Tag Archives: August

Star Air unveils Independence Day sale with fares from INR 1,999

Star Air has unveiled its Independence Day Freedom Sale, celebrating the 78th Independence Day of India. This special sale will run till August 15, offering travellers discounts on both economy and business class fares.

During this period, customers can book their flights on Star Air’s official website, www.starair.in and take advantage of economy fares starting at just INR 1,999 and business class fares starting at INR 5,555. This exceptional offer is valid for travel from August 6 to October 30, giving passengers ample opportunity to plan their trips and experience the comfort and convenience of flying with Star Air.

“We are thrilled to present the Independence Day Freedom Sale to our valued customers,” said Mannu Anand, VP-Commercial of Star Air. “This sale is our way of commemorating this significant day in India’s history and providing our passengers with an opportunity to travel affordably and comfortably across our network.”

 

IndiGo to start direct Mumbai-Vijayawada flights from Aug 16

Low-cost carrier IndiGo has announced the launch of direct flights connecting Mumbai and Vijayawada from August 16. These daily flights aim to facilitate seamless travel between Mumbai and Vijayawada, according to an IndiGo statement.

With the induction of this flight, IndiGo will now operate 130 weekly flights from Vijayawada to eight cities in India.

These new flights will serve as a gateway connecting western India to Vijayawada, which is one of the fastest-growing metropolitan areas in the country, and provide access to international destinations for passengers from the East Coast, via Mumbai, the statement added.

Keen to showcase Kenya as a 365-day destination for Indians: KTB

With Kenya unveiling visa-free entry for foreign tourists last month, Kenya Tourism Board (KTB) is keen to showcase the country as a 365-day destination in the Indian market.

Talking about this, John Chirchir, HSC Ag. Chief Executive Officer, Kenya Tourism Board, “Visa-free regime is one of the best ways to boost tourism. Direct flights by IndiGo, Air India, Kenya Airways and one-stop flights via the Middle East through Qatar Airways, Emirates, and Ethiopian Airlines, offers multiple options to visit Kenya. We are keen to showcase Kenya as a multi-faceted 365 day destination since the weather is moderate throughout the year. Currently, maximum Indians visit Kenya during June to August months.’

Shedding light on their strategy in India, she said, that they are undertaking targeted campaign aimed at tour operators and airlines, and also offer an Incentives campaign for the trade to increase tourist volumes to Kenya. “We see a mix of families, honeymooners and FITs,” she said.

Hiring in T&T sector increases by 44% in August: Report

The travel and tourism sector in India experienced a remarkable 44% increase in hiring demand in August compared to the same month the previous year.

This substantial growth can be attributed to rising disposable incomes and increased spending on both leisure and business travel within the country. This data comes from a report by foundit (formerly Monster APAC & ME).

Before the pandemic, the travel and tourism sector displayed a robust 16% growth in 2019. However, due to pandemic-related disruptions, travel restrictions, and lockdowns, there was a sharp 47% decline in job postings in 2020 and a 27% dip in 2021. While the industry saw a modest 3% increase in hiring in 2022, it has made a significant recovery this year as people regained confidence in travel.

The foundit report is based on data as of August 2023 and includes annual data comparisons for August 2023 against August 2022.

Sekhar Garisa, CEO of foundit, a Quess company, stated, “The travel and tourism industry has truly bounced back from the pandemic with a boom, driven significantly by government initiatives focused on infrastructural development and heritage promotion.” He also noted India’s move to allow 100% foreign direct investment (FDI) for tourism construction projects and participation in the G20 summit as factors that have bolstered sustainable tourism in the country.

Garisa highlighted the role of emerging technologies such as AI and AR/VR in driving growth and enhancing visitor experiences in the industry, shaping the future of Indian tourism.

He emphasised the need for the industry to adapt to changing traveler demands by offering unique, sustainable, and well-promoted experiences. Focusing on niche segments with high growth potential, such as wellness, adventure, sustainability, and cultural tourism, can ensure continued success for the industry.

According to foundit data, the top job roles in demand in the travel and tourism industry include sales and business development (23%), software and electrical engineers (12%), and marketing and communication (8%). Roles such as chefs (5%) and medical representatives (5%) also accounted for a significant share of overall demand.

In terms of job postings, tier II cities such as Jaipur (34%), Ahmedabad (33%), and Chandigarh (33%) reported the highest increase in August compared to the same month the previous year. This trend is attributed to the rise of tier II cities as prominent talent hubs, thanks to their swift infrastructural expansion, vast talent pools, diverse skill sets, and cost-efficient operations.

The report also highlighted that freshers accounted for the highest demand share in the travel and tourism sector across experience levels. Companies are increasingly hiring freshers for their cost-efficiency, adaptability, and readiness to navigate the evolving travel industry.

After the pandemic’s adverse effects, including layoffs and economic downturns, many businesses are now investing in digital transformation and technology to attract and retain employees. This includes embracing the gig model to address talent deficits and meet the growing demand in the travel sector. Data from foundit revealed a 14% growth in gig roles since January 2023.

 

Deal activity in T&T industry declines 36.2% YoY during Jan-Aug 2023: GlobalData

The global travel and tourism industry experienced a notable decline in deal activity during January-August 2023, marking a substantial year-on-year (YoY) decrease of 36.2% compared to the same period in 2022.

This decline spanned various deal types, including mergers and acquisitions (M&A), private equity, and venture financing, with economic uncertainties and geopolitical tensions playing a significant role in shaping this trend, finds GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company.

An analysis of GlobalData’s Financial Deals Database reveals that a total of 482 deals were announced in the global travel and tourism industry compared to 756 deals announced during January-August 2022. The volume of M&A deals declined by 37.8% while the number of private equity and venture financing deals declined by 38.1% and 30.8% YoY, respectively.

Aurojyoti Bose, Lead Analyst at GlobalData, said, “Economic uncertainties including interest rates hikes, rising inflation, looming recession fears coupled with geopolitical tensions seem to have made investors cautious, which led to the significant decline in T&T deal activity across many countries.”

In fact, several key markets witnessed double-digit decline in deals volume during January-August 2022 compared to the same period in 2022. For instance, the US, the UK, Australia, France, Japan, the Netherlands, and Canada witnessed deals volume decline by 47.2%, 45.3%,20.8%, 13.6%, 62.5%, 31.3% and 33.3% YoY, respectively, during January-August 2023.

India and China too registered 6.3% and 3.3% decline in deals volume during January-August 2022 compared to the same period in 2022.

Bose concluded, “Despite the challenges, its ability to adapt and recover has been a hallmark of the travel and tourism industry, and this resilience is likely to drive a resurgence in deal activity when the global landscape stabilizes.”

28% Indians plan to travel in August-September; risk of third COVID-19 wave set to rise: Survey

With as many as 28 per cent Indians planning to travel in August-September, which is also the time for some of the major festivals in the country, the risk of the third wave of the pandemic is set to rise, according to a survey.

In a statement, online platform LocalCircles also said its survey on April 12 had outlined the immediate second wave risk suggesting governments to impose travel restrictions estimate the risk once again in light of a potential third COVID-19 wave and to understand people’s travel plans for the coming months, LocalCircles conducted another survey. It also sought to understand the reason for their travel amid the second wave of the pandemic, it said.

The survey received over 18,000 responses from citizens residing in 311 districts, with 68 per cent of respondents being men and the rest women.

LocalCircles said 28 per cent citizens are planning to travel during August-September though only five per cent have made their bookings. It added that during the second wave of the outbreak, many citizens faced teething issues to cancel their travel plan for the summer.

In many cases, the travel agent or the airline did not refund anything, and some citizens lost the complete ticket amount, while some were able to retrieve a partial amount, and others were asked to re-book the ticket for a later date, it stated.
As many citizens now look forward to travelling in August and September, the first question in the survey was to know about their current plan.

“In response, it received from 9,146 people, 63 per cent of citizens said they don’t have a plan to travel during these two months.

“Five per cent said they have plans and have booked the tickets, along with stays while 23 per cent said they have a plan to travel during these two months but have not booked tickets and they stay yet. Nine per cent said they are undecided,” LocalCircles said in the statement.

During this time, many parts of India have holidays for festivals and there is a good bit of travel that takes place. Many also tend to club these holidays with weekends by taking a day or two off, it stated.

The survey also asked citizens about what kind of personal travel do they plan to undertake in the next two months.

“In response, 13 per cent citizens said ‘holiday destination’, 39 per cent citizens said ‘visit family and friends’ and 22 per cent said ‘other travel’,” it said.

The report added that the results of the survey indicate that of those who plan to travel in August-September, 54 per cent will be visiting friends and family.

On an aggregate basis, if the data of those planning to travel in August-September is analysed, it indicates that 54 per cent plan to ‘visit family and friends’, 26 per cent will be travelling to ‘holiday destinations’, and 32 per cent will be undertaking other kinds of travel, according to the statement.

In summary, with the decline in daily COVID-19 caseload, 28 per cent citizens plan to travel in August-September. As indicated by the findings of the survey, 23 per cent of citizens plan to travel in the next two months, though they haven’t booked their tickets yet and only 5 per cent of citizens surveyed have booked their tickets and accommodation, it stated.

Of those who are planning travel, the majority of 54 per cent citizens are planning to meet their friends and family, while 26 per cent plan to travel to a holiday destination, LocalCircles said.

“The government must continue to create awareness among people about limiting non-essential travel till the time the risk of a third COVID-19 wave greatly reduces.

“The biggest challenge with travel when the virus is spreading was observed in March and April during the Kumbh Mela when as devotees went back to their hometowns, many came back with the infection,” LocalCircles said.

The platform said it will also submit the findings of this survey with central and state governments, so that the same can be used as an input in policy decisions in regard to mitigating the risk of the third COVID-19 wave in India.

Although the daily cases in India have declined significantly for nearly two months from four lakh to 40,000 range, infections in some districts continue to remain on an upward trajectory, particularly in Kerala and Maharashtra, said LocalCircles.

“The test positivity rate in as many as 45 districts across India is reportedly still 10 per cent or higher.

“PM Narendra Modi earlier this month expressed concerns about overcrowding at tourist destinations and markets and about the COVID-19 situation in Maharashtra and Kerala, as they have been reporting an increasing number of infections,” it stated.

It can be recalled that the spread of infection was highly concentrated in Maharashtra at the start of the second wave but the impact was later felt all across the country, the online platform said.

It added, “PM Modi has told the Council of Ministers that there should be no space for carelessness or complacency and directed the ministers to take all possible precautions to contain and mitigate the spread.”

Experts have warned that with crowds building up, low adherence to COVID-19 appropriate behaviour, the third wave is inevitable, and it could hit the country in August-September.

Some experts have also highlighted the danger of Delta Plus variant spreading. However, so far, the number of cases of Delta Plus variant identified via genome sequencing across India have been less than 500, according to the statement. (Source: PTI)