With close to 50 hotels in the pipeline, IHG® Hotels & Resorts, one of the world’s leading hotel companies, will double its operating portfolio in India in next 5 years.  The company recorded strong signing performance in 2023 with 13 deals closed across its brands in luxury, premium and essentials categories, strengthening its footprint in cities such as Gurgaon, Jim Corbett, Mumbai, Amritsar and Goa. Close to 70% of the signings were in midscale and upper midscale segments, which continues to be a growth driver for the company in India, followed by premium and luxury. IHG’s ambitiou ..read more

Palladium Hotel Group is strengthening its international presence with its arrival in the Middle East. The project announced will be carried out in conjunction with Al Marjan and Almal Real Estate Development, an award-winning ultra-luxury developer based in the region. The ambitious project, which attracts more than $100 million in investment, will consist of 442 hotel rooms and residential units. It represents the first international opening for the iconic Ibiza-born brand, which is now to be known as Ushuaïa Unexpected Hotels & Residences, integrating the concept of branded residences w ..read more

As part of the ongoing, continuous endeavor to enhance the customer journey through digitization, IndiGo will trial new entertainment content. Available to its customers inflight, using the IndiGo app, the trial will be conducted for customers travelling between the Delhi-Goa sector from 1st May 2024, for a period of three months.  Committed to enhancing its app to become a valuable tool for its customers, as well as improving the in-flight experience, the airline has upgraded its app to provide options to watch popular blockbuster movies, TV shows, access moving maps, games, as well as t ..read more

According to CAPA India, the combination of India’s outbound potential, supplemented by other South Asian countries as extension markets and the opportunity to capture intercontinental transfer traffic via Indian hubs, makes this arguably one of the most exciting long-haul markets in the world. Indian carriers currently only have around 65 widebodies (of which some are not operational). In contrast, the ME carriers have close to 500 widebodies, of which more than 250 are with Emirates alone. As a result, 6th freedom carriers accounted for the dominant share of long-haul traffic (64%) and ultra ..read more

Speaking about the latest update from Vistara, Jay Bhatia, TAAI VP, says, “The airline has said that the agents can use the credit cards on the list they have circulated to the travel agents as a payment option on the GDS. However, other cards were not listed. Therefore, TAAI had taken this issue up with them and now the airline has added multiple cards on this list that agents can use to book ..read more

Highlighting the inability of hotels in utilizing the increased Floor Area Ratio, Pradeep Shetty, FHRAI president, says, “It is contributing to a gap between the increasing demand fuelled by the escalating influx of airline passengers. However, hotel infrastructure is not growing in Delhi. Addressing these issues would lead to sustainable growth. The current challenges faced by hotels in Delhi regarding the utilization of additional FAR are hindering the sector’s ability to keep pace with the dynamic demands ..read more

A survey by Marriott Bonvoy has found that a majority of Gen Zs and Millennials in Asia Pacific excluding China (APEC) prefer the simplicity of belonging to one comprehensive loyalty travel programme. While 60% of them are actively subscribed to loyalty programs, the challenge of juggling several loyalty programs has led most (57%) to seek out one program that meets all their travel needs ..read more

IHCL announced the opening of a Vivanta hotel in Jamshedpur, Jharkhand. Located in the heart of the city, the hotel is a seamless blend of contemporary elegance and local tribal heritage. Speaking on the occasion, Puneet Chhatwal, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, IHCL said, “We are delighted to unveil Vivanta in Jamshedpur, India’s first planned industrial city. Founded by Jamsetji Tata and named after him, Jamshedpur is also known as Tatanagar due to the presence of multiple Tata companies. This opening will mark the debut of the Vivanta brand and will be IHCL’s second hote ..read more

Skyscanner’s report finds that nearly 3 in 4 Gen Z travellers meticulously plan their first international trips, with 76% arranging itineraries and 73% booking return tickets in advance. Over half (51%) prioritize budget-friendly flights and accommodations, for their first overseas trip, indicating a strong emphasis on financial planning among this generation.  ..read more

Naveen Kundu, MD, Ebixcash Travel has said that the travel corporate tax paid by corporations in India has grown by 160% over the last 10 years. Net direct tax collection has surged by 160% to ₹16,63,686 crores, indicating increased profitability among corporations. With the corporate tax rate slashed to 25% from the previous range of 30-35% announced in 2015, business houses now have an additional 10% from their theoretical revenues to allocate towards employee expenditures.   ..read more