Royal Orchid Hotels (ROHL) has announced the launch of a new property in the desert city of Bhuj, Gujarat. Expanding its footprint in western India, the 4-star property marks ROHL’s 15th hotel in Gujarat, furthering the brand’s state expansion plans. Earlier this year, ROHL commenced operations of one of the state’s largest all-suite hotels, The World, Surat. Regenta Science Centre, Bhuj offers guests a seamless blend of hospitality and leisure in the historic ‘walled city’. Strategically located near the Regional Science Centre, Smritivan, and the main highway market yard, the hotel provides easy access to major attractions. It is only 5 km (10 minutes) from Bhuj Airport, 2 km (5 minutes) from Bhuj Railway Station, and 2 km (10 minutes) from the Local Bus Stand. Guests can explore popular sites such as the Smritivan Earthquake Memorial & Museum, Prag Mahal, Aina Mahal, Bhujia Fort (Bhujio Dungar), Shree Swaminarayan Temple, and the Vande Mataram Memorial. The nearby Regional Science Centre features six distinctive galleries dedicated to Space Science, Marine Navigation, Energy Science, Nanotechnology, Bonsai, and the Fields Medal – inspiring visitors from across the country to explore, wonder, and learn. The city’s soon-to-be-unveiled renewable energy power plant, expected to be one of the world’s largest, will also become a major attraction in the near future. The 59-key hotel features elegantly designed rooms with modern amenities to ensure a comfortable stay. Guests can enjoy Pinxx, the all-day multi-cuisine restaurant (72 covers), and Fusionzz, the rooftop specialty restaurant (54 covers) offering panoramic views of Bhuj. Recreational facilities include a swimming pool, spa, fully equipped gymnasium, and an indoor games zone for guests of all ages. For meetings, events, and celebrations, the property houses the Orchid Banquet Hall (3,000 sq. ft.) offering flexible seating arrangements: Theatre style for up to 250 guests, Cluster setup for 120 guests, and U-shape setup for 60 guests. The hotel also includes a Forum Board Room, …

Accepting the award for Best B2B Travel Platform at the India Travel Awards 2025, Dharmendera Kumar Sahu, Vice President, Fly24hrs Holiday, says, “Winning this award validates our excellence, strengthens client trust, and boosts team morale. It inspires us to innovate, enhance customer success, and continuously improve our performance, driving our company to deliver greater value in the travel industry.”

Speaking about the limitations of AI in travel, Hari Ganapthy, Co-Founder, Pickyourtrail, says, “In the short term, the effect of AI is hugely over-rated, and I think Agentic AI is one of them. While everyone speaks about AI writing 80–90% of the code, nobody is telling you the amount of guardrails and checks & balances in place to make that happen. I think we will all be short-changed if we believe AI is going to change our life dramatically in the next few years.”

Nikhil Sharma, Managing Director and COO, South Asia, Radisson Hotel Group, said that India’s hotel industry is entering a healthy growth cycle, with premium occupancy projected at 72–74% in 2025–26. He said that from a long-haul perspective, India is slightly more expensive compared to other Southeast Asian countries. The government is currently working on an Incredible India 2.0 campaign, and it should launch the campaign sometime next year, he added.

Samir Kumar Sinha, Secretary, Ministry of Civil Aviation, announced that the UDAN scheme will continue beyond 2027, focusing on connectivity with hilly, North-Eastern, and aspirational regions, and the development of around 120 new destinations. Under the scheme, 649 routes have been operationalised as on date connecting 93 unserved and underserved airports, including 15 heliports and two water aerodromes.

Air India has announced the addition of 174 weekly flights on key domestic and short-haul international routes, operated by its single-aisle aircraft, as part of the Northern Winter Schedule, beginning 26 October 2025. This expansion enhances connectivity to major cities in India and Southeast Asia in high demand. ADDITIONS TO SHORT-HAUL INTERNATIONAL ROUTES Delhi-Kuala Lumpur: Increasing from 7x to 10x weekly flights, effective 15 November Delhi-Denpasar (Bali): Increasing from 7x to 10x weekly flights, effective 01 December   ADDITIONS TO DOMESTIC INDIA ROUTES  Seasonal additions of flights to Rajasthan, effective 26 October: Delhi-Jaipur (new route): Introducing 3x daily flights Delhi-Jaisalmer (new route): Introducing 2x daily flights Delhi-Udaipur: Increasing from 2x to 3x daily flights Mumbai-Jaipur: Increasing from 3x to 4x daily flights Mumbai-Udaipur: Increasing from 3x to 4x daily flights Mumbai-Jodhpur: Increasing from 1x to 2x daily flights   More flights to Madhya Pradesh, effective 26 October: Delhi-Indore: Increasing from 3x to 4x daily flights Delhi-Bhopal: Increasing from 2x to 3x daily flights Mumbai-Indore: Increasing from 1x to 2x daily flights   More flights to Gujarat, effective 26 October: Mumbai-Bhuj: Increasing from 1x to 2x daily flights Delhi-Rajkot: Increasing from 1x to 2x daily flights   Other frequency additions, effective 26 October: Delhi-Varanasi: Increasing from 2x to 3x daily flights Delhi-Raipur: Increasing from 2x to 3x daily flights Delhi-Port Blair: Increasing from 1x to 2x daily flights Delhi-Aurangabad: Increasing from 1x to 2x daily flights Delhi-Guwahati: Increasing from 1x to 2x daily flights Delhi-Nagpur: Increasing from 1x to 2x daily flights Mumbai-Dehradun: Increasing from 1x to 2x daily flights Mumbai-Patna: Increasing from 1x to 2x daily flights Mumbai-Amritsar: Increasing from 1x to 2x daily flights Air India’s retrofit programme for …

TAAI has completed its innovative Visa Insights Workshop, hosted by VFS Global, in 7 cities of India, where VFS’ Mission people who receive visa applications from travel agents are invited to interact with the agency visa heads. “There ensues an exciting debate that goes on for few hours so that everyone understands the other and is on the same page. It has become a very successful event starting with Hyderabad, and going on to Pune, Jaipur, Bengaluru, Kolkata and soon to come to Mumbai. It is a way to work closely with VFS Global,” said Sunil Kumar, TAAI National President.

Novotel Visakhapatnam Varun Beach won the ‘Best Beachfront Wedding Venue’ award at the Indian Travel Awards 2025. Receiving the award, Lakshmi Sridhar, GM, said, “The award motivates us further. Our strength lies in teamwork and showcasing not just our property but also promoting Visakhapatnam as a premier destination for weddings, MICE, and tourism growth.”

Targeting the upscale and upper-up scale segment, Chalet Hotels launches Athiva Hotels & Resorts, a new brand. The first Athiva Resorts & Spa, Khandala, opens today. Five more hotels are in the pipeline, which will add 900 keys. “Athiva is built on the values of joy, wellness, and sustainability. The new brand aims to resonate with the Gen Z and millennial travellers,” said Dr Sanjay Sethi, CEO and MD, Chalet Hotels.

WTTC’s latest report reveals that tourism is set to support 91 mn jobs by 2035. While the sector is on course to support one in three new jobs worldwide by 2035, demographic and structural shifts could create a workforce shortfall of more than 43 mn people. It highlights that the labour challenge will affect all the 20 major economies, with the largest absolute shortfalls forecast in China (16.9 mn) and India (11 mn).