Category Archives: Agents

Darshana Seth recently launched her own passion project called ‘Polaris Tourism’ that caters to the high-end (luxury) tourism brands from a representation, sales and marketing perspective. She has partnered with the following ITO/DMCs for the given destinations to help curate aspirational luxury offerings to elite Indian consumers.   CHR Travel: UK + Europe: Adhoc groups/MICE groups etc  CHR Travel has an enthusiastic team with a combined experience of over 40 years, focusing primarily on handling specialised group tours across UK and Europe. CHR provides services catering to leisure groups, Meetings & Incentives groups, Special Interest groups & European Van tours and much more. https://chr-travel.com/   Take Me 2 The World, New Zealand: High End Luxury customers Take Me 2 The World designs itineraries for the free independent traveller (FIT), upto 30 pax high-end family & friends’ groups. TM2TW provide services catering to honeymooners, family travellers & education & sports tours. With their association with Massey University Sports & Rugby Institute and well-known New Zealand sportsman Jacob Oram, TM2TW can organize tours for sports clubs and academies, with a focus on training in different conditions and playing against New Zealand local teams. https://dmc.takeme2theworld.com/   Take Me 2 The World, Wholesalers for Latin America: FIT+ Luxury Covering South and Central America plus Mexico (Peru, Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador & Galapagos, Bolivia, Costa Rica, Panama, Nicaragua and Mexico). https://takeme2theworld.com/  

On 14 January, 2024, Chandni Travels will celebrate its 30th anniversary. The celebration will include a grand get-together with esteemed partners. They will unveil four new products – Chandni Online Travel, Chandni Technologies, Chandni DMC, and Chandni Foundation.

Intrepid Marketing & Communications acquires the mandate to represent Amora Hotels & Resorts and Nora Beach Club Phuket. This strategic alliance is poised to enhance the presence of these luxurious hospitality brands in the dynamic and burgeoning Indian market. After successfully establishing itself, the Amora Group is now championing independent hotel groups by increasing hotel investments in Thailand and Australia. The Amora Beach Resort Phuket, which first opened in 1999, is focusing on the significant potential of the Indian market, especially in the luxury segment, considering the statistics of Indian visitors to Phuket. Amora Hotels & Resorts is well-known for its luxury offerings. Additionally, the property caters exceptionally well to the MICE, events, and wedding requirements of the Indian market. As the exclusive representative, Intrepid Marketing & Communications will be responsible for shaping and executing comprehensive sales, marketing, and PR strategies tailored to the unique preferences and expectations of the Indian audience. Nora Beach Club is the newest addition to Phuket’s world-class beach club scene. Being the only one of its kind, Nora Beach Club stands out as the ultimate beach club destination in Phuket, offering exceptional food, drinks, and entertainment for beach enthusiasts, sunset chasers, and culinary explorers. Narej Farik, Group Director of Commercial and Business Development, Amora Hotels & Resorts, comments, “India holds immense potential as a key market for Amora Hotels & Resorts, in particular Amora Phuket and Nora Beach Club. Amora’s focus is on a personalized guest experience and, as a family-owned and operated group, draws inspiration from the hospitality that is the hallmark of Asian family values. These core values I believe will resonate with our Indian guests, irrespective of whether they are business travellers …

Sharing insights on why India holds the key to Oman’s tourism success, Arjun Chadha, Country Manager-India, Oman Tourism, says that Indian tourists visiting Oman have surpassed the remarkable milestone of half a million, and the count continues to rise. As of November 2023, the official figures reveal a staggering 5,42,397 Indian arrivals, setting an unprecedented record as the highest to date.

Rajeev Kale, President & Country Head, Holidays, MICE, Visa – Thomas Cook (India), predicts that event-based travel will emerge as a significant trend in 2024, driven by the enthusiasm of Young India’s millennials, young professionals, and Gen Z. Their keen interest in the thrill of live concerts, events, and cultural immersion is poised to be a driving force for travel in the upcoming year.

The Indian government has made international travel complex, says Pritish Shah, Founder & CEO at ATD Journeys, with GST and 20% TCS. “Indian outbound tourism is having a tug of war moment. The question is, will the Indian outbound traveller be restricted due to government measures or will it get to experience more of what the world has to offer?” he asks.

CAPA India recently presented a research briefing on the outlook for outbound travel from India. It highlighted that international travel is suddenly the new domestic due to a combination of strategic developments, which CAPA forecasts will result in double-digit growth of around 15% per annum in outbound travel through to the end of the decade at least. And discretionary leisure travel is projected to grow even faster at around 19% per annum.

According to data from Skyscanner, Indians’ passion for global exploration has reached unprecedented heights in 2024, with mounting early interest in travel indicated in its data. In the last week of 2023, the search volume for overseas travel by Indian travellers increased by 39% compared to the same period last year. Looking ahead into 2024, a remarkable 98% of Indian travellers are keen to try somewhere new while 42% share that one of their biggest struggles when booking travel is deciding where to go. In a survey conducted by Skyscanner, it is revealed that despite social media, TV, and film perpetuating conventional tourist spots, 95% feel fatigued by those repeated choices. 79% of Indian travellers admit that the prospect of booking travel in 2024 is overwhelming, with 40% citing cost concerns and an equal percentage grappling with destination decisions.

AirAsia kicks off 2024 with a bang, launching the first of its new routes for the year to Kuala Lumpur from the iconic pink city of Jaipur in Rajasthan, commencing 21 April 2024. This marks AirAsia Malaysia’s (airline code AK) first venture from Jaipur to Kuala Lumpur. As Malaysia’s capital, Kuala Lumpur is a favourite travel destination for many Indian travellers for business, leisure and temple visits. Malaysia is also famed for scrumptious local food, its deeply rooted heritage stemming from a melting pot of cultures and its shopping havens. Additionally, this route will also serve to enhance connectivity for travellers from Malaysia heading to Jaipur to explore the city’s wondrous charm, vintage forts, majestic infrastructure and much more. To commemorate this new beginning, AirAsia is offering promotional fares from the city to Kuala Lumpur from just INR 7,999* all-in-one way, and from only RM209* from Kuala Lumpur to Jaipur. Book from 9 January to 23 January 2024 on the airasia Superapp or www.airasia.com and fly between 21 April 2024  and 19 March 2025.  

Vistara has announced a direct, 5x weekly flights between Mumbai and Paris (CDG), starting 28 March 2024. This new long-haul route is in addition to Vistara’s 5x weekly service between Delhi and Paris, which has been receiving a favourable response since its launch in November 2021. This will be Vistara’s third long-haul route from Mumbai after London and Frankfurt as the airline aimed to further enhance connectivity between India and Europe. Vistara will deploy its state-of-the-art Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner, featuring a three-class configuration, on the route. Bookings for the flights are being progressively opened on all channels, including Vistara’s website, mobile app, and through travel agents.