evening, due to a technical problem. The aircraft was…
Vistara flies to Goa and Hyderabad
Vistara, the new Indian airline, will expand its network with the launch of new routes to Goa and Hyderabad. The Delhi-based full-service airline launched its first flights on 9…
Macau opens new tourism office in India
The Macau Government Tourist Office (MGTO) will open a new representative office in India this month. Following a representative recruitment drive launched in 2014, MGTO selected VFS…
JAL rolls out new Dreamliner cabins on international routes
Japan Airlines will roll out new aircraft and cabin products across a series of international routes this year. From June 2015, the airline will start deploying its new fleet of…
Emirates upgrades Kolkata service
Emirates has announced two enhancements to its Kolkata service that will offer more travel options for passengers. On 29 March 2015 the airline will add a 13th weekly flight on the…
Cockpit fight delays Air India flight
An Air India flight was delayed after a fight broke out between the pilot and an engineer in the cockpit. According to reports, an argument developed over technical issues and the…
Extra baggage limit for Air India Express Oman flights
Air India Express has announced enhanced Free Baggage Allowance (FBA) of 30 kilogrammes for all passengers travelling from Muscat and Salalah to its Indian destinations until March 11.…
Struggling SpiceJet given lifeline
SpiceJet, the struggling Indian low-cost carrier, has been offered a lifeline by its founder, Ajay Singh. Singh, who sold a large stake in SpiceJet to Kalanidhi Maran in 2010, has now…
India drives growth in Asian airport traffic
Airports in the Asia Pacific region continued to record rising passenger numbers in November 2014, driven by rising traffic in India. According to the latest data from Airports…
Air India flies direct to Vijayawada
Air India has increased the number of flights it operates to Andhra Pradesh, with the start of a new daily direct service to Vijayawada. The new route commenced on 15 January 2015 and…
Kochi Metro to launch in 2016
A new urban rail network will launch in the Indian city of Kochi in June 2016. The Economic Times reported officials as saying this week that trials of the new transport system are…
Travelport pens long-term deal with Vistara
Travelport has signed a new long-term distribution and merchandising agreement with Vistara, Singapore Airlines' new Indian carrier. The deal will see Delhi-based Vistara distribute all…
Air India boosts African connections
Air India has significantly expanded its route map in Africa following the launch of a new codeshare agreement with Ethiopian Airlines. The two Star Alliance member carriers already…
Ajman Palace hotel targets India market
Recent statistics revealed by the Ajman Palace Hotel state that India is among the top 10 feeder markets. Last year, more than eight per cent of hotel's total guests came from India.…
SIA's new Indian venture takes off
Vistara, Singapore Airlines' new Indian joint venture, took to the skies for the first time on Friday, on a flight from Delhi to Mumbai. The new airline was given a grand send off…
Vistara embarks on new era of Indian aviation
Mark Elliott	 Jan 9, 2015
Singapore Airlines' new Indian carrier, Vistara, launches its first flights today. The Delhi-based full-service carrier will commence services from the Indian capital to Mumbai and…
Goa to launch balloons and water buses
Goa will add to its range of tourism activities later this year with the launch of hot air balloons and amphibious vehicles. Two Indian travel companies have been selected by Goa Tourism…
Indian airports on hijack alert
Airports in India have been placed on high alert, following reports of a threat to hijack an Air India flight. The Press Trust of India (PTI) reports that security has been heightened…
DIA charts passenger traffic of 4.3% for November '14
Dubai Airports reported a growth for the second half of 2014 with passenger traffic touching 4.3% in November. The statistics was shared by Dubai Airports. Passenger traffic totalled…
India mulls plans for Greater Noida airport
The Indian government is considering plans for a major new airport in the Greater Noida area, close to Delhi. Dr Mahesh Sharma, India's Minister of Tourism & Culture who also…
Air India hits back at upgrade claims
Air India says it "vehemently" denies claims that its management grant flying favours to their friends and family. A recent report in the Mumbai Mirror accused the national carrier of…
India wants to receive 1% of global tourists
The Indian government has set a target of welcoming 1% of global tourist arrivals by next year. Speaking at a workshop in New Delhi, the country's Minister of Tourism & Culture,…
Vistara aims to "put the joy back into flying" in India
Mark Elliott	 Dec 22, 2014
New Indian airline Vistara says it will aim to "put the joy back into flying" when it launches next month, with a focus on passenger services. The Delhi-based carrier, which will commence…
Jet boosts domestic routes for festive season
Jet Airways is adding more flights and larger aircraft on a series of domestic routes over the festive season. From 23 December 2014 to 29 January 2015, the Indian carrier will…
Vistara to launch on 9 January
Singapore Airlines' new Indian venture, Vistara, will take to the skies for the first time on 9 January 2015, it has been confirmed. The airline last week secured its Air Operator's…
Air India hosts first Star Alliance board meeting
Air India played host to its first Star Alliance Chief Executive Board Meeting this week. The heads of the world's biggest airline alliance gathered in Delhi for a two-day meeting to…
Malindo to enter Nepal
Malaysia's Malindo Air will fly to Nepal for the first time next year, as it continues its growth in South Asia. The new Kathmandu service will commence on 6 February 2015, operating…
Air India revamps regional fleet
Air India has started modernising its fleet of region aircraft. The airline's subsidiary, Alliance Air, has taken delivery of its first new ATR 72-600 aircraft. This new turboprop…
Strong start for Goa's VOA scheme
Immigration authorities at Goa's Dabolim Airport issued 357 visas on arrival (VOA) in the first 10 days of India's new broadened entry scheme. India expanded its VOA scheme on 27…
flydubai to launch Chennai service
Chennai will get a new link to the Middle East next year, when low-cost carrier flydubai launches its first flights to the southern Indian city. Commencing on 31 March 2015, the new…
SIA's new Indian airline gets permission to launch
Vistara, the new Indian joint venture between Singapore Airlines and Tata Sons, has received its Air Operator Permit (AOP), giving it the green light to launch commercial operations.…
Jet Airways boost Abu Dhabi routes
Jet Airways has expanded its network from Abu Dhabi with the announcement of two new routes. The airline will operate flights to Goa and Lucknow from Abu Dhabi international airport.…
Troubled SpiceJet punished for cancellations
Mark Elliott	 Dec 6, 2014
India's SpiceJet has had 186 of its flight slots withdrawn as punishment for a series of cancellations. The country's Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) took the measures after…
Air Seychelles launches flights to India
Air Seychelles has launched its first flights to India. The carrier commenced services from Mahe to Mumbai this week, and will now operate the route three times a week using a…
SATTE broadens appeal for 2015
Mark Elliott	 Nov 29, 2014
Indian travel trade show SATTE is expected to have a broader appeal next year, due to the new Indian government's apparent focus on the tourism industry. Organiser UBM India reports…
India offers online visas for 43 countries
Citizens of 43 countries can now apply for their Indian tourist visas online. Under the new scheme, which was launched on Thursday by Home Minister Rajnath Singh and Minister of…
IndiGo adds more Dubai connections
IndiGo will expand its operations in the Middle East next year, with two new services to Dubai. The Indian low-cost carrier will commence new daily services from Kozhikode and…
India plans 1,750km bullet train corridor
India is planning to create a 1,750km high-speed rail corridor, connecting New Delhi in the north with Chennai in the south. The Press Trust of India (PTI) reports that a high-level…
Asian hotel revPAR falls in October
Hotels in the Asia Pacific region experienced falling revPAR (revenue per available room) in October 2014, as occupancy and room rates both declined. According to the latest data from STR…
India to unveil roadmap for railways
India will soon unveil its turnaround plan for the country's aging railway network. The country's Minister for Railways, Manoj Sinha, told reporters in Delhi that the so-called…
Gateway launches first Indian resort
The Taj Group's upscale hotel brand, Gateway, has unveiled its first resort-style property in India. Located close to the Aravalli Hills, just outside Delhi, the Gateway Resort…
IndiGo expands domestic operations
Indian low-cost carrier IndiGo has continued to expand its domestic network with the launch of a series of new flights. Commencing this week, the airline will add a second daily…
Gulf Air adds more flights to southern India
Gulf Air has announced plans to increase the number of flights it operates to southern India. Commencing on 5 December 2014, the Bahrain-based airline will increase its service to…
MARIO HARDY has been confirmed as the new chief executive officer of the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA). The move marks a promotion for Hardy, who has served as PATA's chief…
RAJIT SUKUMARAN has been named as Starwood Hotels & Resorts' new vice president of acquisitions & development for Asia Pacific, excluding China. Based in Singapore, he will also…
Air India connects Goa with Moscow
Air India is now enabling more Russian travellers to visit the beaches of Goa. The national carrier now operates four weekly flights between the Goa and the Russian capital, Moscow,…
Jet Airways expands key international routes
Mark Elliott	 Nov 9, 2014
Jet Airways has boosted its international operations with the addition of extra flights to three key destinations - Bangkok, Colombo and Doha. Earlier this month, Jet added a third daily…
Vistara pens support deal with Airbus
Singapore Airlines' new Indian carrier, Vistara, has signed a new long-term deal with Airbus for maintenance and support services. The Flight Hour Services Tailored Support Package…
Etihad boosts key Indian cities
Etihad Airways is continuing its rapid expansion in India, with the launch of more flights to the key cities of Mumbai and Delhi. The Abu Dhabi-based carrier currently operates two daily…
Hyatt adds new hotel in Gurgaon
Hyatt has continued to expand in India with the launch of a new property in the emerging city of Gurgaon, near Delhi. The new Hyatt Place Gurgaon/Udyog Vihar is located just 20…
JW Marriott opens first Indian resort
Marriott International has opened its first luxury JW Marriott resort in India. The JW Marriott Mussoorie Walnut Grove Resort & Spa is located at the hill station of Mussoorie, in…
Munich wants to extend Asian stays
The Munich Tourism Board's main goal for the upcoming years is to generate longer stays for Asian tourists, according to Karin Baedeker, who handles media relations for the German city.…
Virgin Atlantic to fly Dreamliner to India
Mark Elliott	 Oct 26, 2014
Virgin Atlantic is planning to deploy its brand new Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft to India next year, a company official has revealed. Joe Thompson, the UK carrier's director of…
Air India adds Uttarakhand connection
Air India has launched a new regional service to the northern state of Uttarakhand. As part of what the national carrier calls its "initiative to expand air connectivity to smaller…
Gulf Air re-connects to Hyderabad
Hyderabad will soon welcome once again the Gulf Air flights effective 15 December 2014. This is post the resumption of operations to Thiruvananthapuram last year. The route will be…
SHANTHA DE SILVA has become IHG's new head of Southwest Asia, overseeing India, Bangladesh, Nepal and Sri Lanka. An IHG veteran, de Silva started his career with the company 30 years ago…
New India Hop-On-Hop-Off tours launch
Adventure holiday provider Bamba has announced new Hop-On-Hop-Off (HOHO) services in India. Nine overland routes have been launched including Agra to Ajmer and Jaipur to Jodhpur all…
Radisson Red to carve new niche in Asian hotel market
Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group is aiming to create an entirely new accommodation option for Asian travellers, when it brings its modern Radisson Red concept to the region. Speaking to…
China Eastern flies to Nepal
China Eastern Airlines will launch its first flights to Nepal next month. Commencing on 20 November 2014, the airline will operate daily services between Shanghai and Nepal's capital…
Radisson Blu celebrates four years in Asia
Mark Elliott	 Oct 8, 2014
Radisson Blu properties across Asia Pacific have celebrated 'Blu Day', to mark the brand's fourth birthday in the region. Carlson Rezidor's upper upscale brand has now checked-in more…
India's Vistara to adopt Amadeus technology
Vistara, Singapore Airlines' new Indian carrier, has decided to implement Amadeus' comprehensive suite of airline IT solutions, Altéa. The Delhi-based carrier will use the Altéa Suite…
Boeing delivers more aircraft in Q3
Boeing continued to accelerate its aircraft deliveries in the third quarter of the year. The US planemaker delivered a total of 186 commercial jets in Q3 2014, compared to 170 in the…
Accor adds Formule1 budget hotel in Gurgaon
Accor has opened a brand new Formule1 budget hotel in India. The new property opened in Gurgaon in early October 2014, taking the total Formule1 network across India to five hotels.…
BCD Travel moves into new Mumbai office
Corporate travel management company BCD Travel has moved into a brand new office in the centre of Mumbai. Located at Times Square in the Andheri commercial district of the city, the…
Oman showcase for Indian agents
Oman Tourism recently conducted the largest familiarization yet and hosted 60 Indian travel agents and tour operators. The agents were namely from Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore, Chennai,…
Starwood to relocate global HQ to India
Starwood Hotels & Resorts will relocate its global headquarters from the US to India in March 2015, for a month-long initiative intended to bring the company closer to the Indian market.…
Jet connects Kerala with the Gulf
Mark Elliott	 Sep 30, 2014
Jet Airways is adding three new routes that will boost connectivity between the state of Kerala and the Gulf region. In the last quarter of the year, the Indian carrier will introduce…
India, Japan aim to boost tourism ties
India has held a meeting with Japan to discuss ways of further developing tourism ties between the countries. Japan's Minister for Land, Infrastructure, Transport & Tourism,…
CHANDRASHEKHAR JOSHI has been appointed general manager of the new JW Marriott Mussoorie Walnut Grove Resort & Spa, which is scheduled to open next month. Joshi, or CJ as he is…
BA suspends Sri Lanka flights
British Airways will cease operating flights to Sri Lanka next year. The company currently operates services from London to the Sri Lankan capital Colombo, via the Maldives, but from…
DTCM leads tourism delegation to Russia and India
Dubai's Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM) recently led delegations of Dubai's tourism industry on overseas trade missions. The objective of the missions was to promote…
Jet adds international links from regional India
Jet Airways is launching its first ever international services from four regional Indian hubs - Ahmedabad, Goa, Lucknow and Pune. In a major expansion plan, the Indian airline will…
Jet to boost India services from Doha
Jet Airways is doubling its daily frequency between Doha and Mumbai and expanding with new services to Kozhikode and Thiruvananthapuram. The second frequency to Mumbai will start…
India gets a taste of Dubai's tourism portfolio
Dubai's Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM) hosted a B2B road show across five key cities. The event was held with the aim of further increasing number of visitors to…
Jet boosts Dubai route
Jet Airways will increase the number of flights it operates to Dubai next month. Effective 14 October 2014, the Indian carrier will launch a fifth daily service between Mumbai and…
Air Seychelles to fly to Mumbai
Air Seychelles has announced plans to launch direct flights to Mumbai. Commencing on 2 December 2014, the new service will operate three times a week, using a two-class Airbus A320…
Emirates celebrates its worldwide lounge network
The Emirates Lounge have catered to over 22 million customers since the airline opened its first international lounge outside of its Dubai hub. In the financial year ending March 2014,…
Brand USA completes India roadshow
Brand USA, the national tourism marketing body, has concluded its third annual India Travel Mission. Organised from 8-13 September 2014, the event was held across three Indian cities…
Royal Jordanian, Middle East Airlines enter codeshare
Royal Jordanian and Middle East Airlines-Air Liban recently concluded a new free sale codeshare agreement that will be implemented as of the middle of this month. Under terms of the…
Starwood boosts Le Meridien brand in India
Starwood Hotels & Resorts has signed another Le Meridien hotel in India. Opening in 2018, Le Méridien Ahmedabad will be a 200-room new-build hotel, located in the centre of the…
Apollo Hospitals looks to attract GCC clientele
Recent statistics have stated that the Indian medical tourism industry is projected to reach US$2 billion with an estimated 3,200,000 medical value travellers arriving in India by 2015.…
SIA's Indian venture could be delayed – report
Singapore Airlines' (SIA) new Indian carrier is likely to miss its target of starting operations in October 2014, due to a delay with regulatory approvals, it has been reported.…
ITC to launch first luxury resort
India's ITC Hotels has unveiled plans to launch its first five-star leisure resort. Launching in October 2014, the ITC Grand Bharat will be located 40 minutes' drive from Delhi, and…
JAL adds new Dreamliner routes to LAX, Bangkok
Mark Elliott	 Sep 6, 2014
Japan Airlines has unveiled its international flight plans for the winter 2014-15 season, including the launch of two brand new routes using its Boeing 787 Dreamliner. On 20 December…
Oman prepares mega-fam for Indian agents
Oman Tourism has announced its largest familiarisation trip for Indian agents to date. The tourism board is due to host 60 Indian travel agents and tour operators from Mumbai, Delhi,…
Uniworld add Ganges cruises
Uniworld Boutique River Cruises will introduce a new collection of Ganges cruises in 2016. As part of its new brochure, the company has launched a new 'India's Golden Triangle &…
Jordan promotes MICE tourism in India
Jordan is aiming to tap into the lucrative Indian conference and events market. The Middle Eastern country's tourism board recently organised a series of 'MICE Evenings' in Delhi and…
Virgin Atlantic drops four services to focus on US
Virgin Atlantic has announced it will stop flights on several routes as it looks to reach sustained profitability by 2018. The carrier will cancel services from Heathrow to Tokyo…
Ascott signs new Gurgaon property
Ascott Limited has signed a contract to manage its first Somerset-branded residence in Gurgaon. The new serviced residence is due to open in 2019 and will have 174 units, with the…
TCA Abu Dhabi looks to build India momentum
With India producing the largest number of international hotel guests for Abu Dhabi over the past year, the emirate's tourism industry is embarking on a five-city roadshow. The event is…
Four flights diverted to Bangalore due to heavy rains
Four city-bound flights, including three international carriers, were diverted to Bengaluru Airport following heavy rains, as reported by Economic Times. A Lufthansa flight from…
India's tourism sector focuses on collaborations
The union minister for tourism, Shripad Yesso Naik chaired the National Conference of Tourism Ministers held in New Delhi. Organized as part of the 100 days action plan of the…
Hotel classification simplified by Union Tourism Ministry
In a significant move, the Ministry of Tourism, Government of India has decided to simplify the hotel classification and re-classification procedure by not seeking licenses and…
India's VoA scheme registers growth in July 2014
India's 'Visa on Arrival' scheme has witnessed positive growth for the month of July. During the month, a total of 2,462 VoAs were issued under this scheme as compared to 1,154 VoAs…
ITC announces first luxury leisure retreat
ITC Hotels has announced its first five-star leisure retreat will open later this year. ITC Grand Bharat is expected to open on 1 October 40 minutes from Delhi in the first of a new…
Tyre burst for Air India
An aviation disaster was averted when the rear tyre of an Air India flight burst upon landing. The Male-Chennai flight, travelling via Thiruvananthapuram, was safe and all 152 passengers…
Qatar Airways upgrades Bucharest- Sofia service
Qatar Airways has announced a flight frequency increase on the Bucharest and Sofia routes in Eastern Europe. The airline, which currently operates to the Bucharest-Sofia linked route…
Name of SIA-backed Indian airline revealed
The name of the new India-based airline created by Tata Sons Limited (TSAL) and Singapore Airlines (SIA) has been revealed. The new airline has been christened Vistara, derived from…
SpiceJet commences Kolkata-Bagdogra-Kathmandu route
SpiceJet has commenced flights from Kolkata and Bagdogra to Kathmandu. The new route will run three times a week every Monday, Wednesday and Friday starting in Kolkata then landing at…
Jet Airways pens Vietnam codeshare
Jet Airways has signed a new codeshare partnership with Vietnam Airlines, to offer greater connectivity between India and Vietnam. Under the new agreement, Jet will place its '9W'…
AGATHA LEE has been appointed as Abacus' new general manager for Hong Kong. Ms Lee has served as Cathay Pacific's country manager in Italy since 2011, and has also held various sales and…
India, Seychelles discuss tourism cooperation
Tourism officials from India and the Seychelles have held a series of high-level talks regarding the enhancement of tourism cooperation between the two countries. A delegation from…
Air India plans daily Birmingham flights
Air India has announced it will offer daily flights between Birmingham, Delhi and Amritsar from November. The carrier already flies four times a week between Birmingham and India and…
India aims to ensure safety of female tourists
India has announced a series of measures designed to ensure the safety of female tourists, in the wake of a series of recent attacks on women in the country. In 2013 a Swiss tourist…
Oman looks at attracting Indian weddings
Oman is keen to attract the big Indian weddings. This strategy is based on the fact that Oman offers a blend of modern infrastructure and old world charm. Moreover, the destination is…
IHG develops Crowne Plaza in Noida
InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) has signed a management agreement for a new Crowne Plaza hotel in Noida, near Delhi. The Crowne Plaza Taj Expressway Noida is being built by…
RJ adopts structuring plan
Royal Jordanian recently announced plans to stop its services to Delhi, Mumbai and Lagos, in light of the airline's restructuring plan, including its route network. The airline will stop…
flydubai embarks on Indian expansion
UAE-based low-cost carrier flydubai is expanding its operations in India with the launch flights to Mumbai. Commencing on 28 October 2014, the airline will operate five weekly flights…
Goa targets Indian wedding market
Goa Tourism is planning to boost its share of the Indian wedding sector. The tourism board will host a major event in Delhi next month to showcase its wedding facilities. Taking place…
Royal Jordanian pulls out of India
Royal Jordanian Airlines has confirmed that it will suspend all services to India later this year, as part of its restructuring plan. Jordan's national carrier currently flies four…
Thailand takes Indian roadshow to Jaipur, Bhubaneswar
The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) has expanded its Indian tourism roadshow to two more cities - Jaipur and Bhubaneswar. The nationwide series of promotional events kicked off in…
flydubai to connect Mumbai
flydubai announced the launch of flights to Mumbai, bringing total number of destinations served by the carrier in India to seven, with 25 flights a week. In June, flydubai doubled…
GCAA emphasises on airport safety culture
Developments in improving safety culture at airports is a key focus today – a crucial element for busy flight hubs wanting to improve security while facilitating large volumes of…
Indian tourists flock to Australia in record numbers
Growth in tourist arrivals from India to Australia reached a seven-year high in May, rising 39% y-o-y. Figures released by Tourism Australia show that 21,700 visitors from India…
Starwood continues Bengaluru expansion
Starwood Hotels & Resorts has unveiled the latest stage of its expansion in India, with the opening of the Four Points by Sheraton Bengaluru Whitefield. Having been converted,…
Air India flies Dreamliner to Moscow
Air India has commenced a new route connecting Delhi with Moscow. The national carrier launched the new direct flights between the capitals of India and Russia on Monday, using its…
Jet Airways boosts Sri Lankan services
Jet Airways is expanding its operations in Sri Lanka with the launch of a second daily flight between Mumbai and Colombo. Set to commence on 5 November 2014, the new service will…
Emirates and Apollo Hospitals partner to offer healthcare services
Emirates has partnered with healthcare provider Apollo Hospitals to connect international patients with healthcare services in India. Patients and their attendants from 19…
Apollo Hospitals teams-up with Emirates
Emirates has teamed up with Apollo Hospitals to connect with international patients looking for quality healthcare services in India. As part of this tie-up, patients and their…
SpiceJet goes international from West Bengal
SpiceJet has announced plans to launch its first international route from West India. Commencing on 13 August, the low-cost carrier will fly from the city of Kolkata to Nepal's…
Etihad to add Kolkata flights
Etihad has announced plans to launch direct flights to Kolkata. Commencing on 15 February 2015, the new route will operate daily, direct from Abu Dhabi. This will mark Etihad's 11th…
Jet starts codesharing with Alitalia
Two of Etihad's partner airlines, Jet Airways and Alitalia, have entered into a new codesharing pact for flights connecting India and Italy, via Abu Dhabi. Jet Airways, which is 24%…
SpiceJet to resume two Dubai routes
SpiceJet has announced that will resume services on two Dubai routes from 21 July 2014. The Indian carrier launched services to the UAE city from Mumbai and Madurai in June 2012 and…
India trails new semi-fast rail service
India's railway authorities are trialling a new semi-high-speed service on the route between Delhi and Agra. The Times of India reported this week that the test run is due to be held…
Bomb scare grounds Air India jet
An Air India flight carrying more than 150 passengers was forced to make an emergency landing on Tuesday after authorities received a bomb threat against the aircraft. The Airbus A320…
Etihad unveils next stage of Indian expansion
Etihad Airways has unveiled the latest stage of its expansion in India, with the addition of more connections to Kochi, Bengaluru, Chennai, Kozhikode and Hyderabad. The Abu Dhabi-based…
Preferred hosts Indian revenue management event
Preferred Hotel Group recently held its first ever 'E-Distribution and Revenue Management Workshop' in New Delhi. The three-day event, which took place from 11 to 13 June 2014, was…
Chongqing opening marks Westin's 200th hotel
Starwood has celebrated the opening of its 200th Westin hotel. And appropriately, the brand's newest property is located in Asia Pacific - the region that will drive Westin's growth…
India's bullet train dream moves closer
India's long wait for a high-speed rail network may be coming to an end, as the country's new railway budget is reported to include the potential for two types of bullet train. The…
Starwood launches Aloft in India's Silicon Valley
Starwood Hotels & Resorts has launched its high-tech Aloft brand in India's Silicon Valley. The new Aloft Bengaluru Cessna Business Park is located in the 42-hectare Prestige…
Emirates enhances menus for Indian travellers
Emirates has introduced a new range of in-flight meals for Indian passengers. The Dubai-based airline has introduced new menus on flights to all 10 of its destinations in India, which…
Australia upgrades visa centres in India
Australia and visa processing company VFS Global have opened three new visa application centres in India, and upgraded a further nine. At present, travellers from India and Nepal to…
SpiceJet boosts four domestic routes
SpiceJet will launch new flights on four domestic routes this month. Commencing on Sunday 15 June 2014, the low-cost carrier will add extra services on the Bengaluru-Mangalore,…
flydubai looks to boost trade and tourism links with India
India will soon witness increased focus on growing trade and tourism links from UAE. The recent flydubai inaugural flight highlighted this trend with its new connections to Delhi, Kochi…
Air India flies new Dreamliner to Italy
Air India has commenced direct flights to Italy. Earlier this month the national carrier welcomed its 14th Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft, and has used the fuel-efficient jet to…
SIA to fly A380 to Beijing
Singapore Airlines will start flying its Airbus A380 to Beijing this summer. Commencing on 1 August 2014, the new daily service will replace two flights currently operated by smaller…
Thailand gets Indian wedding boost
Thailand remains a popular tourist destination for Indian weddings and events, it has been revealed, despite the recent troubles in the country. According to the Tourism Authority of…
New SpiceJet livery pays tribute to cabin crew
SpiceJet has taken delivery of a new Boeing 737 aircraft, which has been painted with a special livery dedicated to the airline's cabin crew. The single-aisle jet, named 'Red Chilli',…
Tata-SIA Airlines to lease 20 aircraft
Singapore Airlines' new Indian venture, Tata-SIA Airlines, will acquire 20 Airbus A320 aircraft from a leasing company with a view to launching operations later this year, it has been…
Etihad Airways gets green signal on Jet Airways codeshare
Etihad Airways has received necessary regulatory approvals to codeshare with Jet Airways. The airline in light of this development has announced a major expansion on 43 additional…
Etihad boosts Indian connections with Jet
Etihad Airways has announced a major expansion of its codeshare agreement with Jet Airways, offering more connections to destinations across India. The two airlines have obtained…
Plans for Mumbai-Goa fast train
Tourism officials have proposed the launch of a new fast train connecting Mumbai with Goa. The Economic Times reported Union Tourism Minister, Sripad Naik, as saying that he would…
Air India posts huge loss
Air India has confirmed that it suffered a massive loss in the 2013-14 financial year. The ailing national carrier posted a net loss of INR50 billion (US$847 million) for the 12…
AirAsia India confirms launch date
AirAsia India has started taking reservations for its first flight, which will launch on 12 June 2014. The new low-cost carrier will initially start operating the Bengaluru-Goa route,…
SACHIN MALHOTRA has been announced as the new hotel manager at the Mercure Lavasa and Lavasa International Convention Centre. Having completed Accor's India Leadership Development…
Emirates boosts India services
India is preparing itself for bigger capacities from Emirates. The airline recently announced its intent to launch a daily A380 service to Mumbai on 21 July. The EK 500 and EK 501…
India to launch more premium trains
India's Ministry of Railways will expand its premium train services to more tourist destinations this summer. Following a successful trial of the new high-end carriages, which offer…
Indian decline hits Asian hotel industry
Cities in the Asian region experienced a general slowdown in terms of hotel performance levels in April 2014, driven by a decline in India. According to the latest data from STR Global,…
Carlson Rezidor strengthens India portfolio
Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group has strengthened its hotel portfolio in India. The group has signed two new Country Inn & Suites by Carlson in North India and opened three new…
Air India plans new routes
Air India is planning to operate new routes with its fleet of Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft. The airline is planning flights to European cities of Moscow, Rome and Milan. "Our team…
flydubai boosts India network
Come June, flydubai will boost its India frequencies to Delhi, Kochi and Thiruvananthapuram. The airline will operate four weekly flights to Delhi from 1 June and three weekly flights to…
Latest India Appointments
JAIDEV DUTTA has been appointed as the new General Manager for Park Plaza in New Delhi. With 15 years of experience, Jaidev has been associated with Taj Group of Hotels, as well as…
Jet Airways gets Paris bound
Jet Airways has today launched its direct flight between Mumbai and Paris. The airline will operate an Airbus A330 to Charles de Gaulle (CDG) Airport, four days a week on Thursdays,…
Australia eyes 300,000 Indian visitors by 2020
Tourism Australia is targeting 300,000 to the destination Indian visitors by 2020. Under the 'India 2020 Strategic Plan', the tourism board has identified the main opportunities and…
Emirates plans A380 flight to Mumbai
Emirates plans to operate the Airbus A380 to Mumbai from July 2014. "Emirates plans to deploy an A380 on one of its existing daily services between Dubai to Mumbai, starting from July…
September launch for Tata-SIA Airlines
New-Delhi based, Tata SIA Airlines is aiming to commence their full-service operations from 1 September 2014. The airline has received its Air Operators Permit from the Directorate…
AirAsia India ready to fly
AirAsia India is now ready to fly. The carrier has received its Air Operator's Permit (AOP) or the flying license from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) yesterday…
BERNARD FRANCIS has been appointed as AirAsia X's new commercial director. With 14 years' experience in the aviation industry, Francis is a former Malaysia Airlines executive. He returns…
WorthYourHolidays launches Tripigator.com
WorthYourHolidays, has launched a new travel planning website Tripigator in Delhi on 5 May 2014. Launched in partnership with the Ministry of Tourism (MoT), Tripigator.com generates…
flydubai announces new routes
In a bid to strengthen its route network, flydubai alongside the Arabian Travel Market (ATM) announced five new destinations including Delhi. The airline has doubled its network in…
Mumbai travellers most active mobile users – study
Mumbai travellers are most active on their devices at the airport. Big data company, AdNear tracked traveller profiles and mobile behaviour of professionals, students and homemakers…
IATO elects new committee
The Indian Association of Tour Operators (IATO) held its Elections at The Park, New Delhi on 24 April. Around 262 members voted during the elections to bring in a new committee. The…
Cygnett Hotels ties up with Jameson Inn
Cygnett Hotels & Resorts, a hotel management company has tied up with USA-based Jameson Inn Inc. in New Delhi. With the new launch, Cygnett Hotels plans to set up budget and…
Starwood plans 100 hotels in India by 2015
Starwood Hotels and Resorts is targeting 100 operational and signed hotels by the end of 2015. The company's regional director of sales for South Asia, Dhananjay S. Saliankar, told…
Relais & Chateaux to develop India market
Relais & Chateaux, the owner driven hotel and gourmet restaurant association is keen to develop the Indian market. Close to 520 hotels and restaurants in 64 countries are…
ADIA to cater for 190 extra weekly summer flights
Abu Dhabi airport will play host to six new destinations and 71 extra flights a week to India this. The number of weekly flights available for business travellers and holiday makers has…
Wego reveals best hotel beds in India
Wego has revealed the top 10 hotels with best beds, rooms and services in India. The top 10 rooms are situated in popular destinations like Udaipur, Jodhpur and Jaipur, while…
India extends VoA to South Korea
India has extended the Visa-on-Arrival (VoA) facility to citizens of South Korea. According to a PTI report, the visa facility will be given with a maximum validity of 30 days single…
Oman focuses on new segments in India
In line with its marketing plan for 2014, Oman will focus on promoting weddings, MICE and Film tourism in the Indian market. The Ministry of Tourism in Oman along with Al Bustan…
Indian carriers cut Dubai flights
Indian carriers are cutting more than a third of about 275 weekly flights to Dubai as one of the two runways at the airport will remain shut for nearly three months starting 1 May.…
Jet temporarily moves to Sharjah
In view of the runway closure at Dubai Airport from 1 May-20 July 2014, Jet Airways will operate some of its flights with a revised timing during this period to and from Sharjah.…
VoA grows 1.70% in Q1 of 2014
The Ministry of Tourism's (MoT) Visa on Arrival (VoA) scheme grew 1.70% during the first three months of 2014. During January-March 2014, a total number of 5,841 VoAs were issued…
Udaipur's Udai Kothi to add more rooms
The Hotel Udai Kothi in Udaipur, Rajasthan is looking at adding more rooms to its current inventory. The 13-year old hotel will add 22 more rooms to the existing 42 rooms, along with…
GHE announces second edition
The Global Himalayan Expedition (GHE) has announced its second edition of the journey as well as the launch of its website www.ghe.co.in. This year, the team participating in the…
New visa scheme to boost India's inbound tourism
The Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) announced by the Indian government in February 2014 is expected to make travelling a lot more easier for inbound visitors. The ETA scheme…
SIA confirms A380 operations in India
Singapore Airlines (SIA) will become the first airline to fly the Airbus A380 to India, when new services to Delhi and Mumbai commence next month. From 30 May 2014, the airline will…
IHG, IL&FS Skills to provide hospitality training
InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) and IL&FS Skills have announced the launch of the 15th IHG Academy programme in India. The partnership will see IL&FS Skills (IIS)…
Etihad lands in Jaipur
Etihad Airways commenced its daily service between Jaipur and Abu Dhabi yesterday (o2 April). The airline will operate this service with an Airbus A320 aircraft in a two-class…
Hilton enters Jaipur
Hilton Worldwide has announced its entry to Jaipur under its flagship Hilton Hotels & Resorts brand. The group has signed a management agreement with Fruitful Buildcon Private…
Did you get April Fooled?
Bolsover Cruise Club went all out on fooling everyone with plans to turn its Cruise Club office into a ship. Plans including sinking the car park and filling it with water to become the…
TAT hosts FAM for Indian wedding planners
The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) hosted a familiarisation (FAM) trip for Indian wedding planners last month. More than 40 senior executives were invited to undertake a…
CTC conducts training workshops in India
The Canadian Tourism Commission (CTC) recently organised workshop and orientation sessions for travel agents in Delhi and Mumbai on 18-19 March 2014. Present at the session were…
Turkmenistan Air welcomes largest aircraft
Turkmenistan Airlines has taken delivery of its largest aircraft - a Boeing 777-200LR (long-range). The new twin-aisle jet touched down at Ashgabat International Airport, in…
Mauritius appoints PR rep for India
The Mauritius Tourism Promotion Authority (MTPA) has appointed New Delhi-based Om Tourism as their PR representative for India. OM Tourism will be responsible for promoting…
Starwood to hire 25,000 Asian staff
Starwood Hotels & Resorts is embarking on a major recruitment drive in Asia Pacific that will see it hire more than 25,000 new staff in the region by the end of this year. To fill…
Airbus promotes A380 in India
Airbus will showcase its A380 in India this week, after the country recently lifted a ban that prevented the double-decker jet operating in the country. In January this year, India's…
IndiGo plane catches fire in Kathmandu
An IndiGo plane caught fire after landing at Kathmandu airport in Nepal on 8 March. All 176 passengers and six crew on board the IndiGo flight from New Delhi were evacuated through…
Johnny Rockets opens second outlet in India
US-based Johnny Rockets has opened its second outlet in Gurgaon, through franchise route. Franchise group, Prime Gourmet Private Limited will manage the Johnny Rockets outlet in…
Australia attracts Indian television audience
Australia will showcase Melbourne as a honeymoon destination through primetime television show in India. Tourism Australia (TA) along with Tourism Victoria (TVIC) and Malaysia…
Visitors to Mughal Gardens rise
Mughal Gardens at Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi has seen over two lakh visitors in the first two weeks of the opening. The garden is open for general public from 16 February to…
Qatar Airways promotes USA in India
Qatar Airways in alliance with the US Consulate and Brand USA conducted a multi-city roadshow to promote USA in India. The roadshow was organised across six major Indian cities…
Indian arrivals to Hong Kong up 5% in 2013
Indian arrivals to Hong Kong increased 5% in 2013, as compared to 2012. According to figures released by the Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB), 434,648 Indian tourists visited the…
Malaysia plans Indian roadshow
Tourism Malaysia has planned to organise a four-city roadshow in India. Events will be held from 12-20 March 2014 in cities of Kochi, Bengaluru, Mumbai and New Delhi. This year, the…
MoT, ITDC organise "Feel India"
The Ministry of Tourism (MoT) along with the India Tourism Development Corporation (ITDC) will organise a cultural extravaganza titled "Feel India". The cultural programmes will be…
Asian hotel slide continues in 2014
The decline in performance of hotels in the Asia Pacific region has continued in 2014. The region experienced a 4.1% drop in revPAR (revenue per available room) in 2013, as falling…
Austrian to launch summer Maldives flights
Austrian Airlines will offer summer flights to the Maldives for the first time this year. From July 2014, the airline will launch weekly flights between Vienna and Male, with services…
Fiji concludes India roadshow
Tourism Fiji has successfully completed its three-city Indian roadshow from 3-10 February 2014. The multi-city roadshow was held in Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru with over 350 product…
DGCA to soon decide on flying permit for AirAsia India
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) will soon decide on issuing the flying license to AirAsia India. The regulator is looking through various responses to the recent…
SIA India to lease A320s from Bank of China
Singapore Airlines' new Indian venture is in talks with the Bank of China's aircraft financing arm about leasing of new aircraft. The new Delhi-based carrier is due to launch…
Malindo Air flies to Mumbai
Malindo Air has launched its first flights to Mumbai. The new service took off from Kuala Lumpur for the first time on Saturday, and will now operate five times a week. Services…
Kenya eyes larger share from Indian market
Kenya Tourism Board is eyeing at a larger share of tourists from the Indian market. The tourism board is targeting to reach over 200,000 Indian tourists in the next five years. "We…
Indian Railways to introduce premium AC trains
The Indian Railways has decided to run 17 more premium AC-special trains between Delhi and Mumbai. These additional new trains will ply on busy routes, while the railways will also…
airberlin doubles Abu Dhabi frequency
airberlin will soon introduce a second daily flight between Berlin and Abu Dhabi. The new flight is scheduled to commence on 26 October 2014. The two airlines will also expand their…
TNZ rolls out new joint initiative in India
Tourism New Zealand (TNZ) has announced its latest joint venture to promote the destination in India. The joint venture with Malaysia Airlines (MAS) and Auckland International…
GrayLine Latin America conducts India roadshow
GrayLine Latin America recently concluded its four-city India roadshow from 27-31 January 2014. Events were held in cities of New Delhi, Ahmedabad, Bengaluru and Mumbai, with over 400…
VoA grows 12% in January 2014
India's Visa-on-Arrival (VoA) recorded a 12.60% growth in January 2014, as compared to January 2013. A total number of 1,903 VoAs have been issued during the period, with 465 visas…
Lufthansa to fly A380 to India
Lufthansa is planning to fly its Airbus A380 to India, after rules governing the use of the aircraft were eased last week. The German national carrier's vice president for Asia…
Air India to launch premium economy
Air India will launch a new premium economy cabin this month. The Economic Times reported this week that the new cabin class will initially be rolled out on 15 February 2014, aboard a…
Japan eyes more Indian tourists
Japan is expecting to see a rise in tourist arrivals from India, following the signing of a recent agreement between the two countries. Tourism officials and diplomats told a seminar…
India to roll-out global visa-on-arrival system
India will soon offer visa-on-arrival (VOA) to citizens of almost every country in the world, authorities have revealed. The country's much-maligned tourist visa processing system…
Radisson Blu offers new amenities to Indian guests
Radisson Blu is launching a new range of guest amenities at its hotels in India. The new amenity line, called 'In Transit', is being rolled out across the upscale brand's 24 Indian…
Switzerland taps young Indian visitors
Switzerland plans to increase the portfolio of young Indian travellers to the country. The tourism board held the 11th edition of its annual travel experience conference in New Delhi…
Drukair opens route to Mumbai
Drukair will open its 10th international route to Mumbai. The airline will commence commercial operations between Paro and Mumbai from 1 May 2014. The three-hour flight will operate…
DTCM turns attention to India outbound
Dubai's Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM) is fortifying its marketing efforts in south Asia with a three-city roadshow commencing Monday. As part of its…
UK, Indian trade associations sign MoU
VisitBritain has announced the signing of Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between United Kingdom and Indian trade associations. The MoUs were signed between The European Tour…
Maldives eyes Indian visitors
Maldives is eyeing a greater percentage of Indian visitors to the island. It plans to boost Indian arrivals from the current 33,000 to 50,000 this year. The country is the next five…
TAT to promote Songkran at SATTE 2014
The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) will promote the Songkran festival in India during the SATTE 2014. More than 40 Thai exhibitors will be present at the Amazing Thailand…
MoT announces Golf Tourism Summit
The Ministry of Tourism (MoT) has announced the launch of Incredible India Golf Tourism Summit in New Delhi from 8-10 October 2014. The summit will be organised in association with…
India lifts A380 ban
India has lifted a ban on international airlines operating the Airbus A380 to the country. The country imposed the ban on the world's largest passenger jet amid concerns that it would…
Indian visitors to UK up 9%
Indian travellers holidaying in United Kingdom has increased in 2013, despite the depreciating Rupee. According to the data released by VisitBritan, visits from India to the UK were…
Emirates celebrates India's 65th Republic Day
Emirates will join Indians around the world in celebrating the country's 65th Republic day which is being marked today on 26th January 2014. "Since the launch of our first flights to…
Safi Airways launches loyalty program
Safi Airways has launched its loyalty program 'Saffron Rewards' in Kabul. The program was launched for its trade partners and frequent fliers. The program is a straight forward…
South Africa concludes roadshow on a high note
South African Tourism has concluded its four-city roadshow on a high note in India. With events in Kolkata, Delhi, Chennai and Mumbai, the tourism board registered over 1,200 Indian…
Indian travellers retain confidence in Bangkok
Indian travellers have retained their confidence in Bangkok as a tourist destination. The Thai capital continues to be the main destinations of choice for travellers from India with…
India and Japan sign MoU
India and Japan have entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to strengthen cooperation in the field of tourism. The MoU was signed between the Ministry of Tourism (MoT)…
JAL expands international routes at Haneda
Japan Airlines (JAL) has unveiled a series of new international routes from Tokyo Haneda Airport this summer. Following the recent expansion of international slots at Haneda, JAL has…
StayWell launches Leisure Inn West Gurgaon
Australia-based StayWell Hospitality Group has launched Leisure Inn West Gurgaon in Sector 14, Gurgaon, Haryana. The opening of the property marks the group's second Leisure Inn…
Air Pegasus to take off in March 2014
Bengaluru-based Air Pegasus will commence operations in March 2014. Backed by one of the largest domestic airport ground handling companies, the airline will link the Southern cities…
Queensland roadshow sees record participants
Tourism and Events Queensland which organised a five-city roadshow recently, recorded participation from 500 potential buyers in India. The roadshow commenced in Chandigarh on 13…
TUI Travel India opens first retail store in Mumbai
TUI Travel India has commenced its retail expansion plan in Mumbai, with the establishment of its first retail store in Bandra. This launch is part of the company's larger…
SpiceJet cuts flights for summer schedule
SpiceJet has cut flights for the upcoming summer schedule. The low-cost carrier will discontinue flights on three domestic and international destinations, as a part of its network…
Extreme Bike Tours introduces Rajasthan itinerary
Extreme Bike Tours has introduced a two-week luxury bike tour to Rajasthan. The 14-day, round-trip tour from Delhi will being on 15 November 2014 and see travellers riding on classic…
India's VoA scheme grows 26% in 2013
India's Visa on Arrival (VoA) scheme registered a growth of 26.2% in 2013. The country issued a total number of 20,294 VoAs between January to December 2013, as compared to 16,084…
IndiGo adds four new flights
IndiGo has added four new flights to its India network. The airline has commenced a new daily non-stop flight between Pune and Kolkata and a fourth daily non-stop flight between Pune…
Hilton opens first hotel in Bengaluru
Hilton has opened its first hotel in the Indian city of Bengaluru. The DoubleTree Suites by Hilton Bangalore is a modern upscale hotel located in the southeast suburbs of India's…
Queensland to tap more markets in India
Queensland plans to tap more markets in India. The tourism board plans to promote the destination among Tier II and III cities in the country. From September 2012 to September 2013,…
Oman hosts FAM for Indian agents
Oman's Ministry of Tourism, along with Oman Air conducted a familiarisation (FAM) trip for Indian agents. The group consisted of senior management from tour operators from Mumbai,…
Argentina intensifies India promotions
The National Institute of Tourism Promotion in Argentina (INPROTUR) will intensify its promotion in the India market this year. The tourism board will participate at SATTE in New…
Malindo to add more flights to India
Malaysia-based Malindo Air will add six new routes to India this year, giving the 10-month old airline up to 25% control of the Malaysia-India market. The airline, established in…
Tata-SIA picks A320 for operations
Tata-SIA, the joint venture airline between Tata Sons and Singapore Airlines have chosen Airbus A320 for the launch of its Indian operations. The New-Delhi based full-service…
Etihad Airways launch daily service to Jaipur
Etihad Airways is expanding its operation in India with the launch of a daily service from Abu Dhabi to Jaipur. The new flights will commence on 1 April 2014, bring the total number…
MoT launches Calendar 2014
India's Ministry of Tourism has launched its Calendar 2014 in New Delhi. Launched by Parvez Dewan, Secretary Tourism for India, the calendar adds a new dimension with 24 pictures of…
Travel Daily Asia's Review of 2013
So another year has passed; how was it for you? Asia's travel industry began the year with high hopes, following record tourist arrivals in 2012. Despite the eurozone slump and…
Asian revPAR continues to fall
Hotels in the Asia Pacific region continued to experience declining revPAR (revenue per available room) in November 2013. According to the latest data from STR Global, the region's…
Nepal's Pashupati Nath temple introduces VIP facility
Nepal's Pashupati Nath temple has introduced a special VIP Darshan facility for Indian citizens at the temple. The Pashupati Area Development Trust announced the introduction of this…
Holiday Inn Express opens in Chennai
InterContinental Hotel Group (IHG) has opened its second Holiday Inn Express in India. The new Holiday Inn Express is now open at Mahindra World City in Chennai, Tamil Nadu. The…
Thailand to welcome one million Indian visitors
The number of Indian visitors to Thailand is set to exceed the one million mark this year. According to the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), 958,921 Indians travelled to Thailand…
Flanders conducts trade seminars
Visit Flanders conducted three-city educational seminars for the Indian travel trade. Seminars were conducted in cities of Pune, Hyderabad and Bengaluru with an objective to update…
Etihad adds Jaipur to its India network
Etihad Airways has announced the addition of Jaipur to its growing India network. The Abu Dhabi-based carrier will fly daily services to Jaipur from 1 April 2014. Simultaneously, the…
Tigerair partners SpiceJet for Singapore-India flights
Tigerair has formed a new partnership with Delhi-based low-cost carrier SpiceJet that will expand air connectivity between Singapore and India. The three-year interline deal kicks off…
IndiGo boosts network
IndiGo has announced the launch of 10 new services on its domestic network from 15 December 2013. The low-cost carrier will fly daily non-stop flights between Chennai-Hyderabad,…
Le Cirque opens at The Leela Mumbai
The Maccioni Restaurant Group has announced the launch of Le Cirque Signature at The Leela Mumbai. The opening of its first ever signature restaurant and second Asian outpost further…
VoA grows 26.5% in 2013
India's Visa on Arrival (VoA) scheme registered 26.5% growth from January to November 2013. A total number of 17,594 VoAs have been issued in this period as compared to 13,903 VoAs…
Etihad commences major Indian expansion
Etihad Airways has commenced major expansion of its Indian operations, following the approval of 24% investment in Jet Airways. The airline will use Abu Dhabi has a global hub…
Indian arrivals to Australia up 26%
The number of Indian arrivals to Australia increased 26% in September 2013, primarily driven by leisure arrivals registering 31% growth. For the year ending September 2013, tourist arrivals…
Marriott opens luxury hotel in Hanoi
Marriott International has launched its luxury JW Marriott brand in Vietnam, with the opening of a new hotel in Hanoi. The 450-room JW Marriott Hotel Hanoi is spread over 75,000m² and…
Six Senses expands portfolio
Six Senses Hotels Resorts and Spa has announced eight new development concepts and four spa's set to open over the next three years. The development includes eight new resorts – Six…
Abu Dhabi bullish about Indian market
Abu Dhabi is bullish about the growth prospects from the Indian market. The Abu Dhabi Tourism & Culture Authority (TCA Abu Dhabi) will roll out its biggest road show delegation…
Malindo Air gets green light for India flights
Malaysia's Malindo Air has revealed that its planned flights to India will launch before the end of this year. The Kuala Lumpur-based airline, which is a subsidiary of Indonesia's…
AAI plans to install full-body scanners at two airports in India
The Airports Authority of India (AAI) will soon install full-body scanners at two airports in India. "We have received two full-body scanners from GE Corp of the US, which we are…
Park Hotel Group appoints India rep
Singapore's Park Hotel Group has opened two new Asian sales offices, in Indonesia and India. The company's ninth global sales office launched in New Delhi on 1 November 2013, with…
Southeast Asia continues to buck regional hotel trends
The performance of hotels in the Southeast Asia region continued to improve in October 2013, bucking the downward trend seen in other parts of the Asia Pacific. According to the…
Flanders and Brussels to commemorate Great War Centenary
Visit Flanders and VISITBRUSSELS will promote the Great War Centenary 2014-2018. , a four-year remembrance project set up by the Government of Flanders. Both the tourism board's…
India should promote culinary tourism – Shashi Tharoor
India's Minister of State for Human Resource Development, Dr Shashi Tharoor has called for steps to promote culinary tourism in India. Speaking at the recently concluded Indian…
Hilton brings Garden Inn brand to Jaipur
Hilton Worldwide has signed a new management agreement for a Hilton Garden Inn hotel in Jaipur. The hotel group has signed a contract with Goverdhandham Estate Private Limited for…
Face-to-Face: Renato Chizzola
Travel Daily chats with Renato Chizzola, General Manager of Constance Havaleli Maldives, about the hotel's plans to grow the Indian market… 1) What type of travellers are you…
SIA expands Ethiopian codeshare
Singapore Airlines (SIA) has expanded its codeshare agreement with Ethiopian Airlines. From 3 December 2013, the two Star Alliance partners will join forces on Ethiopian's new service…
The Latest Industry Appointments – India
ASEEM KAPOOR has been appointed as the Area Director of North India for Hyatt Hotels Corporation. Under the new role, Kapoor will supervise Hyatt Regency Gurgaon, Hyatt Regency Delhi,…
FIPB clears Tata-SIA airline venture
The Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) has cleared 20 Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) projects, including the proposal of a Tata Sons and Singapore Airlines full-service…
Monaco taps India market
Monaco is looking at tapping the luxury and MICE segment from India. The tourism board has recently launched their new MICE campaign stating "Your event needs Monaco" keeping in view…
Jet inks code share agreement with Garuda Indonesia
Jet Airways has signed a code share agreement with Garuda Indonesia and simultaneously launched a reciprocal frequent flyer programme. Under the code share agreement, Jet Airways…
Rose Rayhaan by Rotana keen on boosting India presence
A team of general managers from across eight Rotana properties in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Kuwait are headed for an India sales mission starting today. The three-day sales mission is…
Four Seasons to boost India portfolio
Toronto-based Four Seasons Hotels will boost its India portfolio. The group will open three hotel properties in the country by 2018. "We have been looking at India for a long time.…
VoA registers 31.2% growth in October
The Tourist Visa on Arrival (TVoA) registered 31.2% growth with 1,911 VoAs issued under this scheme in October 2013 as compared to 1,457 in October 2012. Between January to October…
India introduces Collective Landing Permits for group tourists
The Indian government has issued an order to introduce Collective Landing Permit for Group tourists. According to the notification issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs, this…
Airlines in Mumbai have better OTP
Airlines operating from Mumbai have better On-Time-Performance (OTP) as compared to the other airports. According to the data revealed by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation…
Air India receives 10th Dreamliner
Air India has received its 10th Boeing 787 Dreamliner this week. The new aircraft, carrying call-sign VT-ANG, landed at the New Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport at 1350 on…
Gulf Air resumes Thiruvananthapuram flights
Gulf Air announced its decision to resume its flights to Thiruvananthapuram with five weekly flights. The resumed service will begin on 15 December 2013. The airline's decision to resume…
JAL posts US$830m profit
Japan Airlines (JAL) has posted a strong set of results for the first half of its 2013-14 financial year. The company generated net profits of JPY81.9 billion (US$833 million) in the…
Marriott sees "solid" third quarter
Marriott International achieved a double-digit increase in profits in the third quarter of the year. The US hotel giant generated net profits of US$160 million in the three months to…
Korea Tourism concludes India roadshow
(pic: korea.jpg) Korea Tourism has concluded its two-city road show in Indian cities of New Delhi and Mumbai. The tourism board held events on 23 October at Hotel Claridges in New…
HRANI calls to reduce taxes on hospitality industry
Hospitality industry leaders from North India have called for reduced taxation to give boost to the industry. The second convention of the Hotel and Restaurant Association of Northern…
SIA's Indian airline expected to launch in mid-2014
The new Indian airline planned by Singapore Airlines (SIA) and Tata Sons is expected to launch flights by the middle of next year, the carrier's chairman has said. Prasad Menon…
Cyprus to develop India market
Cyprus is keen to develop the Indian market. The tourism board has appointed Buzz Marketing as their representative in India. "We want to focus on the incentive market, from the MICE…
MoT calls for seamless road travel
The Ministry of Tourism (MoT) has made a strong plea to make road travel seamless in India. Speaking at the 25th anniversary celebrations of the Indian Tourist Transporters…
Thomas Cook India posts Q3 results
Thomas Cook (India) Limited (TCIL) has declared its consolidated third quarter results yesterday. The tour operator has seen an increase in profit from operations of 80% (INR210…
New Asian hotel supply hits room rates
Hotel rates in the Asia Pacific continued to slide in September 2013, as the region faced an influx of new room supply and slowing demand. According to the latest data from STR…
Latest industry appointments
ENAD TANNOUS has been appointed general manager at Amwaj Rotana Jumeirah Beach – Dubai. He brings with him over 21 years of experience within the hospitality industry. Enad joins the…
India approves TATA, SIA airline venture name
The Ministry of Corporate Affairs in India has approved the name for the proposed aviation venture between the Tata Group and Singapore Airlines (SIA). The name 'Tata SIA Airlines…
MoT launches Walking Tours
The Ministry of Tourism (MoT) in India will introduce 'Walking Tours' for visiting tourists. The ministry has partnered with Genesys International to create a 'Walking Tours'…
Tourism Australia concludes training programme in India
Tourism Australia has recently concluded its six-city training programme for front line staff of travel agencies in New Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Chennai and Kolkata. The…
India to scrap airline five-year rule – minister
India has confirmed plans to scrap the rule requiring airlines to operate five years of domestic flights before they are permitted to serve international routes. Local news service…
Air Astana promotes Kazakhstan stopover holidays
Air Astana is launching a new programme designed to promote Kazakhstan as a stopover destination for passengers travelling between Europe and Asia. The national carrier's tour…
Italian Destination taps Indian market
Italian Destination, a Milan-based DMC with a special focus on MICE segment is tapping the Indian outbound market. The company has appointed Candid India as its representative in…
Air Arabia boosts Nagpur flights
Air Arabia has announced an increase in its flights to Nagpur. Starting 29 October, the airline will fly four times a week between Nagpur and Sharjah. Flights will depart from Nagpur…
Marriott to double Asian portfolio
Marriott International is planning to expand its Asian portfolio to 330 hotels by 2016, more than doubling its current collection. The US hotel company said this week that it will…
BridgeStreet intensifies India expansion
BridgeStreet has intensified its India presence with major expansion plan. The company which provides residences, serviced apartments and suites has entered into a 20 year tri-party…
Hyatt celebrates 30 years in India
Hyatt Hotels Corporation is celebrating 30 years of operations in India. Hyatt introduced the Indian customer to contemporary and stylish luxury hotels and restaurants serving authentic…
Air France to fly to Jakarta
Air France will launch a new daily service to Jakarta next year. Effective 30 March 2014, the national carrier will add a Jakarta leg to its existing Paris-Singapore service. Flights…
UK tourists to be allowed India visa on arrival
UPDATE: In November 2014 the Indian government introduced an online visa scheme for 43 countries, but the UK was not one of them. UK holidaymakers will be able to sign up online for…
India approves extension of VoA scheme
India will roll out the Visa-on-Arrival (VoA) scheme for 40 more countries. The government on Monday cleared a slew of measures including the extension of the VoA scheme to 40…
Kuoni India celebrates International Day of the Elderly
Kuoni India employees celebrated the International Day of the Elderly. The employees participated to volunteer at the Help Age India Walkathon held in Mumbai and New Delhi. These…
Air France celebrates 80th anniversary
Air France is celebrating its 80th anniversary today (7 October). To celebrate the occasion, the airline has announced a special discount offer – Pay 80% of the fare and celebrate…
Brand USA targets one million Indian tourists by 2015
Brand USA is targeting one million tourists from India by 2015. In the first quarter of 2013, the country has seen a growth of 14.7% and may end the year with a 9% increase. The…
Ethiopian expands to Niamey
Ethiopian Airlines announced the start of four weekly services to Niamey in the Republic of Niger. The new service will commence from 20 November 2013 with a Boeing 757-200 aircraft. The…
Cabinet approves Jet-Etihad deal
India's Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs has approved the Jet-Etihad deal. The Cabinet approved the proposal of Etihad Airways PJSC, United Arab Emirates for subscribing…
Visit California continues to build presence in India
Visit California will continue to build its presence in the Indian market. The tourism board participated in the annual Brand USA India mission for the fifth consecutive year. The…
Cathay Pacific expands premium economy across Asia
The airline initially rolled out the new class in March 2012 aboard a series of long-haul routes from Hong Kong to Europe, North America, the Middle East and India. But Cathay said this…
Dubai commences three-city road show in India
The Dubai Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM) has commenced its three-city road show in India. The board completed its first road show in New Delhi (23 September) and…
Etihad concludes major recruitment drive in India
Etihad Airways has concluded its major recruitment drive in India. The Abu Dhabi-based carrier received more than 1,000 applicants from men and women looking at joining the airline's…
SIA boosts India network
Singapore Airlines (SIA) and its subsidiary SilkAir have announced that it will boost its India network from 27 October 2013. The airline will boost India-Singapore services from…
DTCM conducts three-city India road show
Recent statistics from Dubai's Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM) state that total number of Indian guests for first six months of 2013 stood at 463,175. This represents…
Asian hotel rate slide continues – updated
Hotel rates in Asia have continued to decline, as China and India continue to impact the regional results. According to the latest data from STR Global, the Asia Pacific region…
Oman conducts three-city road show in India
The Ministry of Oman recently conducted a three-city road show in Pune, Ahmedabad and Hyderabad. These road shows were conducted with an aim to educate the tour operators on potential…
Afghanistan's Safi Airways expands
Afghanistan-based Safi Airways is expanding with the addition of two new aircraft and one more international destination - Islamabad. The carrier, which operates from Kabul…
SIA to launch Indian airline
Singapore Airlines (SIA) has unveiled plans to launch a new airline in India. The company has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Indian conglomerate Tata Sons and…
Gulf Air: Tapping into India's tourism potential
India's travel industry is currently facing mixed reviews about the upcoming travel season. The depreciating Rupee has also seen a flourishing rush in inbound Medical tourism segment.…
Etihad unveils major Indian expansion
Etihad Airways has unveiled a major expansion of its services in India, following its recent investment in Mumbai-based Jet Airways. The UAE national carrier will increase flight…
VoA continues to grow in 2013
India has registered a 29.4% growth in the number of tourists availing the Visa on Arrival (VoA) scheme from January to August 2013. A total number of 12,716 VoAs have been…
PIA cuts India flights
Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) has reduced the number of flights to and from India. The airline has cut 66% of its flights due to low passenger traffic and shortage of…
Maharashtra taps North India tourists
The Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation (MTDC) has kick-started its mission to attract tourists from North India, by opening tourist information centre's in the region.…
NYC & Company leads tourism promotion in India
New York's official marketing, tourism and partnership organisation – NYC & Company will lead a tourism delegation to Mumbai and New Delhi from 23-27 September 2013. The…
Carlson Rezidor boosts India portfolio
Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group has signed 25% of all new deals in India during the second quarter of 2013. The hotel group has announced the signing of seven new hotels under the brand…
Extreme Bike Tours announces new rides
Motorbike tour operator Extreme Bike Tours has added two more itineraries to its programme for 2014 and 2015. The first will be an 11-day, 640km tour of the Indian state of Sikkim in…
One Asia Pass launches
The Council for Promotion of Tourism in Asia (CPTA) has launched its 'One Asia Pass' initiative, giving tourists visiting eight cities discounts, gifts and other benefits. The pass…
Abhibus introduces 'BusMeal' from Hyderabad
Abhibus.com has introduced 'BusMeal' for passengers who book tickets on their site for journeys which originate from Hyderabad. The website has partnered with Foody's, a call…
Qatar Airways ties up with ICICI Bank
Qatar Airways has a partnership with ICICI Bank in India, offering debit and credit card holders discounts in Business and Economy class. The new partnership will enable card…
Garuda Indonesia appoints GSA in India
Garuda Indonesia has appointed a General Sales Agent (GSA) in India. Bird Group will be the airline's local representative in India to manage its marketing and sales activities,…
SriLankan Airlines to boost India frequency
SriLankan Airlines is planning to increase its weekly flights from India. The airline is looking at boosting the frequency from the current 48 to 60 till the year end by adding new…
India, Japan strengthen tourism ties
India and Japan have resolved to strengthen cooperation in the tourism sector. Both the tourism ministries have agreed to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to promote bilateral…
West Bengal plans tourism campaign
West Bengal Tourism has mounted a massive campaign to promote tourism and investment in the State. As part of this campaign, the tourism board will organise roadshows in seven cities,…
Avalon Waterways appoints Preferred Partner in India
Avalon Waterways has appointed Pune-based Cruise Club as their Preferred Partner in India. Cruise Club will now represent Avalon Waterways in the Indian cities of Pune, Bangalore,…
MAS bullish about Indian market
Malaysian Airlines (MAS) is still bullish on India despite the weakening Indian economy and will continue to seek growth opportunities in the country. The airline has seen a…
India resolves ICAO safety concerns
The International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) has conveyed that corrective action taken by India has addressed and resolved Significant Safety Concerns (SCC) relating to…
Plaza Premium plans major lounge expansion
Airport lounge operator, Plaza Premium, has announced plans for a major expansion of its global network. Established in Hong Kong, the company now operates at 27 international…
Qatar Airways ties-up with HSBC in India
Qatar Airways has announced a partnership with HSBC Bank, offering the bank's debit and credit card holder's discounts in Business and Economy Class. The new partnership will…
Tourism Australia prepares for Indian influx
Tourism Australia is preparing to welcome an influx of Indian tourists over the coming years, driven by the launch of new direct air links between the two countries. Later this week,…
Accor Australia gears up for Indian influx
Accor is planning to welcome more Indian guests to its hotels in Australia, following the launch of direct flights between the two countries. Air India will launch services connecting…
The latest appointments – India
RAJAN KALRA has been appointed as Associate Director of Sales India, Sun International Hotels and Resorts, Southern Africa at Outbound Marketing. Since 2008, Kalra worked with the…
Tokyo leads Asia hotel rate growth – HRG
Hotel rates in Asia have risen steadily in 2013, driven by markets in India and Japan, according to a new report by Hogg Robinson Group (HRG). The travel management company's latest…
JOHN SLOSAR has been named as the new Chairman of Cathay Pacific Airways, John Swire & Sons, Swire Pacific, Swire Properties and Hong Kong Aircraft Engineering. Currently the Chief…
Egypt Embassy closes in Mumbai
The Consulate General of Egypt has closed its Embassy in Mumbai. All queries related to visa legalisation from Mumbai will be only be addressed in Delhi. The Egyptian Consulate…
Birmingham to tap India market
Birmingham plans to tap the growing Indian outbound market, specially after the addition of Air India services into the city. With 13,500 Indians visiting Birmingham each year, the…
Qatar Airways to fly Dreamliner to India
Qatar Airways will launch its first Boeing 787 Dreamliner flights to India next month. From 1 September 2013, the airline will commence daily Dreamliner services to both Delhi and…
Zimbabwe hosts first Indian FAM
Zimbabwe Tourism Authority organised its first familiarisation (FAM) trip for Indian agents. A nine member delegation of tour operators from Mumbai and Delhi toured across Zimbabwe,…
TCA Abu Dhabi, TUI join forces for India
Abu Dhabi Tourism and Culture Authority (TCA Abu Dhabi) and TUI have teamed up for a month-long destination campaign in New Delhi. The initiative is promoted to further bolster Indian…
Leh, Goa tops destination choice for I-Day – study
Skyscanner has identified destinations in India that have witnessed significant increase in flight searches for the upcoming Independence Day (I-Day) long weekend. The flight…
Austrian Airlines introduces new cabins
Austrian Airlines has unveiled new business and economy class cabins for its long-haul aircraft. Effective immediately, the Vienna-based airline will offer a brand new flat-bed seat…
Air India takes off to Birmingham
Air India launched its Dreamliner operations between Amritsar, Delhi and Birmingham yesterday (01 August). The flight to Birmingham is the fourth Air India service from India to the…
Chiranjeevi to visit Australia next month
India's Minister of Tourism, Dr K Chiranjeevi will visit Australia next month to promote bilateral tourism. Chiranjeevi has called on Ajit Singh, Minister for Civil Aviation to…
Taj Mahal gets adopted by ONGC
The Taj Mahal in Agra will be adopted by ONGC under the Campaign Clean India. The World Heritage Site will be adopted by the company in the presence of Dr K Chiranjeevi, Union…
Indian domestic tourism up 19% in 2012
The Indian domestic tourism increased more than 19.87% in 2012 over 2011 as compared to an increase of 15.6% in 2011 over 2010. According to the statistics released by the Ministry…
Arunachal Pradesh to host tourism mart
The Centre has given a go ahead to Arunachal Pradesh to conduct the International Tourism Mart (ITM), a mega tourism event at Tawang, bordering China in October 2014. India's…
MoT conducts National Conference with States
The Ministry of Tourism (MoT) held a National Tourism Conference with State Tourism Ministers in New Delhi yesterday (18 July). The conference discussed the future strategies for…
BA launches students offer
British Airways (BA) has launched its student promotional offer for destinations to UK, US, Canada and select European destinations. The offer allows Indian students flying with…
Cox & Kings plans major expansion
Cox & Kings has charted a major expansion plan globally. The group said it will invest over US$205.4 million (INR1,230 crore) in the next four years for its global expansions.…
VoA numbers up 23% in June
The number of Visa-on-Arrival (VoA) tourists increased 22.9% in June 2013, as compared to June 2012. Last month, India issued a total of 1,062 VoAs, as against 864 in June 2012.…
Asian aviation tidbits
China Eastern to launch Manila flights China Eastern Airlines has announced that it will launch a new service to Manila. From 18 October, the Shanghai-based airline will commence a…
The Curio Shop introduces new souvenirs
The Curio Shop at Rashtrapati Bhavan will offer a new range of souvenirs. The new product range includes note books, photo frames, fridge magnets, magnetic bookmarks, badges and…
AirAsia to ask for Indian runway extensions
AirAsia will ask Indian authorities to extend runways at smaller airports to accommodate its fleet of Airbus A320s. Malaysia's Bernama news agency reported AirAsia's group CEO, Tony…
Air India to fly to Australia
Air India has confirmed plans to fly direct to Australia. The national carrier will launch daily flights from New Delhi to both Sydney and Melbourne later this year, using its…
Abu Dhabi records best ever May for hotel stays
Abu Dhabi's 146 hotels and hotel apartments boasted "best ever' May results with near across-the-board growth in key performance indicators, according to official figures. Growth was…
Ascott to debut in India
Ascott has secured a contract to manage its first Ascott-branded serviced residence in India. The Singapore-based serviced residence operator, which is part of the Capitaland group,…
Jet commences Kochi-Abu Dhabi
Jet Airways has commenced its weekly flights between Kochi and Abu Dhabi. Kochi is the first city in South India that the airline is connecting to Abu Dhabi. Currently, it flies 11…
Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh ink MoU
In a major fillip to the tourism growth, Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh have agreed in principle to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for promotion of tourism. The…
Goa organises two-city road show
Goa Tourism organised a two-city road show in New Delhi and Gurgaon on 14 and 15 June respectively. As a part of the delegation, Dilip Parulekar, Minister of Tourism for Goa…
Air France-KLM, Jet Airways sign code-share
Air France-KLM and Jet Airways have signed a code-share agreement. The codeshare agreement enables Air France to market flights under AF flight number to key Indian cities beyond…
More Asian airports join carbon scheme
Three more airports in the Asia Pacific and Middle East regions have become 'Airport Carbon Accredited', under a scheme operated by Airports Council International (ACI). Adelaide…
Hyatt Regency opens in Gurgaon
Hyatt Hotels Corporation has announced the opening of Hyatt Regency Gurgaon in Delhi NCR. The hotel located off the Delhi-Jaipur highway (NH8) offers 451 rooms, including 37 suites.…
Air India plans Africa flights
Air India will soon resume direct services to Africa. "There are plans to start services to Africa soon. There is a huge potential in the sector due to growing traffic between India…
VoA scheme grows 37% in May 2013
India's Visa-on-Arrival (VoA) scheme registered a 37.2% growth in May 2013 as compared to May 2012. Last month, a total of 1,114 VoAs were issued as compared to 812 during May 2012.…
DANIEL FUEGLISTER has been named as the new General Manager of the Swissôtel Kunshan, in eastern China's Jiangsu province. A 35-year industry veteran, Fueglister moves to China from the…
Air India to expand global network with B787: Ajit Singh
Air India plans to expand its global network using the Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft. "We are expanding our network with Dreamliners. The B787s will be game changer for Air India,"…
Air China celebrates one year in Mumbai
Air China celebrated the completion of its first year of operations in Mumbai, India. The first ex-Mumbai Air China flight was operated on 3 May 2012. Besides, Mumbai, the airline…
Malindo Air eyes India flights
Malasysia-based, Malindo Air is looking at expansions in India and Singapore after August 2013. The airline plans to fly to three destinations in India – New Delhi, Tiruchirappali…
ONGC to maintain six monuments in India
The Archeological Survey of India (ASI) has agreed to the proposal of ONGC for adopting six monuments under Campaign Clean India. The six monuments are Taj Mahal, Agra, Ellora Caves…
California educates Indian agents
Visit California has conducted educational seminars in Tier I and Tier II cities in India. These educational seminars were held in the cities of Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Bengaluru,…
Belgium opens Ahmedabad visa centre
The State of Belgium and VFS Global have opened a new visa service centre in Ahmedabad. Karl Van den Bossche, consul general of Belgium in Mumbai inaugurated the new centre located at…
Starwood launches Aloft Ahmedabad
Mark Elliott	 May 31, 2013 14
Starwood Hotels & Resorts has announced the launch of Aloft Ahmedabad. The hotel offers 176 rooms and features innovative social technology allowing guests to work on laptops in…
IndiGo to boost Muscat-Mumbai
IndiGo has announced to increase its frequency between Muscat and Mumbai to seven weekly flights. The new flights will come into effect from 16 June 2013. The low cost carrier…
RJ adds Lagos and Accra
Royal Jordanian announced that it will add two new destinations to its route network – Lagos and and Accra. The new services will commence on 3 July 2013. The company will operate…
MAS adds daytime service to Mumbai
Malaysian Airlines (MAS) is increasing its frequency from Kuala Lumpur into Mumbai to 12 times weekly. Following a greater demand from the market, one additional service has been…
Kerala's seaplane project to start this month
Kerala's seaplane project is expected to start by the end of this month. The first seaplane aircraft for Kerala has reached New Delhi for mandatory clearances from the Customs and…
Global Spa & Wellness Summit announces Titanium Sponsor
Mark Elliott	 May 20, 2013 6
The Global Spa & Wellness Summit (GSWS) has announced its Titanium Sponsor for 2013. Vana Retreats will be the Titanium Sponsor for the seventh annual conference being held in…
Air India hopes for Birmingham Dreamliner flights
Air India is pushing to launch flights from Birmingham to Delhi once its new Boeing 787 Dreamliners are delivered. The airline is said to have been requesting the link between the…
Air India pilot locked from cockpit after toilet break
An Air India aircraft was diverted on Monday after the pilot went on a toilet break and was locked out of the cockpit. According to a BBC report, the pilot could not get back to the…
Air India to boost Dreamliner fleet
Air India will receive eight more Dreamliner aircraft by December 2013. The airline has already received six Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft and has proposed to resume operations from…
Visa-on-Arrival continues to grow
India's Visa-on-Arrival scheme continued to grow in April 2013. The scheme registered a growth of 23.5% in April 2013 as compared to April 2012. During the month, a total number of…
IndiGo to offer lounge experience
IndiGo is exploring the possibility of offering lounge experience to domestic passengers. The low-cost carrier is planning to offer passenger for a small fee the option of using…
India to develop aviation hubs
The Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) is looking at the development of aviation hubs in India. Minister for Civil Aviation, Ajit Singh informed that the government has approved the…
New appointments – India
ANUPAM BANERJEE has been appointed as the Executive Chef at The Ritz-Carlton, Bangalore. Chef Anupam will be responsible for all the pre-opening stages of kitchen, menu planning and…
Indian air connectivity to grow
The Indian government has recently granted traffic rights to Indian scheduled carriers for operations on new international routes. These routes include flights between…
Air India's 'Companion Free Scheme' to stop
The Minister of Civil Aviation in India, Ajit Singh has directed Air India to stop the Companion Free Scheme with immediate effect. The Vigilance Department of Air India discovered…
Tune Hotels enters India
Tune Hotels has opened a new hotel in Ahmedabad, marking the budget accommodation brand's Indian debut. The Tune Hotel Ahmedabad launched this month at the new 4D Square Mall in the…
New timings for Change of Guard ceremony
Mark Elliott	 May 6, 2013 0
The Ceremonial Change of Guard ceremony at Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi will have new summer timings. The ceremony will now be conducted from 0800 hours to 0840 hours till the end…
Skyfisher Airways to start operations this month
Mark Elliott	 May 3, 2013 12
New Delhi-based private air service operator, Skyfisher Airways Limited has agreed to start flights from Bhagalpur from 15 May 2013. The airline will fly on…
AirAsia submits NOC application to Indian Ministry of Civil Aviation
Mark Elliott	 Apr 29, 2013 1
Malaysian low-cost airline AirAsia has submitted a No-Objection Certificate (NOC) application to the Indian Ministry of Civil Aviation in Delhi. The NOC application marks a step…
Global Spa and Wellness Summit to be held in Gurgaon
Mark Elliott	 Apr 22, 2013 15
The 2013 Global Spa and Wellness Summit (GSWS) will take place at The Oberoi Gurgaon on 5-7 October. Susie Ellis, chairman and CEO, GSWS and president of Spa Finder Wellness, told…
India, Tajikistan to get air connectivity
India and Tajikistan will get connected by air for the first time from May 2013. As many as 14 flights a week will be made operational by a Tajik private air carrier to…
First Turkish World Golf Cup tees off in Dubai
Turkish Airlines recently launched the inaugural Turkish Airlines World Golf Cup in Dubai. This is the first round of a global amateur championship, taking place this year in 12…
Mumbai airport is worst in flight delays
Mumbai airport continues to have the worst record in flight delays among Indian metros. According to the data released by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA),…
Jet Airways, SAA ink code-share
Jet Airways and South African Airways (SAA) announced a code-share agreement enhancing connectivity between India and South Africa. Under the code-share arrangement Jet Airways will…
VoA registers 63% growth
The Visa-on-Arrival (VoA) scheme registered a growth of 63% in March 2013. A total of 2,107 VoAs were issued as compared to 1,287 VoAs issued during March 2012. Last month, the…
Ethiopian eyes more Indian routes
Ethiopian Airlines is eyeing new routes in India. The carrier plans to start direct flights from metros and tier-two cities to tourist destinations in Africa. The airline which…
Asian aviation briefs
Garuda profits surge Garuda Indonesia achieved a strong set of financial results in 2012, with a sharp rise in net profits compared with the previous year. The national carrier…
Goibibo.com launches Travel Premier League
Goibibo.com has launched the Travel Premier League (TPL). The TPL will allow to cash on the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) and offer travellers up to 90% discount on air…
FACE-TO-FACE: Mbuvi Ngunze, Kenya Airways
Apr 8, 2013 0
Today, Travel Daily chats with Mbuvi Ngunze, Chief Operating Officer of Kenya Airways about China, Dreamliners and Africa's 'peace dividend'… Q) Kenya is currently expanding in…
UNWTO conference in Hyderabad this week
Mark Elliott	 Apr 8, 2013 15
The United Nations World Travel Organisation (UNWTO) will organise its conference on Sustainable Tourism Development in Hyderabad from 12-14 April. The event will be held in…
Hilton launches Garden Inn brand in Southeast Asia
Apr 8, 2013 16
Hilton Worldwide has opened a new Hilton Garden Inn hotel in Hanoi, marking the brand's debut in Southeast Asia. The brand was first conceived in 1996 but took more than a decade to reach…
Apeejay Hotels enters mid-market segment
Mark Elliott	 Apr 5, 2013 6
Apeejay Surrendra Park Hotels has announced its foray into the mid-market segment with the launch of 'Zone by The Park'. The group is eyeing approximately 20-25 properties in the…
Marriott to introduce Edition Boutique Hotels in India
Marriott is planning to introduce its premium 'Edition Boutique Hotels' in India soon. Edition brand has been created in partnership with boutique hotel pioneer Ian Schrager. "Each…
Top seven dream destinations in the world revealed
WAYN has revealed the top seven dream destinations in the world as chosen by its 21 million users worldwide. The seven destinations are Indonesia, Fiji, South Africa, Dubai, India, Brazil…
Adlabs Imagica partners with tour operators
Adlabs Imagica has tied up with Indian tour operators as a part of the travel and trade programme to maximize tourist footfalls to its theme park. While the engagement with the…
Howrah Rajdhani Express gets Wi-Fi
The Howrah Rajdhani Express Train (train no 12302) will run a pilot project offering Wi-Fi facility, with trains running between Howrah and New Delhi. The facility launched by the…
Drastic fall in Indian arrivals
The number of foreign tourist arrivals in India dropped 25% during the first three months of this year. The drop follows the risk of sexual assault for women tourists after the Delhi…
Asian hotel rates take a dive
Hotels in the Asia Pacific region have seen a dramatic decline in room rates in 2013. According to the latest data from STR Global, provided exclusively to Travel Daily, average daily…
Germany targets youth market
Mark Elliott	 Mar 22, 2013 17
In a strategic move, Germany is targeting the youth market from India. The destination is looking at attracting the youth under the theme 'Germany for Young People' by deploying high…
Starwood to double W Hotels in Asia
Starwood Hotels & Resorts has announced plans to double its portfolio of W Hotels in Asia Pacific, expanding to 20 properties by the end of 2018. The brand was recently launched…
Air India withdraws 10 routes in three years
Air India has withdrawn 10 direct flights to international destinations in the last three years. The discontinuation of flights is mainly due to poor passenger load. The airline…
IndiGo flight gets bird-hit
A Delhi-bound IndiGo flight suffered a bird-hit immediately after take-off from Agartala airport yesterday. The aircraft had just taken off when a large bird, possibly a falcon or an…
Rashtrapati Bhavan becomes new tourist spot
Rashtrapati Bhavan is on its way to become a must-see tourist spot in New Delhi. The President's House has seen an increase of 300-500 visitors a day to 700 visitors now. Between 5…
Atout France launches "Be There! Do That!" campaign
Mark Elliott	 Mar 18, 2013 0
Atout France has launched "Be There! Do That!" campaign in India. The new promotional campaign focuses on novel experiences in France was launched at the French Ambassador's Residence in…
MoT calls for corporate sector to join CCI
The Union Tourism Minister, Dr K Chiranjeevi has urged the corporate world to join hands with the Ministry of Tourism to promote Campaign Clean India (CCI). During an interaction with…
Air India launches advance purchase fare
Air India has introduced a 60-day advance purchase fare (Apex) scheme, aimed at the leisure and holiday market. The initiative, launched just before the start of the summer holidays,…
Airport checks likely to get more stringent
Flyers in India may soon be required to take off their shoes and belts to clear pre-boarding security checks. The Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) has conducted a pilot project…
VoA registers 54% growth last month
The Visa-on-Arrival (VoA) scheme registered a 54.6% growth in February 2013. The country issued a total of 1,974 VoAs as compared to 1,259 VoAs during the month of February 2012. The…
India approves Flexible Use of Airspace
NHLAPB to be set up as the first step for implementation of FUA… The Indian government has approved Flexible Use of Airspace (FUA) by civil and military users. The green light was…
TEQ, SIA launch Go Beyond campaign
Mark Elliott	 Mar 8, 2013 17
Tourism & Events Queensland (TEQ), in partnership with Singapore Airlines (SIA) has announced the 2013 summer campaign - Go Beyond. Launched by former Australian cricketer Matthew…
Abu Dhabi's hospitality industry witnesses growth
Abu Dhabi's hospitality industry got off to a positive 2013 start with figures just released by Abu Dhabi Tourism and Culture Authority (TCA Abu Dhabi). As per statistics, January…
Kingfisher loses international slots
Feb 26, 2013 15
Kingfisher Airlines has lost all its international traffic rights, with immediate effect. India's Minister of Civil Aviation, Ajit Singh, confirmed the decision this week, saying that…
Fleet expansion at Oman Air
Mark Elliott	 Feb 4, 2013 7
Oman Air is further expanding its fleet of Boeing 737-800s with the introduction of two additional aircraft, bringing the total fleet strength to 30. The expansion follows shortly after…
Indian carriers receive new A320s
Two Indian low-cost carriers, GoAir and IndiGo, have taken delivery of new Airbus A320 aircraft. Mumbai-based GoAir received the 14th of an order for 20 A320s this week, but the latest…
Asian hotels make small gains in 2012
The Asia Pacific hotel sector experienced limited growth in terms of rates and occupancy in 2012, according to full-year data provided by STR Global. Last year, the region's occupancy…
Abu Dhabi expands presence at SATTE
Mark Elliott	 Jan 14, 2013 6
Abu Dhabi Tourism and Culture Authority (TCA Abu Dhabi) will be participating for the third consecutive time at SATTE in New Delhi. The pavilion is 80% larger than last year and will…
International Tourism Mart to start next week
Mark Elliott	 Jan 11, 2013 12
The Ministry of Tourism (MoT) will organise an International Tourism Mart at Guwahati from 18th to 20th January. Announcing this at a press conference in New Delhi yesterday, Union Tourism…
Indians among largest visitor contingents to Ferrari World Abu Dhabi
The team behind Ferrari World Abu Dhabi has noted a large increase in the number of visitors from the Subcontinent. "We've seen a significant spike in the number of Indian tourists to the…
Abu Dhabi opens destination promotion office in India
Abu Dhabi has opened a destination representation office in India to serve the high potential Indian market. The Abu Dhabi Tourism & Culture Authority (TCA Abu Dhabi) move comes as…
Finnair to give Xi'an European connection
Dec 20, 2012 16
The historic Chinese city of Xi'an will become connected to Europe for the first time next year, when Finnair launches a new direct service from Helsinki. Finnair will begin flying to Xi'an…
NCHMCT, IGNOU sign MoU deal
Mark Elliott	 Dec 12, 2012 11
The National Council for Hotel Management and Catering Technology (NCHMCT) has renewed its pledge by extending its Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Indira Gandhi National Open…
Jet Airways expands codeshare with Etihad
Mark Elliott	 Dec 12, 2012 0
Jet Airways has expanded its codeshare agreement with UAE's Etihad Airways. With this agreement, Jet Airways will place its codeshare on Etihad's flight operating out of Abu Dhabi to Paris…
Art panel objects convention centre at Pragati Maidan
The proposal to enlarge the facilities at New Delhi's Pragati Maidan, may hit a roadblock as the Delhi Urban Arts Commission has taken objection with a large convention centre in the…
India launches new 'Change of Guard' ceremony
India has launched its new 'Change of Guard' ceremony at Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi. The new ceremony will allow people to witness the great military tradition. The ceremony will…
Finnair to add Vietnam flights
Finnair has announced that it will commence flights to Vietnam next year. From 14 June 2103, the European airline will offer three direct weekly flights between Helsinki and Hanoi,…
AirAsia denies India plans
AirAsia has denied reports that it is planning to invest in Indian low-cost carrier, SpiceJet. Citing unnamed Indian government officials, Reuters yesterday reported that Malaysian budget…
BB Airways signs up with Abacus
Abacus International has signed a new partnership with BB Airways, the new international airline based in Nepal. The agreement is BB Airways' first distribution agreement and will provide…
Qatar Airways launches Dreamliner flights
Qatar Airways began commercial services using its brand new Boeing 787 aircraft yesterday. The airline debuted its new twin-aisle aircraft on the Doha–Dubai route, offering four daily…
VietJet adds Vinh flights VietJet Air has commenced flight to Vinh, in north-central Vietnam. The new direct route from Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC) will be operated daily using VietJet's…
Qatar Airways receives first Dreamliner
Qatar Airways has taken delivery of its first Boeing 787 Dreamliner. The aircraft, which marks the first of 30 787s ordered by Qatar Airways, is also the first Dreamliner to be delivered to…
MoCA approves more traffic rights
Mark Elliott	 Nov 12, 2012 16
The Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) has approved more traffic rights. These rights are approved to Indian carriers for three seasons beginning winter 2012. The new allocations are…
India reviews fog preparedness
Mark Elliott	 Nov 9, 2012 13
The Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) has asked the concerned authorities to take all necessary steps in advance to meet eventualities arising out of fog during the winter season…
Air India starts Varanasi-Hyderabad
Mark Elliott	 Nov 9, 2012 1
Air India has introduced a daily flight connecting Hyderabad and Varanasi via Mumbai and Delhi with an Airbus A319. The new flight AI695 will depart Hyderabad at 0635 reaching Mumbai…
VoA up 18% in October
India registered 18.1% increase in Visa on Arrival (VoA) scheme for October 2012 as compared to the previous year. The country issued a total of 1,457 VoAs last month as compared to…
India asks easy visa for disaster relief teams
India has pitched for devising a system which can provide quick visa and airport facilities to disaster relief teams. The proposal was put forward by Union Home Minister, Sushil Kumar…
Indian SCOTagents graduate
Indian travel agents received certification of SCOTSagents at a graduation ceremony in New Delhi this week. 25 new Indian travel agents graduated as SCOTSagents at the ceremony attended by…
AAI to infuse more equity
The Airports Authority of India (AAI) will invest around INR 410 crore at Mumbai and New Delhi airports. Ajit Singh, Minister for Civil Aviation in India is yet to decide on the final…
Hyatt to manage Ista Hotels in India
Mark Elliott	 Oct 31, 2012 17
Hyatt Hotels Corporation has announced that five Ista Hotels in India will take the Hyatt name. Hyatt's affiliate has signed management agreements with IHHR Hospitality Private Limited…
Hotel update 29Oct12
Mark Elliott	 Oct 29, 2012 4
News updates from hotel groups including Mercure, Hard Rock, Menzies and more. Barony Castle joins Mercure brand Edinburgh's Barony Castle has opened under Accor's…
Virgin Atlantic launches Mumbai service
Will introduce brand new A330 aircraft with Upper Class seats on Mumbai and Delhi routes… Virgin Atlantic stated that its product investment programme for India would reach more than GBP300…
Kollam to get heli taxi service
The District Tourism Promotion Council (DTPC) in Kollam will introduce heli taxi service in the town ahead of the President's Trophy Boat Race. The services will be launched along with New…
Subodh Kant Sahai resigns
Subodh Kant Sahai, Tourism Minister for India has resigned over the weekend. Sahai will be replaced by veteran movie star, Chiranjeevi as the new Tourism Minister. Travel Daily…
Virgin Atlantic prepares to restart Mumbai flights
Virgin Atlantic has announced it is to plug GBP300 million into its services into India after being snubbed of the rights to fly to Moscow. The airline will relaunch its flights between…
MoCA addresses concern on ground handling policy
The Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) has addressed concerns with the new ground handling policy with a meeting with the airline representatives. Civil Aviation Minister, Ajit Singh…
Kingfisher unlikely to resume flights – minister
Kingfisher Airlines is unlikely to fly again, according to India's Aviation Minister. Speaking to New Delhi Television yesterday (22 October 2012), Ajit Singh said it would be "very…
India, Brunei explore hotel investments
India and Brunei are exploring joint venture investments in the hotel industry. Brunei is also considering investing in India's hotel sector which is now open for 100% FDI. The Minister of…
RCI adds Gurgaon hotel to its network
RCI has announced its affiliation with the Ramada Gurgaon Central to its network. he Ramada Gurgaon Central offers 94 units with modern amenities like mini bar, tea and coffee maker, Wi-Fi…
Dia Mirza promotes Japan in India
Bollywood actress Dia Mirza will promote Japan in India. The Japan National Tourism Organisation (JNTO), Japan Tourism Agency (JTA) and Embassy of Japan organised an event in Delhi to…
Air India flies Dreamliner to Frankfurt
Air India made its maiden long-haul flight on the brand new Boeing 787 Dreamliner on Monday. The national carrier flew the new aircraft between New Delhi and Frankfurt. "Air India's…
Air Astana gears up India initiatives
Air Astana has strategic plans for the India market. The airline plans to increase services in a bid to augment tourist numbers. Talking to Travel Daily Middle East, Janar Jailauova,…
No ADF at Chennai and Kolkata airports – MoCA
The AERA to only determine UDF, landing and parking charges at Chennai and Kolkata airports… The Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) has directed Airports Authority of India (AAI) to not levy…
Indian Railways adds festival trains
To add 4,000 special trips to handle holiday rush between October-November… The Indian Railways will boost train services during the upcoming festival season. More than 4,000 trips of…
DGCA orders Kingfisher to stop selling tickets
Mark Elliott	 Oct 9, 2012 10
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has ordered Kingfisher Airlines to stop selling tickets. The move comes after the airline resumed ticket sales for flights starting this…
Royal Rajasthan on Wheels unveiled
Mark Elliott	 Oct 8, 2012 0
The new train will travel through three states over a seven-day itinerary… The Rajasthan Tourism Development Corporation Ltd (RTDC) and the Indian Railways have launched new luxury train.…
India, Austria to enhance bilateral
India and Austria are looking at enhancing their bilateral relations. A delegation led by Austria's Federal Minister for Transport, Innovation and Technology Doris Bures met India's Civil…
Gujarat to launch home stay policy
Gujarat will launch a home stay policy for domestic and international visitors. The move is targeted towards tourist places in remote areas having few hotel accommodation facilities. The…
Maldivian announces Chennai launch
Maldivian has announced the launch of Chennai services from 15 November 2012. The airline will connect the island capital of Male from Chennai three times a week on Tuesday, Thursday and…
Air France-KLM introduces SkyPriority in India
AirFrance-KLM has introduced SkyPriority service in India. The airline will offer this service to Elite Plus, First, Business Class and Premium Economy class passengers in Delhi, Mumbai and…
Kingfisher staff goes on strike
Passengers flying or booked on Kingfisher Airlines were stuck in aircrafts and airports across the country on Sunday (yesterday) when the airline's engineers went on a flash strike. The…
Mehrangarh Fort tops tourist attractions in India
Mark Elliott	 Sep 26, 2012 9
Mehrangarh Fort in Jodhpur tops the list of tourist attractions in India as per TripAdvisor reviews. The travel website listed the top 15 Indian historic and landmark sites most loved by…
Air connectivity to remote areas a high priority – MoCA
The Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) will give high priority to air connectivity in remote areas. The Minister of Civil Aviation, Ajit Singh said air connectivity to Northeast and Tier II…
India, China to strengthen tourism cooperation
India and China are looking at strengthening tourism cooperation. The bilateral will focus on human resource development between the two countries. At a recent meeting held between Zhu…
Asian hotel sector stagnates
Sep 24, 2012 16
The hotel sector in Asia Pacific remained flat in August, with a small rise in average rates offsetting a marginal drop in occupancy levels. According to the latest data from STR Global,…
Maldivian Airlines announces Mumbai flights
Mark Elliott	 Sep 17, 2012 15
Flying to the most popular and exotic island destination will get easier than before. Maldivian Airlines has announced the launch of direct flights between Male and Mumbai from 15 November.…
Rail Europe to conduct training programme
Travel agents across India will get a chance to learn more about Rail Europe products. Rail Europe India will conduct a series of training programmes for retail agents, global sales agents…
India's VoA up 90%
For the month of August 2012, India issued 1,750 visa under its Visa on Arrival (VoA) scheme. The country registered 90.2% growth as compared to 920 visas issued in August 2011. During the…
India, Philippines to enhance tourism cooperation
India and the Philippines have decided to enhance mutual cooperation in the tourism sector. Both the countries will identify areas of work together and explore new opportunities especially…
Air India receives first Dreamliner
Mark Elliott	 Sep 7, 2012 16
Air India has finally taken delivery of its first Boeing 787 Dreamliner, which will be used on flights between London and Delhi. The occasion follows a four-year delay and significant…
Sep 6, 2012 0
Air India has finally taken delivery of its first Boeing 787 Dreamliner. The occasion follows a four-year delay and significant wrangling over compensation claims. Air India was at one…
Sep 6, 2012 17
China Airlines to recruit 126 cabin crew China Airlines (CAL) is now accepting applications for 126 Taiwanese flight attendants, to serve on its flights to Asia and Oceania. This is the…
The latest industry appointments – Asia
TRACY DEDMAN has been announced as British Airways' new Regional General Manager for Greater China and the Philippines. Replacing Kevin McQuillan, she moves to the new role from her previous…
Hotel prices up 12% in India
India's average room rates (ARR) rose 12% in first six months of 2012. According to the data revealed by Hotels.com, hotel prices in Chennai rose 11%, Mumbai prices were up 7% while prices…
India, Maldives discuss aviation cooperation
India and Maldives are looking at enhancing cooperation in the civil aviation sector, including increasing air links between Indian cities and Male. A delegation led by Maldives Minister of…
TAT taps luxury tourism
Mark Elliott	 Sep 4, 2012 8
The Tourism Authority of Thailand's (TAT) in India is tapping the upcoming luxury segment. To give a feel of Thailand's luxury offering TAT's New Delhi office along with Odysseus India…
Atout France celebrates 10th anniversary
Atout France celebrated its 10th anniversary in the Indian market with celebrations at the French restaurant – Ra Ra Avis in New Delhi. The audience comprised of a diverse…
South Africa begins second road show
South African Tourism has commenced its second four city road show in India. The tourism board along with 25 suppliers will travel to Mumbai, Ahmedabad, New Delhi and Kolkata starting 3…
Atout France announces new campaign
Atout France has announced a special marketing campaign titled "Be There, Do That!" starting next year in India. Commenting on the new campaign Catherine Oden, Director of Atout France in…
Expedia sets up research centre in India
Expedia Inc has set up a research and development centre in Gurgaon, New Delhi. The US-based online giant has hired 100 people and is expected to add another 200 soon. "It is a strategic…
Maharashtra plans aviation tax reduction
The Maharashtra government is planning to the reduce sales tax component on aviation turbine fuel (ATF). The state is currently working on a proposal to lower sales tax and bring it on par…
PATA advances 'Next Gen' agenda to India
The Pacific Asia Travel Associaiton (PATA) is looking to explore opportunities for closer cooperation in line with PATA Next Gen principles in India. Last week, PATA's Chairman, Joao Manuel…