AVIAREPS, one the world’s leading international representation, marketing and communications companies for aviation, tourism, and hospitality, and the World Tourism Organization UNWTO today announced a partnership to join forces and support the development and growth of the international tourism sector in selected European UNWTO member countries. This will be achieved through the award of a full-service destination marketing grant and four research grants. AVIAREPS, an Affiliate Member of the UNWTO, will provide a diverse 360° portfolio of destination marketing and research services free of ch ..read more

Tourism Authority of Thailand recently organised a MEGA FAM Trip for Indian travel agents, to the beautiful province of Phang Nga in Southern Thailand. Located just over an hour away (by road) from Phuket International Airport, Phang Nga is a must-visit destination for luxury travellers, millennials, honeymooners, and families. With clear blue waters, white sand beaches, mesmerizing islands and luxury beach resorts, this island destination is soon becoming the preferred holiday choice for discerning travellers from around the world, that are looking for a new beach destination to explore in Th ..read more

South Korea will temporarily exempt people from 22 visa-waiver nations from mandatory online travel permits and transit visa requirements as part of efforts to attract more foreign tourists and boost domestic demand, the Finance Ministry said on Wednesday. These are a set of measures aimed at attracting 10 million foreign tourists this year, a goal that could help spur private spending and revitalize the economy amid an economic slowdown, Yonhap News Agency quoted the Ministry as saying. The number of foreign visitors to South Korea hit a record high of 17.5 million in 2019, generating tourism ..read more

Suba Group of Hotels, a master franchisee of Choice Hotels India has marked another milestone in Uttrakhand with the launch of ‘Comfort Inn Silver Arch’ in Mussoorie. Conveniently located near the entry of the Picture Palace side of Mall Road in Mussoorie, the property can be accessed easily by road, rail, and by air via Dehradun airport. Some of the prominent tourist destinations including Malls, Kempty Falls, LalTibba, Company Garden, Gun Hill, George Everest House, Cloud End, Bhatta Falls, and Camel Back Road are located in close proximity to the hotel. Announcing the opening, Mansur Mehta ..read more

MakeMyTrip has announced its plan to expand its franchise business in the top 100+ cities of the country. The company started 2023 with 146 active franchisees and aims to grow by more than 50 per cent to reach 220 by the end of the calendar year. “India has emerged as one of the world’s fastest-growing aviation markets. The government plans to add another 80 airports over the next three years, taking the number of airports in the country to 220 by 2025. The focus on modernising the nation’s aviation market in Tier 2 and beyond cities will also mean an increased contribution from such cities to ..read more

Oman Air is passing a major milestone this month with the occasion of its 30th anniversary, a journey that began in March 1993 with a single flight between the cities of Muscat and Salalah. The route, operated by Boeing 737-300, marked the launch of the airline’s domestic network, which was followed shortly after with its first international flight between Muscat and Dubai. Over the past three decades, the airline has gone from strength to strength and now flies to over 45 destinations as far as Europe and the Far East, with a strong international presence and a reputation for providing high q ..read more

IHG® Hotels & Resorts has signed a management agreement with Amritsar Golden Hospitality LLP to develop the new Holiday Inn Amritsar Golden Temple in Punjab. Expected to open in Q2 2027, the newly built hotel will add 215 keys to IHG’s burgeoning portfolio in the city and strengthen its presence in the prime tourist destination of Punjab.  This would be IHG’s third hotel in the city along with Holiday Inn Amritsar Ranjit Avenue and Holiday Inn Express Amritsar Golden Temple, which is scheduled to open in 2025. Conveniently located in the heart of city centre and short walking distance ..read more

The Air India Group today announced that it has completed a significant milestone in the integration of its two low-cost subsidiary airlines, Air India Express and AirAsia India. On March 27, 2023, the two low-cost airlines moved to a single, unified reservations system and website, and adopted common social media and customer support channels.  This migration, which largely involved Air India Express migrating to the systems used by AirAsia India, confers significant capability and efficiency benefits for the airline and passengers. In particular, passengers are now able to make and mana ..read more

IndiGo has commenced new direct flights between Bengaluru-Aurangabad, effective March 28, 2023. This new route has been introduced to cater to the increasing demand for direct connectivity between the destinations. The new Bengaluru-Aurangabad route will reduce travel time to one and a half hours. Vinay Malhotra, Head of Global Sales, IndiGo, said, “We are pleased to introduce faster connectivity between Bengaluru-Aurangabad through new direct flights. Bengaluru as well as Aurangabad are major silk and cotton production centres, and we are confident that this direct connection will benefit not ..read more

Air India launched its first-ever non-stop flight to London Gatwick, from Amritsar today. It has now become the first and only Indian airline to operate at Gatwick Airport— the second-largest airport in the UK. The services to Gatwick are in line with Air India’s ongoing endeavour of enhancing connectivity between India’s major cities and leading global destinations to provide more choices to its passengers. Equipped with 18 Business class seats featuring fully-flat beds and 238 Economy class seats, the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner will be operating three flights a week on Monday, Thursday, and Sat ..read more