Anantara Jewel Bagh Jaipur hosted an exclusive evening in Delhi which brought together top travel partners and industry stakeholders. Speaking on the occasion, Vimal Verma, GM revealed that weddings have been their top segment since they opened last year and now, they are expanding focus to FIT, MICE, and corporate.

India remains a key market for Thailand, with rising air connectivity further boosting tourism. Sirigesanong Trirattanasongpol, Director, TAT, Delhi Office said, “We’ve seen a 30% increase in flights from India and seat capacity is up 29% compared to last year.” New routes like Mumbai and Bengaluru to Krabi are improving access.

BaliTrip Wisata will expand its destination portfolio with the addition of Sri Lanka and the Philippines from October. Dheeraj Ranjan Kumar, Founder, BaliTrip Wisata, said, “Both markets show strong potential, especially the Philippines with visa-free access and growing demand. We’re setting up our own legal entities to maintain service standards.”

Himachal Pradesh will set up a Tourism Investment Promotion Council (TIPC) to fast-track approvals for projects over ₹50 crore. Chaired by CM Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, the council aims to attract private investment with a single-window mechanism, ensuring minimum regulation and time-bound decisions.

While global travel and tourism deals dropped 8% in H1 2025, Asia-Pacific stood out with an 11% rise, reports GlobalData. Driven by increased activity in India and Japan, the region showed resilience despite a global slowdown in private equity, venture funding and M&A due to investor caution and market volatility.

Rajiv Bansal will guide Sarla on aviation regulatory strategy and policy alignment along with scaling operations in its next phase of growth Sarla Aviation announced the appointment of Rajiv Bansal, Former Secretary, Ministry of Civil Aviation; Managing Director, Air India to lead the company with regulatory advisory and strategy development towards certification. The move marks a significant milestone in the company’s mission to redefine the future of mass transportation in India. This strategic appointment reinforces Sarla’s commitment to pioneering safe, purpose-driven and accessible urban air mobility solutions in the Indian aviation landscape. With an impressive career spanning over three decades in aviation policy and operations, Bansal brings unparalleled expertise to team at Sarla Aviation at a critical juncture as the company transitions from deep engineering to real-world deployment and flight testing. As a leading figure in the aviation ecosystem, having played a central role in shaping the nation’s civil aviation, his appointment signals strong institutional validation for Sarla’s vision to build India’s next-generation aircraft platforms. Adrian Schmidt, Co-Founder & CEO, Sarla Aviation, excited, says, “It is an incredibly important step for Sarla to welcome Rajiv Bansal ji to our team, our ambition, and our company. His experience and leadership at the Ministry of Civil Aviation will be instrumental in helping us mature our processes, shape our certification strategy, and strengthen our approach as we build India’s first privately held full-stack aviation OEM. For all of us, it is a rare opportunity to learn, listen, and build alongside one of the greatest aviation visionaries of our country. We enter this next phase of growth with great confidence and renewed ambition—and we are excited to serve the nation together.” In this advisory …

Antara Cruises announced its partnership with Serandipians, a distinguished global network of bespoke travel designers, luxury hotels, and curated experiences. This collaboration marks a significant milestone in Antara’s ongoing journey to redefine luxury travel in India and elevate its offerings to a discerning international clientele. Serandipians is renowned for curating the world’s most refined collection of luxury brands and experiences. Membership is by invitation only, reserved for companies that uphold the highest standards of bespoke service, creative excellence, and authentic storytelling—qualities that Antara Cruises embodies through its elegant river journeys across India’s most iconic waterways. “We are proud to join the Serandipians community, as it represents a shared commitment to delivering extraordinary, culturally immersive experiences,” says Raj Singh, Chairman, Antara Cruises. “This partnership opens new pathways for global travellers seeking authentic, intimate, and transformational voyages, directly connecting them with India’s rich heritage from a truly luxurious vantage point.” Antara Cruises’ meticulously designed all-suite vessels offer a seamless blend of heritage, sustainability, and refined elegance. Curated itineraries explore UNESCO World Heritage sites, immersive excursions, and authentic cultural encounters, showcasing India’s diverse heartland through an exceptional lens. As a part of the Serandipians network, Antara will collaborate closely with top luxury travel designers worldwide and travel trade partners to craft tailor-made journeys, providing heightened visibility within the high-end travel sphere and reinforcing India’s position as a premier destination for river cruising.  

Vietjet has reported robust business results for Q2 2025, exceeding expectations and marking significant milestones. Highlights of the quarter include major aircraft orders, expansion of ground self-service operations, and a successful bid for a key development project at Long Thanh International Airport, which is poised to be Vietnam’s new major aviation hub. For Indian travellers and industry observers, Vietjet’s sustained growth and increasing international footprint come at a time when demand for affordable, well-connected air travel continues to surge across the Asia-Pacific region. It has been once again recognised by AirlineRatings as ‘World’s Best Ultra Low-Cost Carrier,’ while also being ranked among the safest airlines globally. Q2 2025 revenue highlights Aviation revenue reached VND17.681 trillion (approx. US$673.9 million), with pre-tax profit of VND775 billion (approx. US$29.57 million), reflecting a 52.3% year-on-year (YoY) increase. Total consolidated revenue reached VND17.885 trillion (approx. US$682.29 million), with pre-tax profit climbing to VND815 billion (approx. US$31.09 million), representing a YoY growth of 151.5%. With 10 direct routes connecting Delhi, Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Kochi, Bengaluru, and Hyderabad to top Vietnamese destinations, including Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, and Da Nang, Vietjet is well positioned for continued growth and sustainable development in the second half of 2025. Half year financial highlights Vietjet posted strong performance in the first half of 2025, achieving 78% and 75% of its full-year separate and consolidated pre-tax profit targets, respectively. Aviation revenue reached VND35.6 trillion (approx. US$1.35 billion), with pre-tax profit of nearly VND1.6 trillion (approx. US$61.04 million), representing a 37% YoY increase. Consolidated revenue reached VND35.8 trillion (approx. US$1.36 billion), with pre-tax profit exceeding VND1.6 trillion (approx. US$61.04 million), experiencing a 65% YoY growth. Total assets exceeded VND112.33 trillion (approx. US$4.28 billion). …

To bolster Qatar’s luxurious MICE services outreach to the global market, India’s foremost destination representation firm Red Dot Representations has joined hands with Qatar’s leading DMC Mannai Holidays. Qatar’s foremost DMC, Mannai Holidays, a subsidiary of Mannai Travel Group, has been operating since 1995. Over the years, it has provided commendable, customised, and luxurious events and travel solutions covering fresh concepts, spotless hospitality, and immersive guest experiences to the global clientele. The partnership will enable Red Dot Representations to actively promote Qatar as a one-of-its-kind MICE destination to both Indian and international corporates, event planners, and travel trade partners. With its expertise enriched over the 3 decades of operations, Mannai Holidays exudes proficiency in local knowledge and hosting sensorial end-to-end experiences for the guests. Speaking about the partnership, Prabhakar Kamat, Business Head, Red Dot Representations, said, “We are excited to join hands with Mannai Holidays. As Qatar has gained significant momentum in being a key MICE destination in the region, our partnership will help plug the rising demand for luxurious, contemporary, and culturally significant experiences from Indian and international corporates. Mannai Holidays has been a prominent name and the ideal partner to cordially excel in the region.” N.M. Shafiq, General Manager, Mannai Holidays, said, “This partnership with Red Dot Representations marks a significant step forward in our mission to elevate Qatar’s presence on the global MICE map. India is one of the most dynamic outbound markets, and with Red Dot’s robust network and insight, we are confident in delivering Qatar’s unique blend of tradition, innovation, and world-class hospitality to a wider audience. Together, we aim to curate seamless, impactful, and memorable MICE experiences that truly reflect the spirit of Qatar.” …

Malaysia Airlines is set to further strengthen its connectivity in South India by increasing frequencies to the city. Beginning 12 September 2025, the airline will introduce a fifth weekly service, with daily operations to commence from 1 December 2025.  Tickets for the new frequencies are now available for booking through all Malaysia Airlines’ official channels and appointed travel partners. Malaysia Airlines currently operates 77 weekly flights across ten key cities in India including Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Chennai, Hyderabad, Kochi, Ahmedabad, Amritsar, and Trivandrum. With the new additions, this number will increase to 80 weekly flights by December 2025.