Category Archives: Agents

Uttar Pradesh government is planning to invest nearly Rs 50,000 crore in seven new expressway projects in the next 2-3 years. This will connect about 30 districts to the vast expressway network in the state. The combined length of these expressways is 866 km, connecting areas with Lucknow-State Capital Region and the Delhi NCR. At present, UP accounts for the largest network of expressways in India, either operational or under construction.

West Bengal Tourism recently conducted a Bengal MICE Conclave along with ICPB to position the state as a global MICE destination. It featured discussions and B2B networking sessions with national and international MICE operators. The tourism board also signed an MoU with 6 key organisations like Indian Dental Association to boost medical conferences, exhibitions, and business tourism in West Bengal.

Türkiye has reinforced its position as a leading global tourism destination in 2024, achieving unprecedented growth across key markets and setting new benchmarks in visitor numbers and revenue generation. The country hosted 62.2 million visitors in 2024, marking a 9.8% year-on-year growth and an impressive 20.3% increase compared to pre-pandemic levels in 2019. This remarkable performance demonstrates Türkiye’s successful strategy in diversifying its tourism offerings and expanding its global appeal. Tourism revenue reached a historic high of 61.1 billion USD in 2024, representing an 8.3% increase from the previous year. This growth was accompanied by a strong average visitor spend of USD 972, reflecting the country’s successful positioning in the premium travel segment. The extended average stay duration of 10.7 days further demonstrates Türkiye’s ability to engage visitors with its diverse attractions and experiences. The Indian market has emerged as a particularly strong growth driver, with visitor numbers increasing by 20.7% compared to 2023. This surge can be attributed to enhanced air connectivity between major Indian cities and Turkish destinations, growing popularity among Indian wedding planners and MICE organisers, and the introduction of specialised Turkish experiences catering to Indian preferences. Strategic marketing initiatives in the Indian market have also played a crucial role in positioning Türkiye as a preferred destination for Indian travellers. While Russia, Germany, and the United Kingdom remained Türkiye’s top three source markets, other emerging markets demonstrated notable growth alongside India. The USA saw an 8.1% rise in visitors, while China recorded a substantial 65.1% growth. This diversification of source markets underscores Türkiye’s growing appeal to global travelers and its success in attracting visitors from various regions. Beyond traditional leisure tourism, Türkiye has seen substantial growth in …

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

With the extension of visa exemptions, easy access, direct connectivity and diverse offerings, including gastronomy, culture, heritage, shopping and nightlife — Malaysia presents an unrivalled combination of attributes making it an attractive destination for India’s MICE segment. In a focused endeavor to inspire its top corporates, Thomas Cook (India) partnered with Tourism Malaysia to host a high-impact MICE event in Mumbai. The engagement witnessed strong participation of over 30 CXOs and senior executives from leading multinational corporations and Indian corporate houses across sectors that included BFSI, pharma, electronics, trade etc. along with representatives from Tourism Malaysia and Thomas Cook. These attendees were carefully handpicked by Thomas Cook to attend the exclusive, high-impact event Inaugurated by Mr. Datuk Manoharan Periasamy, Director General of Tourism Malaysia, the event highlighted Malaysia’s unwavering commitment to expanding its MICE offerings and enhancing its accessibility for Indian corporates. Organized in coordination with Nuwal Fadhillah Ku Azmi (Director International Promotion, Asia & Africa), Azura Zainol Abidin (President, Malaysia Sports Tourism), Noriah Jaafar (Director, Tourism Malaysia Mumbai) and T.Ediwanto T.Eddie (Dy Director of Tourism Malaysia), the unique format of the event allowed for a productive blend of business and networking, packed with insightful presentations, engaging discussions and invaluable one-on-one sessions that allowed participants to explore Malaysia’s vast MICE offerings in depth. The intent was not only to showcase Malaysia opportunity but also to inspire significant MICE groups for 2025-26.

Sharing his perspective on the India market, John Grant, Chief Analyst, OAG, says that while India has for many years been an emergent market it has also seen a fair degree of boom-and-bust periods as local airlines have struggled to survive in a market where seemingly uniforms and working conditions were more important than fuel. “Today, that has changed and anyone who has travelled recently in India will be impressed with the levels of digital technology and biometrics in place across every major airport. India is no longer an emergent market – it is the market of international focus and the centre for aviation growth in the next decade,” he adds.

Digi Yatra has ambitious plans for 2025. Suresh Khadakbhavi, CEO, Digi Yatra Foundation, reveals, “Our partnership with IATA for the IATA One-ID X Digi Yatra for enablement of Digi Yatra for International flow will drive growth in 2025. The platform intends to support all 22 official Indian languages. It also aims to conduct an international pilot project, enabling foreign passengers with e-passports to experience its seamless ecosystem.”

The Airbus A321XLR has proven a popular choice with airlines says Gavin Eccles, Managing Partner, GE Consulting & Advisory. “It can fly up to 10 hours, similar to an A330, the difference being we can fly with such distances with 160 people rather than 360 people. This means that tourist boards can start fishing in markets that they have not been to before because the traditional widebody was either too big for most airports or had too many seats that would mean less yield for the airline, resulting in a reluctance to serve certain destinations. But that will now soon change,” he says.

The Korea Tourism Organization (KTO) hosted a roadshow in Delhi to introduce new initiatives and enhanced support programs aimed at strengthening collaboration with Indian travel trade. As part of its efforts to boost travel from India, KTO has introduced a $30 per passenger incentive for Korea-bound travellers booked through KPTC members, applicable for travel between April and December 2025. To qualify, packages must include a minimum one-night stay in Korea, a package cost of at least $250 (excluding airfare), accommodation in a four-star or higher category hotel, and submission of required supporting documents. With these initiatives, KTO aims to make Korea a more accessible and attractive destination for Indian travellers. Myong Kil Yun, Regional Director for India and SAARC countries, KTO, said, “With your support, we aim to further enhance travel opportunities, streamline processes, and ensure a seamless experience for Indian visitors to Korea.” KPTC is a specialised certification programme by KTO for travel agents.

Thomas Cook (India) has announced a 24-month strategic partnership with the Moscow Project Office for tourism promotion. The partnership will focus on strengthening cooperation through the exchange of knowledge, best practices and curation of unique-innovative products designed specifically for Indian travellers, towards fostering long-term growth in tourism and business MICE segments between India and Moscow. This strategic partnership aims at capitalising on Thomas Cook and SOTC Travel’s viable leisure and corporate MICE segments in a multi-pronged initiative that focuses on deepening product development, destination knowledge & training, marcom and consumer promotions – to create top of mind visibility and drive visitations from the India market to Moscow and beyond. The partnership will showcase Moscow’s distinctive and diverse appeal as a vibrant destination for India’s leisure, business/MICE and b-leisure sectors. The collaboration intends to maximise on the diversity of consumer segments of India’s leading omnichannel travel service providers, Thomas Cook India and SOTC Travel – across India’s major metros, mini-metros, and emerging tier 2 and 3 source markets. Rajeev Kale – President & Country Head, Holidays, MICE, Visa – Thomas Cook (India) said, “The new age Indian traveller is displaying strong and growing appetite for unique destinations and enriching experiences. Moscow represents a delightful diversity of architecture, art, culture, gastronomy and vibrant nightlife…hidden gems waiting to be explored!  And so, on behalf of the Thomas Cook India Group, I am delighted to announce our strategic long term and multi-pronged partnership with Moscow Project Office for Tourism & Hospitality Development that extends across our range of segments – including MICE and leisure.” “With a vibrant heritage of over 143 years in India, this ground breaking MOU reiterates our leadership position in the …