Category Archives: Agents

As Thailand gears up for its first full tourism high-season since 2020, Cross Hotels & Resorts continues to enhance its presence in Bangkok with the signing of a new hotel management agreement (HMA) for a stunning riverfront property with Kene Hotel Bangkok, that is sure to reignite the desire for authentic, community-based travel experiences. The opening of Away Bangkok Riverside Kene, a beautiful 169-key lifestyle property located just steps from the Chao Phraya River, bodes well for the Thai capital as it looks to welcome guests back after a hiatus. A key gateway city for Cross Hotels & Resorts, Bangkok has been consistently ranked among the world’s most popular cities. Colloquially known as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon, it was voted the leading capital in the Mastercard Global Destination Cities Index attracting more than 22 million visitors. “I am thrilled to partner with Kene Hotel Bangkok, as Away Bangkok Riverside Kene is without a doubt a strong addition to Cross’ growing and diverse portfolio. By empowering a new generation of travellers, our promise to ‘Transform Hospitality for All’ extends not only to our owners, our business and our people, but also to Alpha Gen adventurers who are seeking stylish hotel choices that perfectly encapsulate Bangkok’s happening riverside communities. Furthermore, our chic and functional meeting spaces are an added attraction for businesspeople and MICE organizers planning their next event,” said Harry Thaliwal, CEO of Cross Hotels & Resorts. One of Asia’s 21st century mega-cities, Bangkok was founded in 1782 as the Thonburi Kingdom and today tourists can still see much of the city’s traditional architecture as well as experience deep-rooted ways of life on the waterfront as they zip along canals aboard …

Spree Hospitality is pleased to announce the signing of new hotel in Ranjangaon. It will be the fifth Spree Hotel in Maharashtra. Spree Hospitality portfolio has more than 20 operating hotels with seven hotels in the pipeline. Commenting on the signing, Sagar Khurana, Vice President of Spree Hospitality, said, “It is a proud moment for us. This is our fifth property in Maharashtra. With the signing of this property, we have strengthened our presence in Maharashtra. We are delighted to partner with Mr. Patil for this hotel.” Spree Hospitality is targeting to commence operations of this hotel from March 2023. A short drive, the newly opened property is conveniently located 45 km from Pune airport, a 5-star Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation (MIDC) Industrial area and a shrine to Mahaganapati which is one of the Ashtavinayaka. The hotel will feature 27 rooms, an all-day restaurant and banquet hall. Ranjangaon MIDC is a premium industrial destination near Pune and home to leading global and national companies. This location is known for its industrial and social ecosystem, superior infrastructure, and talent pool.

Discover all that this Peninsular Gulf country has to offer during the exclusive webinar titled ‘Curated in Qatar’ on Wednesday, Sept 28 at 3pm IST. For more information, please write to Jaspreet.kaur@ddppl.com or +91-9650196532.

Sharing news about the upcoming convention from 16 -19 December, Rajiv Mehra, IATO President, says, “All activities including registration, business sessions and evening programmes will be held at The Centrum, Lucknow. We expect about 900-1000 delegates from all over the country. Added attraction for this year convention would be Post Convention Tours to Ayodhya and Varanasi. We expect participation of about 18 to 20 State Governments in the convention.”

Southern Travels, one of the pioneer organizations in the travel and tourism industry, celebrated its journey of 5 decades. The Golden Jubilee celebrations and new brand logo was inaugurated by Tourism Minister G Kishan Reddy on 14 September 2022 at The Lalit, New Delhi. On this occasion, in his presence, Southern Travels announced that it is the first company to have been awarded 18 rooms and 36 dormitory beds facility at the Kashi Vishwanath temple premises. “Today, I am delighted to manifest and comprehend the contribution of Southern Travels to travel and tourism in South India. Indeed, both have a golden history, a history based on commitments made with people, culture, and time,” said Hon’ble Union Cabinet Minister of Tourism and Culture, Government of India, G Kishan Reddy, adding, “50 years of excellent services, recipient of National Award, 8 times in a row, and the privilege of representing the country at WTM, ITB Berlin, ICCA, ATM, TANA and other events of international repute. And, it is the company’s staunch leadership, guided by ethical values embedded in Indian culture, has made this possible.” Established in 1970, Southern Travels has been offering travelers a gamut of options – individual holidays, fixed departures, incentive holidays, special interest tours, visas and hotel bookings across the globe. The company is now heading for an expansion spree. By March 2023, it will register its presence also as a service provider with Travel Brand Stores in over 50 cities in India. “Southern Travels is the first company to be awarded an 18-room + 36 Dormitory Beds facility inside the Kashi Vishwanath Temple Premises/Corridor make Southern Travels a really distinguished player in India’s tourism industry. This will certainly …

Thomas Cook India Limited (TCIL) is set to expand its customer base as it successfully targets both online and offline channels, and by capitalizing on its branch network, which is the company’s primary competency and a significant contributor to sales and profits, says GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company. GlobalData’s latest Report, ‘Case Study: Thomas Cook (India) Limited (TCIL)’, reveals how TCIL is marrying its online and offline channels to drive sales of trips and additional services. Akshat Sharma, Travel and Tourism Analyst at GlobalData, comments: “GlobalData Q4 2021 Consumer Survey* reveals that 25% of Indian respondents reported booking holidays through the online channel, while 5% reported booking holidays in store. As TCIL is well established online, it is able to cater to this preference. With its 160+ store network, it is also well-placed to attract customers who prefer to book in person by visiting its physical stores.” Sharma continues: “A key part of the company’s strategy is to use the online channel to supplement its offline operations. For example, many of its customers book travel packages online, and then the company invites them to visit its stores for additional value-added services such as forex, insurance, and visa application assistance.” Customers are first engaged online by TCIL before they are transferred to the company’s physical stores for these additional services. Those looking for a store to book their vacation can also take advantage of TCIL’s range of services in one location. This multi-channel strategy is expected to increase both internet traffic and brick-and-mortar sales. Customers who have previously interacted with TCIL will continue to do so, avoiding visits to multiple agents for different services. Sharma concludes: “While the company …

Pawan Jain, MD, Belair has shared that airlines are charging ₹300 as Refund Application Fee (RAF) to travel agents, which is illegal. “If this RAF is not written in the fare basis of the airline, then it’s not applicable. But airlines are pressurizing the agents to pay this amount, which used to be there in the times of paper tickets.”

The travel industry is once again spurring economic recovery for the country, as search data from international guests for Airbnb Stays in India shows it grew by more than 60% year-over-year from Q1 2021 to Q1 20221. Moreover, long-term stays on Airbnb emerges as a popular choice for guests in India. An Airbnb survey conducted by YouGov showed that 87% of Indians are planning to work while travelling or living elsewhere.

Catering to increased demand, Singapore Airlines (SIA) is pleased to announce a 100 per cent restoration of its pre-Covid services to Bengaluru. Starting 30 October 2022, the Airline, which currently flies seven times weekly from the city, will go back to operating 16 times a week. To celebrate the occasion, the Airline has also announced promotional fares when they book tickets between now and 14 September 2022. for travel from Bengaluru to popular countries across Asia, including Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Korea, Thailand and Vietnam. The additional flights from Bengaluru will not only provide greater flexibility for arrival into Singapore, but will also give customers more options and better connections for travel to key onward destinations in the SIA network such as Australia, New Zealand and USA. Sy Yen Chen, General Manager India for Singapore Airlines said, “We have been steadily restoring our operations across India to pre-Covid levels, and Bengaluru is no exception. We have seen healthy demand from the city, and this increase in capacity coupled with special fares to popular holiday destinations, will give our customers many attractive options to pick from when they plan their overseas trips in the coming months.” From 30 October 2022, subject to regulatory approvals, Singapore Airlines will have restored 100 per cent of its pre-Covid services to India, i.e. the Airline will operate 96 flights weekly from eight cities across the country.

IATO has thanked the Government for withdrawing completely 5 percent Tax Collection At Source (TCS) charged on sale of overseas tour packages to foreign tour operators. Rajiv Mehra, President, IATO, said, “This means that both foreign individuals and FTOs (buyers) buying overseas tour packages from the Indian Tour Operators will be exempted from TCS provisions.”