Travel India 2023 Summit: Laying down the roadmap for future of Bengal tourism

Travel India 2023, the flagship event of ICC, is an attempt to look at the latest status and updates of the tourism industry in the country, particularly in West Bengal and the way forward. Sustainable tourism, responsible tourism and AYUSH tourism are trending in the tourism industry of the country.

Kerala Tourism set to launch a multitude of events as part of its innovative tourism

With a zest to move beyond the conventional image of a land of natural beauty, Kerala Tourism is set for a makeover. 'God's own country', renowned for its breathtaking scenic beauty and lush greenery, is now looking to rebrand itself as an all-season destination for both offbeat, as well as experiential travel. In a roadshow in Delhi, the officials talked about various launches and strategies to expand the reach of Kerala Tourism, and attract visitors round the year. Read on to know more.

TOUR DE DIAMONDS - Immerse into the Journey of Diamonds

Tour de Diamonds is a unique and premium experiential tour for those who have always wondered and wanted to know why a diamond is forever. This tour takes guests, tourists, and those interested into the realm of the captivating diamond-making process and gets knowledge of the industry with in-depth experiences. TTJ meets up with Karan Maniar and Priyanka Verma, Partners, Tour de Diamonds, to learn more about this enterprising startup in the travel business.

'Experiential travel will be the mantra for the hospitality sector'

With presence in almost all the states of India, The Clarks Hotels and aims to promote the country to the rising domestic luxury travellers, international travellers, and MICE. Amid domestic expansion, the group is also strengthening its international footprints with new openings in the Indian Ocean region. In this interaction, Rahul Deb Banerjee, Vice President, The Clarks Hotels and Resorts, gives rich insights into their work strategies and accomplishments in the year 2022 and their expectations for 2023.

Living the Korean Dream - Grand Hyatt Jeju

Embodying the modern Korean lifestyle, Grand Hyatt Jeju is the largest Grand Hyatt in Asia-Pacific. The hotel promises a rich, luxurious experience for domestic and international visitors with its exclusive range of services. Read on to know more about the luxurious hotel as we converse with Simon Graham, Hotel Manager, Grand Hyatt Jeju. Graham is an experienced hotel professional with over 20 years in the industry and is currently overseeing a team of over 400, driving key business strategy across all functions of the Rooms Division, and playing a key role in developing and executing the overall business strategy for the hotel.

Optimistic of new possibilities, ready to welcome more Indians in 2023

India is on a trajectory to become one of the largest sources and a focus market for global tourism. Destinations within proximity see India as the top source market. Over the years, Indian tourist footfalls are rapidly growing in South East Asia and the GCC countries. After the COVID pandemic, the pent-up demand is already seeing a huge outflow of travellers to the promising destinations in these regions. As a big and growing market, India is also valuable for many international hotels in these regions. We at TTJ spoke with some of the international hotels to know how they fared in 2022, their readiness for the India market in 2023, and hospitality trends that impressed them.

SriLankan Airlines adopting Pragmatic and Resilient approach

Most airlines suffered huge setbacks due to the COVID-19 scenario. SriLankan Airlines was no exception. Even post-COVID when things were finally looking up, the island nation had its own internal setbacks that created further challenges for the airline, but the airline overcame its challenges and has now reached its pre-COVID revenues operating at 70 per cent capacity. In an exclusive conversation with TTJ, Richard Nuttall, CEO, SriLankan Airlines, talks about the challenges faced by the airline and its projections for the future.

UTAH TOURISM DEPARTMENT PROMOTES RESPONSIBLE AND SUSTAINABLE TOURISM PRACTICES

As the world navigates the post-pandemic era, there has been a renewed interest in travel and a desire to both explore new destinations and rediscover local ones. Among the sought-after tourist destinations is the state of Utah, which has seen a surge in interest among travellers. Zach Fyne, Global Markets Specialist, Utah Office of Tourism, and Rachel Bremer, Global Markets Director, Utah Office of Tourism, recently presented a comprehensive overview of the state's various attractions to a gathering of media representatives. The presentation highlighted the diverse offerings of Utah and provided insights on how to best experience them.

Building destinations and experiences with an entrepreneurial spirit

Having worked in the tourism industry for 14 years, travel has become part of Ryna Sequeira’s DNA. She is a passionate marketeer, and the line of tourism business marries both exceptionally well. After the pandemic in 2022, Ryna relaunched her marketing consulting firm under her brand, Ryna Sequeira Consulting, and now represents Tourism and Events Queensland, Australian Cruise Group, and Opera Australia.

'India is eager to travel and the world should be ready to cash in'

With over 22 years of hands-on industry experience spread over multiple verticals ranging from airlines, tourism boards, and travel agencies, Alpa Jani, Founder and CEO of Ace Connect, now brings her experience and learning into the travel and hospitality consultancy business, continuing her passion for the industry. Ace Connect, a professional consulting company for niche products and destinations in the travel and hospitality space, aims to offer destinations and products a sustainable presence, visibility, and growth in the India market.

JAZEERA AIRWAYS MARKS 5 YEARS OF OPERATIONS IN INDIA

Kuwait’s leading low-cost carrier serves eight Indian cities within its network of 55+ destinations.

Tourism Australia launches eighth iteration of Virtual Travel Fair; Fly to Oz from just Rs. 53,600

Tourism Australia has launched its eight iteration of Virtual Travel Fair (Airline Marketplace) in India, to provide Indian travellers with the opportunity to explore attractive deals on holidays to Australia, for a limited period.

SriLankan Holidays launches 'Dil full of Sri Lanka,' holiday packages at unbelievable rates

Sri Lanka's national carrier, Sri Lankan Airlines, sharing the joy of 75 years of Sri Lanka's independence, extended an invitation to Indian travellers to explore the island beauty.

Nijhawan Group expands its representation portfolio, forges four new partnerships

Nijhawan Group adds more feathers to its hat with its appointment as the India representation office for Millennium Hotels and Resorts (Worldwide), Mayfair Cruises (Egypt), Pilgrimage Village and Vedana Lagoon Resort (Da Nang, Vietnam) and New World Hotel (Phu Quoc, Vietnam).

Plan A Trip To MP And Indulge In An Experience Of A Lifetime!

Let’s have a small tour of the incredible Madhya Pradesh

Discover Uttar Pradesh Like Never Before

Besides the usual but enchanting places like Lucknow, Agra, Vrindavan, Allahabad, and Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh has some classic hidden gems waiting to be explored. From historical monuments and forts to religious centres and unrivalled nature, these vibrant destinations in Uttar Pradesh could be a delight for history lovers, or the pious and the devoted, or the nature aficionados. TTJ highlights three such places in Uttar Pradesh to enhance your list of ‘Places to Visit’ in the state.

New team takes over OTOAI

A new team has taken over the reins at the Outbound Tour Operators Association of India (OTOAI).

Los Angeles Tourism India celebrates its third anniversary

During the Thanksgiving weekend, Los Angeles Tourism celebrated its third anniversary in India, along with a Thanksgiving dinner.

TAAI and Kazakh Tourism cementing Tourism Bonds

The ninth largest country by area and the largest landlocked country in the world, Kazakhstan, is just a three and half hour flight from New Delhi to Almaty by AirAstana. The former Soviet Republic with a rapidly developing infrastructure combined with its proximity to India and a 14-day free visa-onarrival policy for Indian citizens makes it a great option for the Indian traveller. TAAI, as the oldest and largest body of Indian travel professionals, sensed the mutual opportunity and entered into a series of initiatives with the Kazakh Tourism authorities to promote tourism between the two countries.

This winter, head to these Magnificent Hill Stations of Maharashtra

Maharashtra is abundantly blessed with the scenic natural beauty of hilly ranges which spread across the topography. These extensive ranges are home to some of the stunning hill stations, some of which are offbeat hidden beauties, each having a charm of its own. These lesserknown hill stations in Maharashtra offer breathtaking views of splendid valleys and tranquil and refreshing breaks. Plan a trip to these enchanting hill stations to escape the hustle and bustle of your dreary life and unwind in the lap of nature.

A Call to Arms Rethinking Indian ADVENTURE Tourism

India has provisions for varied and diverse forms of adventure tourism opportunities. The segment has been acquiring recognition within the country and is being considered to be one of the highest foreign exchange earners in the future. Here is my account of why Indian adventure tourism must rethink its influence as an industry.

Innovation and Automation with Amadeus Solutions

In their mission to provide cutting-edge solutions to the travel industry, Amadeus’ suite of products has introduced a suite of new products and critical features to better enable the travel ecosystem. In a recent press event in New Delhi, officials from Amadeus displayed their latest offerings to the travel sector. The focus of the event was to demonstrate and display the power of automation to optimise productivity and maximise profits.

Getting on the responsible LUXURY hospitality wheel

The pandemic has made all of us aware of our health. Hence, the demand is up for a healthy living. Aimed to propagate wellness therapies across the country, Vedic Village Spa Resort’s wellness centre is a one-of-a-kind in the eastern belt of India that promises to cure a wide array of health ailments with its wellness therapies.

A turbulent past, a steady present and a promising future for the hospitality industry

We are at the fag end of 2022, and it’s time to summarise the year in the hospitality business. TT] looks back at 2022 and interacts with the prominent hospitality players pan India to learn about their year-round performances, valuable experiences gained during the pandemic and their expectations for the coming New Year.

The magic of Lake Nakuru

Some National Parks make you feel alive on a game drive, just like the Lake Nakuru National Park in Kenya. A UNESCO World Heritage Site, Lake Nakuru allows you to relax in one of nature’s most inviting yet rustic environs with wide vistas and beautiful sunrise and sunsets. This is where you see something new and exciting at every bend. Nakuru was, by far, my favourite safari experience among my A frican wildlife tours.

Cordelia driving the cruise culture in India

Cordelia Cruises, India’s premium cruise liner, which was conceptualised for Indians, is exactly catering to how Indians love to holiday through experiences that are stylish, luxurious, and, most importantly, inherently Indian. In an exclusive conversation with Jurgen Bailom, President and CEO, Waterways Leisure Tourism, we come to know that there has been a huge response to their sailings both in western and Eastern shorelines. Also, their Indianised touch at sea has worked out positively for the cruise liner.

Le Meridien Maldives promises indomitable hospitality

Le Meridien Maldives recently partnered with One Above DMC to promote their 141-luxury villa island property amongst the travel trade. In a resort presentation over cocktails and dinner, Nilesh Singh, General Manager, Le Meridien Maldives, apprised about the resort's superior service and endless eating options curated for the Indian traveller.

Kenya Airways offers more of Africa

Kenya Airways, the Pride of A frica, is committed to offering a delightful experience with a caring A frican touch. The airline focuses on its unparalleled connectivity by offering flexible options in and out of A frica. On the side-lines of MKTE 2022 in Nairobi, Kenya, Martin Gitonga, Head of Planning and Alliances, Kenya Airways, gave us a glimpse into the latest development at the airline in the Indian context.

ITA Airways launches India operations

The Italian flagship airline, ITA Airways, launched its India operations by operating its first flight from New Delhi to Rome Fiumicino on December 4, 2022. The new connection marks a step forward in the expansion of the airline's A sia footprint and global route network while highlighting its focus on the Indian market. Currently, it is the only carrier to operate a direct connection between New Delhi and Rome.

Akasa Air continues to expand its network

Akasa Air, India's newest airline, announced its entry into Uttar Pradesh with the addition of Lucknow as the eleventh destination to join the airline's fast-growing network. The airline will continue to grow its network to establish a strong pan-India presence with a focus on the metro to tier 2 and 3 route connectivity, using a fleet expansion plan that adds one new aircraft every 15 days.