Author: Disha Shah Ghosh - Mumbai
Amid record number of Indian travellers visiting the nation Down Under – the three lesser-visited destinations of Canberra, Northern Territory and South Australia are keen to engage with the key distribution partners in the Indian market. While direct air access continues to remain a challenge, these destinations are confident of their offerings resonating with the Indian traveller’s interests. However, the success of this exercise on the ground rests on consistent engagement, and capturing the interest of the Indian travellers via newer itineraries. The family travel segment, FITs and MICE segments are the three verticals that can drive demand beyond the…
Sopa Lodges – Kenya & Tanzania is keen to tap into the Indian market, having appointed Global Destinations as its representative in January this year. As a first step, they participated in the recently concluded Outbound Travel Market (OTM) in Mumbai. Sharing her thoughts, Rosemary Muthoni, Director of Sales at Sopa Lodges, said, ‘India is a key source market for us, and we have seen encouraging outbound growth from India to East Africa. Overall, we grew 25% in revenue in 2024 compared to 2023, with a 10% contribution from India. Therefore, despite our local DMCs being present here, it was…
The island nation of Fiji has seen a steady surge in visitors from India, and the country is hopeful of a double-digit growth in numbers this year. Talking to TravelBiz Monitor during his recent visit to India, Brent Hill, CEO Tourism Fiji, said, “India is a growing tourism source market for Fiji. Starting 2025 and onwards from here, it has the opportunity to grow as the biggest market for us. We are starting to invest and undertake more activities here having seen value from this market.” In 2024, 10,000 visitors originating from India visited Fiji. This is besides the Indian…
Amid soaring airfares for flights to Prayagraj due to the ongoing Maha Kumbh Mela, the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) and the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) have taken decisive steps to regulate ticket prices and enhance connectivity. The Maha Kumbh, which began on January 13 and will conclude on February 26, has driven unprecedented demand for air travel to Prayagraj. Reports indicate a sharp 21% increase in ticket prices for Delhi-Prayagraj flights, with fares spiking further around key ‘snan’ (bathing) dates. In response, the DGCA held a high-level meeting with airlines, instructing them to rationalise fares and expand…
Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh said that development of the India’s North East region is of prime importance for the overall inclusive growth of India, and tourism development has always been one of the key focus areas of the Union government. Dr Jitendra Singh, Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) of the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER), MoS PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space, was present at the signing of the four memorandum of understanding (MoUs) under the aegis of his Ministry on Monday. He said these MoUs with Airbnb are a step…
SKAL International India, the global organisation for travel and tourism professionals, is set to host the SKAL India National Congress 2025, scheduled to take place in Mumbai from September 12 to 14. This event will bring together key stakeholders from the travel, tourism, and hospitality industries to foster collaboration, exchange innovative ideas, and celebrate the spirit of camaraderie that defines SKAL. The Theme: “Future Forward: Tourism in an Evolving World” Under the thought-provoking theme “Future Forward: Tourism in an Evolving World,” the Congress will explore the opportunities and challenges shaping the global travel and tourism landscape.” With sustainability, technology, and…
The Kenya Tourism Board (KTB) and Athletics Kenya (AK) has launched a series of mountain and trail running events aimed at positioning Kenya as a sports and adventure destination. The series dubbed the “Magical Kenya Mountain & Trail Series” will kick off with the Barngetuny mountain run hosted in Nandi County set for January 18, 2025. Speaking during the launch event in Nairobi, PS for Tourism John Ololtua said that Kenya known as the home of running and world beaters has the potential to attract additional tourists by tapping in the mountain and trail series which also gives opportunity for…
Amid the prevailing dense fog conditions, Delhi Airport authorities on Friday issued an advisory and stated that flights which were not CAT III compliant would get affected. Taking to social media X, the authority wrote in a post “While landing and take offs continue at Delhi airport, flights that are not CAT III compliant may get affected.” Further, the airport authorities requested passengers to contact concerned airlines for their updated flight information. “Passengers are requested to contact the airline concerned for updated flight information,” the post further read. Inconveniences caused to passengers were regretted. Mumbai-Delhi world’s eighth busiest domestic route…
Indian airlines inducted around 12.6% more aircraft in 2024 in comparison to the previous year, according to data from fleet tracking website Planespotter. In 2023, scheduled Indian operators (including former airlines like Go First and Vistara) inducted 112 aircraft in their fleet against 81 added in 2022, which was an increase of 38%. In 2024, Indian airlines added 134 aircraft to their fleets compared to 119 the year before, data on the website showed on Tuesday. Of the 134 planes, full-service carrier Air India inducted 24 aircraft, including five A350s. Air India Express, the airline’s low-cost arm, introduced 18 new…
At a time, when visitations from India to its shores are at a record-high, Germany will be rolling out Digital Schengen visas for Indian nationals by the second quarter of 2025, said its Chennai-based Consul General Michaela Küchler. In 2023, German diplomatic missions in India issued more than 1.8 lakh (180,000) Schengen Visas to Indians, and for 2024 the number is expected to surpass the 2 lakh (200,000) mark, as per a Wion report by Siddharth MP. She added that the total time for obtaining a Schengen Visa (including appointment wait time and processing time) from a German mission takes…
