Flying Konkan Devgad Zipline is the first of its kind adventure sport activity along the coastal region of India, was launched and thrown open to public earlier this year. Co-founded by  IT engineers turned entrepreneurs, siblings Vaishnavi Joil & Srikant Joil  introduces coastal ziplining to the Indian population as a unique adventure activity along the coast, offering breathtaking views of the pristine coast, and thrilling break from the niche ‘water sports’ category. Over the past decade, the popularity of adventure sports tourism has seen an upward trend among tourists of all age groups and backgrounds. Among them all, ziplining is one of the most popular, safe and adventurous activity so far, for those seeking an adrenaline rush but in a comparatively safer set-up, while taking in the natural beauty of the destination.  And while India currently has several ziplining options, including popular locations in Rishikesh and some in Rajasthan, Goa and even in Maharashtra, the Indian coast has so far remained isolated to ziplining. But Flying Konkan Zipline is changing all of that! A true labor of love, the Flying Konkan Zipline was conceptualized as a curious idea in 2016, and finally took shape and materialized in January 2021, after years of meticulous research, planning, permissions, paper work and several trials. However, the pandemic and the lockdown in 2020, was a pivotal point in the way the venture would shape out eventually. Speaking about the journey and the vision, Vaishnavi Joil, Co-Founder, Flying Konkan Devgad ZIpline, said, “Devgad has been our family native and we have spent several summer vacations as children, relishing in the mangoes and exploring the beach. However, during the lockdown when we moved here to work …

The Tourism Department, Mizoram organized a B2B ‘Mystical Mizoram’ roadshow in Kolkata on 4 April 2022 at The Park Hotel.  Speaking at the function, Vantawl Lalengmawia, Director, Mizoram Tourism spoke about the need to capture Bengali tourists as Bengalis are avid travellers and are the most widely travelled people in India for they are looking for a new destination. He also spoke about easy accessibility of Aizawl from West Bengal which can be reached within 45 minutes from Kolkata, much lesser time taken for reaching Durgapur from Kolkata which takes around 3 hours. He invited tour operators in Bengal to experience the nature and culture of Mizoram before sending their clients to Mizoram and the need to bridge between West Bengal and Mizoram through tourism Industry. He also spoke about Mizoram Responsible Tourism Policy where the aim is focussing and developing services that promote tourism in a sustainable and responsible manner with diversification of tourism products and creation of employment opportunities for the people so that benefits of tourism should directly go the people. He said that the State’s tourism policy is a policy for the pro poor with a human face. He wanted the people of Bengal to explore Mizoram markets, to explore what its offer. He wanted to connect people, to open a new chapter of tourism between West Bengal and Mizoram that will boost economy of both States. Vantawl Lalengmawia, Director, Mizoram Tourism also conveyed the message of Mizoram Tourism Minister Robert Romawia Royte, that Familiarization Tour for the Tour Operators in Kolkata would be conducted in the near future. Anil Punjabi, President, Travel Agent Federation of India, Kolkata Chapter also spoke about the need to experience Mizo culture …

With Indian outbound travel market getting ready to reopen and travel around the world again, KTO New Delhi, Shinhan Bank and Utazzo Travel have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to promote a one of its kind savings cum deposit plan called “Let’s Go Korea” for Indian travellers to plan their dream holiday to South Korea. The plan allows travellers to invest for their future trip to Korea and receive exclusive offers on their Korea travel bookings from Utazzo Travel. The customers can invest in monthly instalments ranging between INR 2,000 to INR 100,000 with Shinhan Bank for a duration of up to 1 year. The Shinhan bank offers an attractive rate of interest of 5.75% * per annum that can be availed at the end of the deposit period. The buyers of this monthly saving cum recurring deposit plan are entitled for exclusive discounts and money back offers provided by Utazzo travel. As the exclusive travel agency partner, Utazzo Travel will curate multiple packages at attractive rates, valid till December 31, 2023. The buyers will be provided with a special 10% discount and 5% cash back on the South Korea package cost & a voucher worth INR 25,000 for other future bookings. Not just this the package buyers will receive an exclusive photo shoot in South Korea. The customers need to enroll for the Let’s Go Korea plan with Shinhan bank and fill a Google form to avail these exclusive offers. One lucky winner from the package Korea package buyers will also receive a free stay for two at a 5 star hotel in India. The list does not end here, Korea Tourism Organization will also be providing a special …

Outrigger Hospitality Group announced 31 March that it has acquired the newly renovated five-star Maafushivaru Resort in the Maldives – adding another premier beach property to its expanding global portfolio. The luxury resort has been renamed Outrigger Maldives Maafushivaru Resort and is located on a private island in the pristine South Ari Atoll region, a 25-minute seaplane flight from Malé – offering convenient access and breathtaking views for arriving guests. The resort is comprised of a collection of 81 luxury villa styles including beach, pool and duplex accommodations, as well as coveted overwater bungalows and more. “There are few destinations that evoke higher levels of relaxation, elegance and seclusion than the Maldives. This resort is the perfect addition to our array of global beachfront properties,” said Jeff Wagoner, President and CEO of Outrigger Hospitality Group. “With travel on the rise, we look forward to welcoming our global guests to the Maldives and curating unforgettable Outrigger Signature Experiences that allow visitors to appreciate Maldivian culture in an iconic beachfront setting.” Located in the Indian Ocean, the Maldives is classified by many world travellers as the ultimate luxury beach destination. Known for its uninterrupted views of white sandy beaches and a seemingly endless turquoise lagoon, the Maafushivaru Resort has recently undergone an extensive modernisation and is poised to be among the Maldives’ most sought-after vacation destinations. Outrigger will leverage the knowledge of General Manager, John Allanson, who has served the brand previously and has three decades of hospitality leadership experience. In his new role, Allanson will spearhead the transition of this property utilising The Outrigger Way philosophy. This ethos has allowed the brand to expand across the globe without compromising its values …

In its Indian Tourism and Hospitality performance report 2021, Noesis states that the year 2021 saw 110 properties that have opened in various parts of the country while there were 161 hotels signed in the same year. The ARR was in the range of Rs 4,300-4,600, while the ARR in the fourth quarter was in the range of Rs 5,300-5,500, reaching almost 90% of the pre-COVID level. India’s top leisure and business destinations saw a surge in room rates during the third and fourth quarters of 2021.

According to the latest HVS Anarock latest report ‘India Hospitality Industry Overview 2021’ The sector ended the year with an India-wide occupancy of 42-45%, up 10-13 percentage points over the previous year. Driven by the strong recovery in demand, average rates also began to improve after the second wave, progressively approaching pre-COVID levels. The robust growth in occupancy and average room rates (ARR) resulted in a 24-27% increase in RevPAR to ₹1,800 – ₹2,100 in 2021.

India continues to have the largest share of inbound travellers to the APAC region, at 24.4% of total arrivals in Q1 as of 11 March. Not a bad result when considering the air ticketing data from ForwardKeys shows that international arrivals in APAC in Q1 was down by 86%. However, in terms of recovery India as a destination is performing at -59% vs 2019. The best performing region in APAC for on-the-book arrivals is Pakistan with a 0.2% increase v/s the same period in 2019. The Maldives and Bangladesh are also showing strong signs of resilience.

Lotus Destinations, as the Preferred Sales Agent of Carnival Cruise in India takes great pleasure in conducting a Carnival Cruise webinar for the travel trade highlighting safety protocols, new fleet introductions and new itineraries to Bahamas, Caribbean, Alaska, Mexico, Australia and more, today at 3PM IST. Attendees will also get a chance to win exciting prizes. To register, contact jaspreet.kaur@ddppl.com or 9650196532.

A new e-visa portal that went live on March 30, 2022, is set to enhance the travel to Azerbaijan. The portal was developed as a part of a cooperation agreement signed between VFS Global, the world’s largest outsourcing and technology services specialist for governments and diplomatic missions worldwide and the E-GOV Development Center (EGDC) in the State Agency for Public Service and Social Innovations under the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan. Azerbaijan has been a chosen destination for a diverse segment of travellers globally. Currently travellers from 70 nationalities are eligible to travel to Azerbaijan with travel restriction likely to open for other markets. Fariz Jafarov Director of EGDC, said “We are delighted to partner with VFS Global in our endeavour to encourage seamless travel to Azerbaijan. We are confident that travellers across the globe would realise the advantages of e-visa service and leverage its benefits.” “Azerbaijan is the 64th client served by VFS Global. This mandate reiterates our proven record of nurturing trusted partnerships, excellence in business delivery and our approach on customer-centricity over the past two decades,” said Noel Swain, Business Head – Passport Services, eVisa & Tourism services, VFS Global.

Hotel Association of India (HAI), the national apex body of the hotel industry and an integrated hospitality industry platform held its 25th Annual General Meeting on the 16th of March in New Delhi. In his presidential address at the meeting, Puneet Chhatwal emphasised the need to forge closer ties and collaborate with other industry bodies for a stronger and a more unified voice. While highlighting the pandemic related challenges confronting the Industry, Chhatwal commended the tremendous resilience and enormous innovation shown by the sector. While the industry is firmly on the road to recovery, supply chain disruptions, subdued employment growth, rising inflation, food insecurity, the setback to human capital accumulation, supply-demand mismatches, and climate change will continue to pose difficulties and would be  some of the key issues of concern going forward. He said, “International travel has gone back 30 years globally and the ripple effect of tourism is affecting the economy of countries. Indian hospitality sector has rebounded due to various components of domestic travel and a vigorous internal demand.”