Oman Air, the national airline of the Sultanate of Oman, has been named top in the Middle East and Africa (MEA) for punctuality. As per the results of the 2022 On-Time Performance Review by global aviation analytics leader, Cirium, the airline’s on-time arrivals stood at 91.38%, almost 5% ahead of the region’s second highest ranking airline. The annual Cirium On-Time Performance Review is considered the global gold standard for airline   and airport performance, its results based on data collected from more than 600 sources of real-time flight information. It defines on-time flights as those that arrive within 15 minutes of the scheduled gate arrival. Captain Nasser bin Ahmed Al Salmi, Chief Operating Officer at Oman Air, said, “During 2022, the global operational environment has been challenging, with many airports affected by disruptions and resource challenges, as well as the lingering effects of Covid-19. Despite such a backdrop, we have continued to maintain an excellent service record. To have achieved this recognition for on-time performance against some of the world’s most reputable airlines is a testament to the dedication and hard work of all Oman Air staff across our global network. As we enter into 2023, we look forward to continuing to pursue excellence in all elements of our guest experience, from punctuality to convenience, our products and services, and of course our signature Omani hospitality.” Continuing to position itself as a major international carrier, Oman Air has set several benchmarks for quality, comfort and hospitality in the last year, earning itself the 2023 Five-Star Major Airline rating by the Airline Passenger Experience Association (APEX), among others. Evolving to meet the demands of a rapidly shifting market, the airline has made …

The Ministry’s new scheme ‘PM’s Development Initiative for the NER – PMDevINE – with an outlay of Rs 6,600 cr has been approved earlier in Oct 2022 separately under which larger and high impact proposals under infrastructure, social development and livelihood sectors are taken, says G. Kishan Reddy, Minister, DoNER. Scheme will transform the North-Eastern Region and boost socio-economic empowerment and enable livelihood opportunities.

FHRAI has submitted a representation to Arvind Singh, IAS, Secretary, MoT explaining concerns faced by hotels in Gujarat and Chhattisgarh over delay in classification of 1, 2 and 3 star hotels. Pending from the last 3 to 6 months, hotels in these states that are seeking either re-classification or classification of their properties are facing hardships. With licenses having expired or being due for renewal, including that of liquor license, most hotels are not able to renew the licenses due to the delay in the classification process.

The Madhya Pradesh Tourism Board signed 8 MoUs with chapters of Global Organisation of People of Indian Origin (GOPIO). The MoUs were signed by principal secretary and MD of MP Tourism Board Shiv Shekhar Shukla with the Presidents of GOPIO France, Mauritius, Reunion Island, Martinique, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Mauritius and GOPIO international. They seek to establish greater cooperation in the tourism sector and promote important destinations in Madhya Pradesh.

Spree Hospitality brings its first resort to Sariska, Rajasthan. Vice President of Spree Hospitality, Sagar Khurana said “Spree Hospitality is proud to announce its presence in Sariska. We remain committed to offering quality stay to our guest. This is our third property in Rajasthan. We are encouraged to sign the resort in Sariska since it is known as an important tourist destination.” Set in the mountain, Spree Resort Sariska comes complete with 46 luxurious rooms designed with the concept of villas and cottages will deliver guests a warm and heartfelt hospitality experience. In addition, the resort also has swimming pool complimenting the panoramic views of the hill, a spa, a gym, a kids’ play area, a restaurant, lounge, and banquet facilities. Guests will be able to enjoy the facilities of resort starting in May 2023. Part of EaseMyTrip, Spree Hospitality is known for offering unsurpassed service, comfort and style while creating meaningful and memorable experiences. Spree Hospitality currently operates 30 plus properties across India in the hotel, club and guesthouse industry with more than 7 hotels under construction.

Thomas Cook has launched Holiday Mate, allowing the travel trade to get direct access to their booking system. To know more about Holiday Mate, join the webinar today at 3pm. To register contact Jaspreet Kaur on jaspreet.kaur@ddppl.com or +91 9650196532.

In a planned initiative to provide stimulus to their current business and supplement their growth in the high-potential Indian outbound travel market, Desert Adventures the preferred DMC partner of tour operators and travel agents worldwide for UAE, Oman and Jordan recently signed a partnership agreement with Global Destinations. The collaboration will focus on building further awareness, expansion of their sales channels and boosting productivity for their travel products in India. Desert Adventures Tourism brings with them a depth of local expertise, vast reach, strong relationships with key players of the global travel industry – including government and tourism authorities – and innovative B2B systems to facilitate the offering of a wide range of high-quality products and services as well as seamless operational compatibilities with partners. From visa support and transport services to a wide selection of hotel accommodations, an exciting range of unique tours and excursions, and pre-decided to tailor-made packages, they can cater to every traveller needs and desires of visitors within their destinations. As the world’s trusted gateway to Arabia for over 25 years, Desert Adventures are a reliable partner in creating exceptional destination experiences for Groups, FIT, Business Travel, VIP, and Ultra-Luxurious Holiday Makers. Peter Payet, CEO, Desert Adventures Tourism, says, “We are excited to join hands with Global Destinations as our presence in the Indian market has now grown exponentially. India has always been one of our biggest source markets, having built and refined some of the best destination experiences that cater directly to the Indian visitor; however, the potential for growth is far greater. With Global Destinations we are able to maximize our reach across India, allowing travel trade companies of all sizes in all regional …

One Above Global with its presence in over 30 countries has now ventured into cruise liners, we are now the preferred selling agents for Carnival Cruise Line, Royal Caribbean International, Costa Cruise Line, Genting Dream Cruise Line. Sharing this news is Rahim Aslam, its Founder Director, who says, “With One Above, our partners can look at land plus cruise packages making us the one-stop solution for all their B2B requirements. We are excited to announce that soon  we will be joining hands with other cruise companies such as Norwegian Cruise Line and MSC Cruises to expand our services. Ensuring to offer more destinations, more packages, and more discounts to our agents, making it easier for them to plan their perfect cruise. Preeti John comes with immense knowledge and experience in handling sales and operations for cruises. We are confident to support our B2B customers and help grow our businesses mutually.”

Harpreet Singh (IPoS), Joint Secretary, Ministry of Development of North-Eastern Region (DONER), mentioned that tourism continues to be an important sector for the Indian economy and majority of the infrastructure development projects undertaken by the Government are towards the tourism sector. He added that the 8 states of NER comprising 8% of the area of the country and close to 4% of the population has huge potential for tourism but it still has only 0.3% share of domestic tourists and 0.93% share of the foreign tourists. There holds immense potential which needs to be tapped in the NE region through effective infrastructure development and better connectivity, added Singh.

Union civil aviation minister Jyotiraditya Scindia hailed the rapid uptick in the usage of the DigiYatra app at Varanasi airport, saying that it had improved the ease of travel considerably. The DigiYatra facility will allow passengers to link their travel and identity documents and create a facial scan beforehand, which will do away with the need for them to produce boarding passes or identity cards when they arrive at an airport, drop their baggage, or proceed for boarding. Instead, passengers will need to show their face to a facial recognition camera to authenticate themselves.