Sri Lanka based Granbell Hotels (4 Star) and Le Grand (Luxury) situated in Colombo and Galle respectively, appoints Intrepid Marketing & Communications as their representative to establish their presence in India through sustained sales, marketing and communications initiatives to further accelerate record of Indian visitors. Nestled in the heart of the crowning jewel of Sri Lanka’s colonial past, Le Grand Galle offers the majestic grandeur of a Galle hotel. It provides an array of leisure activities for guests including river safari, culinary demonstration, and Galle Fort tour that ensures an exposure to Sri Lanka’s authentic culture. Meanwhile, Granbell Hotel, Colombo, which opened its doors to visitors in early May last year, offers a combined experience of Japan’s high-quality service standards with Sri Lanka’s globally acclaimed hospitality. Collectively, the hotels are a reflection of Sri Lanka’s most coveted leisure and luxury experiences and beckons Indian travellers exploring a serene sojourn. Both properties are owned by leading Japanese company Belluna Co. Ltd, which is listed on the Tokyo stock exchange. The company has seven Granbell Hotels and one Le Grand hotels based in Japan and manages properties in Japan as well as in Maldives. Commenting on the association with Intrepid Marketing & Communications, Mr. Hiroshi Yasuno, CEO Belluna, said, “We are delighted to tie up with Intrepid Marketing & Communications to strengthen foothold of Granbell Colombo & Le Grand Galle, in India. India is a key market for us and generating the maximum revenue from India is our goal. Having two properties in pivotal geographical locations in the country, it’s important that we ensure that we have a strong presence in the Indian market. With the experience Intrepid possesses with Sri Lanka …

DCT Abu Dhabi is organizing the #Summer in Abu Dhabi Webinar today at 3pm, which would allow the participants to learn about the family friendly attractions, beach, resorts & hotels and entertainment options. Register with jaspreet.kaur@ddppl.com. +919650196532.

Julia Simpson, WTTC President & CEO, joined prominent tourism voices to discuss transition in travel. She said, “I see travel and tourism as the Guardians of Nature. I see us as being able to protect the environment and reduce greenhouse gasses.” The forum continues to collaborate with key industry representatives to drive sustainable action in the tourism space.  

Global business travel spending is expected to make a full recovery in 2024–ending the year on pace with the 2019 pre-pandemic spend of US$1.4 trillion, and a year sooner than previously forecast, says Global Business Travel Association (GBTA). It adds that Recovery will continue into 2023, with global spending rising 23% year-over-year as even more international and group travel comes back online.  

Poised for exponential growth after a pause, these two segments of travel are evolving like never before, with new expectations from ever-discerning customers. Listen to industry leaders from across the travel and tourism industry in both India and Singapore about what the industry needs to be equipped with in pursuit of travellers of tomorrow, at this exciting conclave organised by the Singapore Tourism Board (STB), to be held in Mumbai on March 10, 2023.   WTTC President Julia Simpson famously announced last year that “the recovery of global tourism is going to be so stellar that it’s going to recover really powerfully”. According to forum, the global travel and tourism sectors are projected to return to pre-pandemic levels in 2023. It is expected to post an annual average growth rate of 5.8% from 2022 to 2032 versus the 2.7% increase in global GDP.  Focus on cruise and MICE segments Businesses in the MICE travel sector have also pinned their hopes on 2023 as the year it truly bounces back. According to a GBTA survey, over three-fourths of global travel managers expect the number of business trips taken by employees to be higher, with 85% of travel suppliers expecting their corporate client bookings to be higher this year. Some travel industry experts from India say that it could account for well over a third of the total outbound travel from India. Singapore has been one of the earliest beneficiaries of the outbound revival in the region; India has been a very important MICE source market for Singapore, especially in the M&I space. Requirements of MICE travellers are also evolving, and they are looking for new ways to conduct their meetings, and …

The recent decision by Saudi Arabia and Oman to allow Israeli civilian overflights is a significant regional development that is already having a positive impact on the Israeli airline industry. Flights from Israel to the Far East will be much shorter as a result of the new air corridor, allowing airlines to offer more direct and efficient routes. El Al’s decision to fly over Saudi Arabia and Oman en route to Thailand is a historic moment for the Israeli national carrier, cutting the flight time from Tel Aviv to Bangkok from about ten and a half hours to just eight. This is expected to open up new opportunities for the airline in the region. El Al is expected to re-launch its route to India, which was closed during the pandemic. Arkia also announced plans to re-launch its routes to Goa and Cochin, which were closed in 2019, and is considering expanding its service to India and Sri Lanka. Israir has also announced its interest in opening a route of just five hours flight time to India. Overall, the new air corridor over Saudi Arabia and Oman is a boon to the Israeli airline industry, and it is expected to spur growth and innovation in the region’s aviation sector. The two-and-a-half-hour reduction in flight times from Israel to the Far East will also shorten flights on Israeli carriers to India, Sri Lanka, and Australia, among other destinations. This will almost certainly increase tourism and business travel to and from Israel. According to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, “Israel has, in effect, become the main transit point between Asia and Europe. Israel is opening up to the East on an unprecedented scale.” Commenting …

Inspiring Vacations is organizing an exclusive webinar with destination experts on 3 March at 11am. The online event would allow travel trade to learn more about Europe Summer offers 2023. To register contact jaspreet.kaur@ddppl.com, +919650196532 or go to https://event.webinarjam.com/register/511/3v7k1i17

The two-day upcoming Global Investors Summit beginning in Visakhapatnam on March 3 will witness the signing of MoUs worth ₹20,000 crore and more in tourism sector alone. Top brands in hotels, resorts, temple tourism, adventure sports, water sports, cruises and ropeways are expected to come up in different parts of the state to make Andhra Pradesh a major destination in south India. Several US brands too are looking at Andhra Pradesh for big investments in hotels and resorts.

Jitul Mehta, Chairman, Western India Chapter, TAFI, says, “TAFI is focusing a lot on domestic and Inbound tourist, as it is a good way to generate revenue for our members. There are lot of new domestic destinations and products training sessions in the pipeline. We recently showcased the National Museum of Indian Cinema in Mumbai to our members where they took a tour and learnt about the history of cinema.”  

Europamundo Vacaciones, the Spanish tour operator, is again at the forefront of the market by launching its new tour brochure full of new features and with thousands of travel options to choose from. Among these features, it is worth highlighting its duration in order to continue with the company’s commitment to the environment but also to guarantee the departures of the tours on the same days of the week throughout the season. Another great change that the company incorporates is the “From…” rates, a very positive and innovative point in this new reality that we live of dynamic prices. The rates can always be verified updated on the Europamundo Vacaciones website or, as always, by the travel agent. In addition, you can check the Offers and Super Offers that the company launches through the web and app. Lastly, we need to mention two considerable characteristics that make this brochure unique: Modernity and Interactivity. On each page of the brochure, you will find a QR code that you can scan to access a new interactive PDF for each brochure trip, and thus, have extensive information about each of the tours: itineraries, travel tips, photo and video gallery, quotation… New destinations include: New routes through Morocco never seen in the market that allow you to visit beautiful and rarely visited areas. Follow with Europamundo the unique Atlantic coast from Tangier to Agadir. Our great destination of 2023: exciting routes through Saudi Arabia. A destination that has been closed to tourism, opens now to offer us incredible contrasts that unite modernity and tradition. Visit it now with Europamundo: a unique, more authentic, less crowded destination. In addition, with Europamundo, there’s the opportunity to …