Tag Archives: bookings

Japan to charge JYP 2,000 to limit trekkers at Mt. Fuji

Japan will start collecting entry fees of JYP 2,000 per head from people climbing the famous volcano to limit the number of trekkers to Mount Fuji.

A gate is set to be installed at the entrance to the Yoshida Trail, also known as the fifth station, on the Yamanashi side of Mount Fuji, standing at 3,776m.

The gate will begin collecting fees from climbers starting 1 July this year, marking the beginning of this year’s climbing season.

The implementation of this fee collection aims to manage overcrowding near the summit of the mountain, the Yamanashi Prefectural Assembly has said.

Climbers will need to allocate as much as JYP 3,000 per person for their climb, which includes a voluntary contribution of JYP 1,000 dedicated to the conservation efforts of the mountain, recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage site.

For the 2024 season, up until mid-September, the newly installed gate will operate with limited hours, closing at 4pm and reopening at 3am the next day.

The authorities further added that should the daily influx of climbers surpass 4,000, entry limitations will be enforced. However, climbers who have bookings at mountain huts will not be subject to these restrictions.

Mount Fuji, located at the border of Yamanashi and Shizuoka prefectures, attracted approximately 221,000 climbers last summer, roughly the same level as in 2019, according to Japan’s Environment Ministry. (Source: The Independent)

RateHawk records three-fold growth from India during Q4, 2024

RateHawk, a B2B platform by the UAE-based company Emerging Travel Group, which offers hotel booking services, air tickets and transfers has seen a three-fold growth in business from India during Q4, 2023, since foraying in this market mid-last year.

Talking about this, Victoria Vlasenko, Senior Sales Manager, Asia Pacific Region, RateHawk, said, “My first visit to India last year was to gauge the market potential, and the opportunities here. Now we have a team of four, including two local managers, and are gradually expanding the team here. Between Q3 and Q4 of 2023, we have seen a three-fold growth from India. We have doubled the number of companies that have started using our system reaching over 2000 partners.”

Currently, 2.54 million hotels across the world are listed on the RateHawk system. “We are one of the biggest platforms in hotel bookings space. We work with over 230 global accommodation wholesalers and also develop direct hotel contracts with hotels in India to make sure that we cover not only outbound but also domestic and inbound demand. While we also offer air ticket bookings and land transfers, hotel inventory remains our key offering. For airlines, we use the GDS, and for hotel bookings we have contracts via direct sales and through local B2B partners.”

EaseMyTrip suspends all Maldives flight bookings; initiates Chalo Lakshadweep campaign

Amidst the online boycott Maldives campaign, EaseMyTrip has made a significant decision by suspending all flight bookings to the Maldives. This comes in response to derogatory remarks made by now-suspended ministers against India and Prime Minister Narendra Modi regarding his recent visit to Lakshadweep.

Nishant Pitti, the co-founder and CEO of the Indian online travel company, stood in solidarity with India by announcing on social media (formerly Twitter), “In solidarity with our nation, @EaseMyTrip has suspended all Maldives flight bookings.”

Over the weekend, the Maldivian government suspended three deputy ministers due to their derogatory social media posts about Prime Minister Modi. India raised strong objections to these remarks, leading to backlash. Additionally, top opposition leaders in the island nation criticized the ruling establishment for the controversy.

EaseMyTrip began visit Lakshadweep campaign by #ChaloLakshadweep. In his post on January 4 (X Handle), Prashant Pitti wrote, “Water & beaches of Lakshadweep are as good as Maldives/Seychelles We at @EaseMyTrip will come up with crazy special-offers to promote this pristine destination that our PM @narendramodi has recently visited!

Air India to start Kochi-Doha flights from October 23

Air India is set to connect Kochi, the commercial hub of Kerala, with Doha, the capital of Qatar, with a daily non-stop service from October 23, said an airline official on Sunday.

AI953 will depart at 1:30 p.m. (IST) to reach Doha at 3:45 p.m. The return flight AI954 will take off from Doha at 4:45 p.m. to land at Kochi at 11:35 p.m. (All Local Time). “The flight, operated with an A320neo aircraft, will offer 162 seats (150 in Economy and 12 in Business Class),” said the official.

“The new launch is in line with Air India’s commitment to expand connectivity and enhance frequency on domestic and international sectors as it keeps augmenting its fleet with new aircraft,” said the airline spokesperson.

“The service will further densify and strengthen our operations to the Middle East. Bookings for the flights have already opened on all channels,” said the spokesperson.

 

Jaipur emerges as top cultural destination in India: OYO World Tourism Day Report

Tracking travel trends across India, OYO has published its World Tourism Day report focusing on India’s top spiritual, culture and heritage destinations.

As per the data analysed between January and June, 2023, Jaipur has emerged as the top cultural and heritage destination, followed by Agra, Mysore, Udaipur, and Jodhpur. Interestingly, Rajasthan alone contributes to 76% of the top bookings in this category, with Jaipur observing over 60% of the total bookings. This indicates a strong desire among travellers to explore the rich heritage and culture of the state.

In term of growth, Thekkady, situated near Periyar National Park in Kerala, takes the lead with a 103% increase in bookings compared to the same period last year, followed by Mysore at 42%, showcasing a growing preference among travellers for the Southern states.

Top Heritage Destinations- Zone Wise
North- Agra
South- Mysore
West- Jaipur
East- Bodh Gaya

The spiritual travel category is also witnessing a steady growing in India, fuelled by the desire to pursue enlightenment and self-discovery among millennials and Genz. Among the top spiritual destinations, Varanasi continues to take the lead with 33% of the bookings, followed by Tirupati, Puri, Amritsar, and Haridwar. Compared to H12022, Puri has clocked the maximum growth this year at 22%, followed by Haridwar and Amritsar at 18% and 11% respectively. Other destinations that continue to witness an uptick in demand in this category are Shirdi, Deoghar, Mathura, Vrindavan, and Madurai.

Top Spiritual Destinations- Zone Wise
North- Amritsar
South- Tirupati
West- Shirdi
East- Varanasi

Commenting on the summer travel trends, Shreerang Godbole, Chief Service Officer, OYO said, “As we celebrate the diversity of India’s travel landscape this World Tourism Day, we are happy to observe a shift in travellers’ preferences. More and more people are prioritizing meaningful experiences over luxury and materialism. Spiritual and cultural travel has always been important for India’s tourism, but it’s interesting to see how much it has grown in recent years. Destinations like Varanasi, Tirupati, Puri, and Rajasthan have consistently been popular since 2021. As India’s interest in cultural and spiritual travel grows, we’re committed to supporting local hotels and homeowners, creating job opportunities and boosting the local economy in the process.”

Cleartrip, Axis Bank partner to provide array of travel benefits to credit card customers

Cleartrip, a Flipkart company, and Axis Bank have partnered to introduce travel benefits while booking to all the existing and new credit cardholders.

This collaboration offers customers an array of privileges for domestic flight bookings, including seats valued up to INR 1,200, free meals worth up to INR 500, exemption from convenience fees, and the choice to cancel and reschedule flights for a mere Re. 1 under CT FlexMax. Additionally, Axis Bank credit cardholders can access specially curated travel offers without having to wait for collecting/redeem points to enjoy the benefits.

The strategic partnership marks a stark departure from the conventional standards of booking discounts for domestic flights. In the current market landscape, most Online Travel Agencies (OTAs) focus on offering instant cash discounts through partnerships with banks. However, they offset these discounts by imposing substantial convenience fees and additional charges for seats and meals. Furthermore, they often demand a premium for flexible bookings, limited to just cancellations or date changes. In contrast, our program stands out by offering a comprehensive suite of services at a nominal fee of Re.1. This approach eliminates the need for heavy discounts to be covered by inflated convenience fees, both parties said.

Elaborating on this partnership, Ayyappan R., CEO, Cleartrip, said, “Cleartrip is deeply invested in disrupting the OTA space through a transparent and customer-centric approach. Our partnership with Axis Bank is an extension of this commitment. This will include features such as flexible bookings, cancellation options, and date changes, all without any additional costs. This unique proposition truly sets us apart in the market, and is set to benefit close to 12.5 million customers.”

He added, “Axis Bank is a trusted financial player with a strong affiliation with Flipkart and a large user base. We are excited about this new chapter and look forward to strengthening this collaboration and elevating our value proposition.”

Speaking on this announcement, Sanjeev Moghe, President & Head, Cards & Payments, Axis Bank, said, “We are delighted to partner with Cleartrip, a brand that shares our vision to provide unmatched customer experiences. We continue to build on innovation-led partnership models to offer customers a value proposition specifically designed to cater to their evolving needs, while delivering greater convenience and more benefits. We have observed that the travel segment is a high engagement area for our customers and this one-of-a-kind proposition with Cleartrip will add immense value to our customers’ travel plans.”

The Cleartrip-Axis Bank collaboration is poised to shape the future of travel with its comprehensive suite of privileges. With customer-centricity fuelling the company’s growth, Cleartrip will continue to look at unique value propositions for its users while ensuring sustained growth for the business.