Category Archives: Agents

The Ministry of Tourism has decided to transfer all matters of registration, recognition and complaints of tour operators and other tourism service providers from the Travel Trade (TT) division to Quality & Standard (Q&S) Division of the Ministry of Tourism. Accordingly, henceforth all the queries/complaints in respect of recognition, approval, etc. may be directly taken up with the Q&S Division of the Ministry of Tourism.

Fairmont Hotels & Resorts announced the signing of a new property in Agra, the city of the Taj Mahal, one of the seven wonders of the world and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Set to open by 2025, the hotel will offer 205 rooms, including 44 suites. Guests can look forward to a luxurious experience that seamlessly blends world-class hospitality with the enchanting beauty of one of India’s most legendary destinations. Fairmont Hotels & Resorts has partnered with Shekhar Resorts , introducing the first Fairmont in the city of Agra.  “We are delighted to partner with Fairmont, an iconic luxury brand within the Accor Group. Given Accor’s expertise in luxury hospitality management and knowledge of the markets they operate in, we found Fairmont and Accor as the most adept partners to manage the upcoming Fairmont Agra. We believe that the property will stand out and elevate the luxury hospitality experience in Agra and northern India. We are excited to start our first partnership with Fairmont and Accor and to bring the most unique and memorable experiences to our guests,” says Anuj Jain, Director of Shekhar Resorts , Agra. Fairmont Agra’s strategic location is approximately two kilometres from the Taj Mahal, offering guests easy access to this renowned architectural achievement. Situated on the banks of the Yamuna River in the populous city of Agra, located in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh, the hotel is just a two-hour drive from the bustling capital city of New Delhi. “This is a great addition to our brand portfolio,” says Mark Willis, CEO of Fairmont Hotels & Resorts. “Fairmont Agra will be situated in one of the most awe-inspiring destinations in the world, and …

Thomas Cook (India) inaugurated a new Gold Circle Partner (franchise) outlet in Edappally, Kochi to capitalise on the strong and growing travel opportunity from the region. The outlet was inaugurated by P  Rajiv, Minister for Industries, Law and Coir, Government of Kerala. Kerala has witnessed a 35% uptick in travel demand compared to pre pandemic levels and this expansion augments Thomas Cook India’s distribution and reach in Kerala, to 13 consumer access centres: 11 owned branches and 2 Gold Circle Partner (franchise) outlets. In addition to serving the financial hub of Edappally, the outlet will also serve as a hub for nearby residential and business areas of Aluva, Angamaly, Vyttila, Perumbavoor and Palarivattom. In the new age of travel, customers are understandably seeking the guidance and reassurance of holiday experts and Thomas Cook India’s internal survey reiterates the same, with a significant 77% of respondents stating that they require guidance from a holiday expert. To help customers with their travel plans and requirements, Thomas Cook India has opened a Gold Circle Partner (franchise) outlet in Edappally, Kochi. Thomas Cook’s strategic omnichannel model offers extensive touchpoints to customers: India’s largest retail holiday network of 135 outlets and B2B distribution (across its owned stores, Partner franchise outlets and Preferred Sales Agents) coupled with the Company’s website, call centres and Holiday app. With the upcoming summer holidays, consumers from Kerala are displaying a strong travel desire for both domestic and international destinations. Favourite Indian locales include Kashmir, Leh Ladakh, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh and the North East. Spiritual tourism has been witnessing an uptick and favourites include Char Dham and Amarnath Yatra. Closer to home international destinations like Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Oman, Maldives and Mauritius are driving …

Global Destinations is celebrating its 15th anniversary this year. The company has grown to be one among India’s largest and most reputed destination representation companies. They have for a decade and a half been facilitating both their partners – international stakeholders and clients – the Indian travel fraternity to further develop and establish business growth in the international tourism arena. Global Destinations is the brainchild of Pranav Kapadia, who brings with him over 30 years of sales and marketing experience in the travel industry. Established in the year 2008, the Head Office is in Mumbai, followed by a competitive pan India presence. In 2022, Global Destinations expanded further by announcing the launch of their luxury representation vertical, ‘Wanderlust – Bespoke by Global Destinations’, with a keen focus on luxurious and captivating travel brands and experiences. “Fifteen years ago, the idea of representing a tourism product in India was a concept only a few knew of and even fewer had heard of. It was back then the travel agents were faced with many obstacles and wished for an easier way out – an intermediary that would be a one-stop solution, tending to all their queries and needs regarding a specific destination. In order to bridge the gap and cater to the arisen industry requirements, Global Destinations was brought to life” highlighted Pranav Kapadia, Founder and Director Global Destinations. As a highly experienced and very energetic tourism solution provider, Global Destinations prides itself on offering top-quality service to an ever-growing, very discerning customer base. They aim to bring newer global tourism products to an Indian audience and at the same time, be of the best assistance to the Indian Travel Trade. The …

India wants to be a $1 trillion tourism economy with 100 million international visitors by 2047, the centenary year of its Independence. In order to achieve this, the focus is on various government-led initiatives under PPP mode, Union Tourism Minister G. Kishan Reddy said. “The vision of the second G-20 TWG meeting was to project domestic tourism in a mission mode. It will also make India maximise its potential in the tourism sector. In order to give impetus to the tourism sector this year, the government is observing ‘Vision India-2023’, a programme which invites the world to explore India,” he said.

Minister for Development of North-Eastern Region, G. Kishan Reddy said that the Government of India has taken the ‘Yuva Sangam’ initiative to strengthen people to people connect especially between youth belonging to NER and other States and provide an immersive experience under five broad areas – Paryatan (Tourism), Parampara (Traditions), Pragati (Development), Prodyogiki (Technology) and Paraspar Sampark (People-to-people connect).

Sharing details about increase in air connectivity between India and Israel, Sammy Yahia, Consul, Tourism Affairs, Israel Ministry of Tourism, India & Philippines, says, “We are aiming to cross the 1,00,000 mark this year in terms of visitor arrivals from India. We will have two carriers flying directly from BOM-TLV which will be EL AL Airlines and Air India. it will be approx. a five-hour direct flight, three times a week. Moreover, Air India will be flying from BLR as well from October 2023. Arkia will also be resuming operations via Goa and Kochi directly to TLV and Israir announced they want to start operations in India too. With this increase in air connectivity, tourism from India is expected to multiply.”

Thomas Cook (India) inaugurated new Forex outlets at the new Manohar International Airport – at Mopa, Goa. The Company has won a 5 year contract for setting up and operating 4 foreign exchange counters at the new Goa Airport. This expands Thomas Cook India’s forex network/consumer access in Goa to 6 outlets: 2 branches and 4 airport outlets. In addition, the company operates 25 airport counters across India, Sri Lanka and Mauritius. In an initiative to ensure safe, seamless and convenient merchant payments, Thomas Cook’s Goa airport counters will empower foreign nationals from G20 nations and NRIs, with UPI enabled Indian Rupee transactions on arrival. Travellers can then access their INR wallet to ensure smooth and secure digital payments across millions of merchant establishments equipped with the UPI QR facility pan India. The prepaid payment product is issued by Pine Labs under the PPI authorisation obtained from RBI. Goa is a key and significant growth market for tourism – for both inbound and outbound, in addition to the domestic market. With strong pent-up demand and easing of restrictions driving positive consumer sentiment, consumers are displaying high travel desire. The new Mopa Airport is expected to serve approx. 4.3 Mn passengers in the first year with an increase to approx. 13.1 Mn passengers within 5 years. The new forex counters at the airport offers Thomas Cook significant opportunity to capitalize on the foreign exchange requirements of both inbound and outbound travellers. Thomas Cook’s new airport counters have been designed around the concepts of “Ethnicity – Luxury – Comfort”, creating a refreshing and vibrant appeal. The outlets prioritise passenger comfort with an open layout concept and high/low counters. An important factor is the focus …

Changi Airport Group (CAG), Singapore Airlines (SIA), and the Singapore Tourism Board (STB) re-launched the Free Singapore Tour today after a two-year hiatus due to Covid-19. Three of the existing tours available since pre-Covid-19 – the City Sights Tour, Heritage Tour, and Jewel Tour – have been refreshed to include new points of interest. A brand-new Changi Precinct Tour will introduce travellers to the interesting sights and sounds of the eastern region surrounding Singapore Changi Airport. Each tour lasts 2.5 hours and will be available daily, with plans to progressively increase to nine tours a day. With transit and transfer passengers accounting for about 30% of passenger traffic at Changi Airport pre-pandemic, the tour was first introduced in 1987 to enhance the airport’s attractiveness as a transfer hub and to entice transit and transfer passengers to visit Singapore as a holiday destination. In 2019, over 80,000 passengers went on the Free Singapore Tour. The top markets were India, Australia, and Indonesia, with Indian and Australian travellers making up more than one third of the total participants. New Changi Precinct Tour to showcase eastern Singapore The Changi Precinct Tour is a new itinerary that will bring participants to the eastern part of Singapore to visit local community spaces such as the Tampines heartland, and to admire the rustic charms of Changi Village and Changi Beach. It offers a glimpse of how local residents live, and tells the tale of Singapore’s history on this part of the island, away from the usual hustle and bustle of Singapore’s city centre.   Refreshed itineraries to offer travellers new experiences At the Jewel Tour, in addition to visiting popular attractions like the Shiseido Forest Valley …

Oman Air is passing a major milestone this month with the occasion of its 30th anniversary, a journey which began in March 1993 with a single flight between the cities of Muscat and Salalah. The route, operated by Boeing 737-300, marked the launch of the airline’s domestic network, which was followed shortly after with its first international flight between Muscat and Dubai. Over the past three decades, the airline has gone from strength to strength and now flies to over 45 destinations as far as Europe and the Far East, with a strong international presence and a reputation for providing high quality products and outstanding customer service. “Thirty years as Oman’s national airline is a milestone to be proud of,” said Eng. Abdulaziz Al Raisi, Chief Executive Officer of Oman Air. “In that time, Oman Air has grown from a small regional carrier connecting Omanis across the country to an award-winning airline connecting visitors from around the world to Oman’s diverse natural beauty and rich culture.  Despite the challenges of the last few years, our goal continues to be to serve our country   by enabling Oman’s Vision 2040 ambitions, whether through job creation, supporting the tourism and logistics industries, or increasing inward investment. With three decades of experience and expertise to build on, we’re looking to the future with renewed optimism.” A cornerstone of Oman’s socio-economic development, since its maiden flight, Oman Air has carried millions of passengers into the country, providing them with an authentic introduction to Omani hospitality and culture. It has laid the foundations for a tourism industry that has increased ten-fold over the last 30 years, contributing to the creation of hundreds of thousands of direct …