Category Archives: Agents

BTFL Travel announced its partnership with Trails of Travel, an exclusive B2B Destination Management Company (DMC) specialising in personalised European travel experiences. Headquartered in Rennes, France, and co-founded by industry expert Sreejith Govindankutty, Trails of Travel is committed to providing tailored solutions to Indian travel agents. With services including Fixed-Date Departures and FIT packages, Trails of Travel offers curated experiences across Switzerland, France, the Netherlands, Italy, Eastern Europe, the UK, Scandinavia, the Baltics, and Slovenia. The company stands out with its unique offerings, such as infant care services, senior assistance, and experiential travel programmes for students and teenagers. “Our partnership with Trails of Travel allows us to provide Indian travel agents with timely and personalised European travel solutions, ensuring they can easily cater to the evolving preferences of their clientele,” said Shubhangi Chitre, Director, BTFL Travel.      

BTFL Travel announced its partnership with Travcare Holidays, a premier Destination Management & Hospitality Company specialising in bespoke luxury experiences in South Africa. With over 22 years of industry experience, Travcare Holidays is renowned for curating tailor-made experiences for HNIs, CEOs, celebrities, and top business executives. Through this strategic alliance, BTFL Travel aims to introduce Travcare’s unique offerings to Indian travel agents, providing access to high-end travel experiences such as luxury safaris, golfing breaks, and specialised events including weddings and honeymoons. Travcare Holidays’ exclusive fleet of luxury vehicles and authentic Indian specialty restaurants further enhance the premium travel experience for Indian travellers. “We are thrilled to bring Travcare Holidays into our portfolio, offering Indian travel agents an exceptional opportunity to cater to their high-end clients with unparalleled South African experiences,” said Shubhangi Chitre, Director, BTFL Travel.

The Swiss experience starts onboard Swiss International Air Lines. Once in Switzerland, travellers can enjoy holidays booked by their travel agent through TourFox, a B2B supplier owned by SWISS. Attend all webinars to win a trip to Switzerland in 2026! For more information, contact jaspreet.kaur@ddppl.com or 9650196532.

Every edition of the Kumbh Mela draws millions of pilgrims, spiritual seekers, and tourists from across the world, creating an unparalleled surge in travel, hospitality, and local commerce. Dev Karvat, Founder & CEO, ASEGO said, “From airlines and railways witnessing record bookings to hotels, dharamshalas, and homestays operating at full capacity, the economic impact is undeniable. The event also drives infrastructural development, with improved roads, sanitation, and digital connectivity, benefiting local communities long after the Mela concludes.” For travel agents, Kumbh Mela not only presents a significant business opportunity but also a responsibility—to ensure travellers, especially senior citizens and domestic pilgrims, are well-protected. The sheer scale of the event increases the chances of medical emergencies and travel disruptions. Karvat shared, “ASEGO partners can offer their customers seamless travel protection with ASEGO’s Anywhere-to-Anywhere product covering NRIs, foreign nationals and inbound travellers while Indian citizens can enjoy a holistic domestic travel cover. Travellers who often undertake this journey as a once-in-a-lifetime pilgrimage, need specialised coverage with 24/7 assistance, ensuring help is available when they need it the most. As lakhs of devotees gather in one place, travel protection is not just an add-on—it is a necessity.”

Björn Bender, CEO & Executive Chairman, RailEurope, says, “India is now proving what we have promised and expected for a while—Indian travellers love Europe. They are no longer just visiting the classics—they are venturing into new regions, discovering hidden gems, and making the most of Europe’s extensive rail network. With train travel being hassle-free and often even hands-free (luggage service), they are unlocking Europe in a way that feels natural and effortless.”

South Africa’s Department of Home Affairs’ ground-breaking digital platform for the Trusted Tour Operator Scheme (TTOS) has gone live. This platform will drive increased tourism from the major source markets of India and China by enabling vetted and approved tour operators to submit group applications for large tour groups from these two countries. This addresses a long-standing obstacle to tourism growth, whereby long queues, red tape and the inability to process group applications timeously led to inefficiency in the issuing of visas for tourists from these countries. To illustrate the scale of the change: before TTOS was created, there were only two South African missions in China, and only two missions in India, to serve the 2.8 billion people living in those two countries who wanted to come as tourists to South Africa. But under the new TTOS digital-first system, tourists from India and China who use approved tour operators will no longer have to visit a mission, will no longer fill in a single form, will not need to stand in a single queue, and will receive their visas digitally within three days. In 2023, South Africa only received 37 000 tourists from China and only 79 000 from India. By enhancing visa efficiency and security through TTOS, Home Affairs looks forward to enabling much faster tourism growth from these two burgeoning source markets. The Minister of Home Affairs, Dr Leon Schreiber, said: “The fact that Home Affairs took the TTOS from conceptualisation to implementation in less than six months demonstrates our commitment to embracing digital transformation and to playing our role as an economic enabler to create jobs. Research has shown that for every twelve new tourists attracted by TTOS, we …

DreamSetGo has been appointed as an Official Travel Agent for the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, bringing cricket fans closer to the action with personalised, high-end travel and hospitality experiences. As one of the select authorised travel agents for the tournament, DreamSetGo will provide seamless, customised travel solutions for cricket enthusiasts worldwide. These premium packages will feature official match tickets, luxury accommodations, VIP hospitality, exclusive fan interactions and meet-and-greet sessions with cricketing icons, ensuring a once-in-a-lifetime sporting adventure tailored to each fan’s passion. “At DreamSetGo, we believe sports travel should go beyond just attending matches. It should be a gateway to immersive, unforgettable experiences,” said Daniel D’Souza, Co-founder, DreamSetGo. “As an Official Travel Agent for the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, we are elevating fan engagement through bespoke offerings that provide top-tier hospitality and exclusive access beyond the stadium. Whether it’s soaking in the electrifying atmosphere of a marquee match or getting up close with cricketing legends, we are committed to curating extraordinary journeys for fans. With personalisation at its core, DreamSetGo’s offerings blend sport, luxury, and exclusivity, ensuring fans don’t just watch history unfold, but become part of it.”  

WTTC’s latest report ‘Bridging the Say-Do Gap: How to Create an Effective Sustainability Strategy by Knowing Your Customers’ focuses the gap between travellers’ desire for sustainable options and their actual behaviour. Julia Simpson, WTTC President & CEO, said: “Travellers care about sustainability but when buying travel, cost and quality are king. Customers expect businesses to create affordable sustainable options.”

While growth in foreign tourist arrivals is on the lower side at 3%, it is better than industry average, said Goa’s tourism minister Rohan Khaunte. Addressing the controversy of losing popularity among tourists, he added, “All is well. Posts by many influencers of deserted beaches, empty hotels in Goa flooded the internet last December. We didn’t want to respond to every social media influencer who took Goa for a ride in the last quarter. We will address the issues raised. However, the way they took it up was something, which we need to condemn.”

Indian tourism to South Korea has witnessed remarkable growth with 176,668 Indian visitors in 2024—a 44% increase from 2023. To push these numbers further, KTO launched its latest trade-focused initiatives, including the Korea Premium Travel Consultant (KPTC) program, K-Incentive Scheme 3.0, and MICE support programs. Myong Kil Yun, Regional Director – India & SAARC Countries, KTO, says, “Our target for 2025 is to welcome 18.5 million global visitors, including 250,000 from India through these initiatives.”