Category: News

Kolkata, Bengaluru flights to remain cancelled

Flight No. SG-578 from Kanpur to Kolkata will remain cancelled from March 17 to March 30 due to regulatory requirements. Similarly, another flight SG-726 from Kanpur to Bengaluru, will also remain cancelled from March 18 to March 20. “The flights have been cancelled as per the orders of director general, civil aviation. Some flights are affected as some planes have been grounded due to security reasons,” said said Jameel Khaliq, airport director, Ganesh Shankar Vidyarthi memorial airport Chakeri, Kanpur. Passengers need to contact SpiceJet for necessary arrangements. At present, Kanpur is connected with New Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Bengaluru.

Embassy of Vietnam signs up BLS International for Vietnam visa applications in India

BLS International has announced that it has joined hands with the Embassy of Vietnam to accept visa applications in India. It has also been authorised as the only company to handle the ‘Attestation and Legalisation Services’ for the Embassy of Vietnam. This addition to the already robust portfolio of Consular and Citizen Services offered by BLS International reflects the company’s focus on efficiency and continuous excellence in its operations. “We are honoured by the confidence and trust the Embassy has reposed in us for ensuring a smooth, efficient and delightful experience for the applicants. To ensure this, we are opening ... Read more

Jackie Chan and Wu Jing To Feature as ‘Climbers’ in Mount Everest Summit Film

Wang Fuzhou, Gongbu and Qu Yinhua Jackie Chan and Chinese actor Wu jing are coming together for a film that will trace the first ever Chinese summit to Mount Everest in 1960. Tentatively titled ‘Climbers’, the film will feature a dramatized version of real-life expedition of Chinese climbers Wang Fuzhou, Gonpo and Qu Yinhua, who made the historic climb up Mount Everest’s North Ridge. The Chinese team of Wang, Gonpo and Qu were the first ever to have successfully climbed the Everest’s north side, which is known to be particularly dangerous. Climbers will be directed by Hong Kong filmmaker Daniel Lee ... Read more

Accor to soon start day-only bookings in India

Accor is all set to introduce its day use service in India where the guests can stay for 12 hours anytime in the day and will pay 60 per cent less of the actual room price. “Today, if you want to use a hotel room from 8 am to 8 pm, its very difficult to book. To solve this, Accor will soon enable its guests to book the room maximum for 12 hours any time in the day that suits them. It will up to the hotel if they want to release their 6 am to 6 pm slot of ... Read more

Kerala Blog Express starts its journey on March 21

The sixth edition of Kerala Blog Express, the annual campaign of state Tourism Department, was flagged off on March 21. Rani George, Secretary, Kerala flagged off the sixth edition of the two-week-long Kerala Blog Express from the Grand Hyatt, Kochi at 10.30 am. This year the campaign has 30 bloggers from 21 different countries across the globe participating in the event. The participating bloggers were selected through a voting system. For the first time ever in six years, the Kerala Tourism Department is organizing two trips back to back, one catering the International bloggers and another version exclusive to bloggers ... Read more

Ethiopia records largest growth in travel & tourism globally at 48.6% in 2018

Ethiopia’s travel and tourism economy grew by 48.6 per cent in 2018, according to the World Travel & Tourism Council’s (WTTC) annual review of the economic impact and social importance of the sector. In 2018, travel and tourism contributed BIRR 202 billion USD 7.4 billion to the country’s economy, an increase of BIRR 59 billion(USD 2.2bn) on 2017. The sector now represents 9.4 per cent of Ethiopia’s total economy. The WTTC research which compares the Travel & Tourism sector across 185 countries shows that in 2018 the Ethiopian travel and tourism sector significantly outpaced the global growth rate of 3.9 ... Read more

More than 3000 people visit Emirates A380 at first Saudi International Airshow

The Emirates A380 drew in more than 3000 visitors in two days at the first ever Saudi International Airshow. The Emirates A380 was the largest commercial aircraft on display at the milestone event. The aircraft received a royal visit from HRH Sultan bin Salman, Chairman of the Board of Saudi Space Agency. HRH was received by Adel Al Ghaith, Senior Vice President, Commercial Operations, Gulf, Middle East & Iran for Emirates, who took him through the flagship aircraft’s signature design details and latest onboard products. The A380 that was on display from 12-13 March was open to both trade visitors ... Read more

Thai Smile to fly from Kolkata, five times a week

Thai Smile, the regional carrier of Thai Airways, is all set to start operating from Kolkata to Bangkok, five times a week, from March 31, 2019. The aircraft used for the operations on this route is Airbus 320. The starting fare for the flight is Rs. 8993 all included. The direct flight will also place TG-coded flight numbers on this route. The flight from Kolkata would take off at 01:00 hrs and would arrive in Bangkok at 05:30 hrs on Monday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday. From Bangkok it will fly every Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday at 22:05 ... Read more

IndiGo introduces 3 new routes; adds 14 flights

Picture Courtesy: IndiGo Further enhancing its customer experience with the launch of 14 new flights on its network, IndiGo has introduced three new routes and will operate its first flight between Chennai – Raipur, Hyderabad – Gorakhpur and Kolkata – Gorakhpur. The airline will also add flights on its existing routes connecting, Chennai – Trivandrum, Bengaluru – Mangalore, Bengaluru – Udaipur and Bengaluru – Chennai. All new services will commence from April 2019. “We are very excited to add 14 new flights to our network along with along with 3 new routes connecting Chennai, Raipur and Gorakhpur. IndiGo has completed ... Read more

India Heritage Tourism Conclave to be held on March 27

The PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PHDCCI) will be organizing its 8th India Heritage Tourism Conclave with the theme ‘Sustainable Tourism Management at World Heritage Sites’ on March 27, 2019 at WelcomHotel The Savoy, Mussoorie. “The Chamber is taking the legacy forward of hosting its India Heritage Tourism Conclave which first commenced in 2011. Through this Conclave, PHDCCI aims at illustrating how World Heritage Sites can be integrated into broader regional and destination-level tourism management processes, creating a strong platform to exchange best practices, discuss challenges and opportunities in the Heritage Tourism sector,” said D K Aggarwal, Sr. Vice President, PHDCCI. ... Read more

Emirates Flight Training Academy signs MoU with National Aviation Academy in KSA

Emirates Flight Training Academy (EFTA), the world class flight training facility developed by Emirates, and the National Aviation Academy (TAYARAN), a not-for-profit vocational training institute in Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to share their expertise and jointly promote their training programmes and exchange cadets pilots and aircraft maintenance technicians in training between the two academies. The MoU was signed by Captain Abdulla Al Hammadi, Vice President Emirates Flight Training Academy and Mohammed T Al Subaie, Director General of the National Aviation Academy, in the presence of HRH Prince Faisal Bin Bandar, Governor of Riyadh ... Read more

Sheraton unveils new logo marking transformation milestone

Sheraton Hotels & Resorts, Marriott International’s most global brand continues its transformation journey with a nod to its timeless pioneering legacy, as it unveils a new logo that pays homage to its past and depicts its vision for the future. The new design reflects the brand’s holistic vision for the future, making Sheraton the central gathering place of communities around the world, welcoming guests and locals into a public space that embodies the modern town square vibe. “The logo’s evolution reflects the renewed energy and firm commitment we are making to our owners and guests to the resurgence of this ... Read more

Celebrate live storytelling at ‘Tales on the Island’ this weekend

Al Noor Island, one of Sharjah’s premier tourist and leisure destinations, is hosting the last leg of a month-long celebration of live oral tradition as part of the third edition of its International Storytelling Festival – Tales on the Island. To conclude on March 16, 2019, this one-of-a-kind cultural festival for children and adults themed ‘Stories: A Treasure of Words’, has featured a stellar cast of 15 storytellers and theatrical performers representing 10 nationalities. On its concluding weekend (March 15–16), seven critically-acclaimed storytellers, Sara Kasir from Lebanon, Michael Harvey from the UK, Katie Knutson from the USA, Martina Pisciali from ... Read more

#VisaFreeAfrica Initiative introduces 55 Voices for Africa Writing Competition

#VisaFreeAfrica (VFA) has recently introduced the 55 Voices for a Visa Free Africa (55Voices4Africa) writing competition, inviting all African youth to share stories about the challenges they faced with intra-continent travel. VFA is a global campaign to facilitate mobility in Africa driven by the Kigali Global Shapers in partnership with National Aviation Services (NAS), the fastest growing aviation services provider in the emerging markets. Kigali Global Shapers, a community whose vision is to create a platform that engages with the youth to inspire innovation and change launched the writing competition to build further awareness on the important of achieving a ... Read more

Thailand calls you for the Royal Coronation Ceremony of King Maha Vajiralongkorn

The Royal Coronation Ceremony for His Majesty King Maha Vajiralongkorn, a historic event in Thailand, will take place between May 4 and 6. It is an ancient traditional practice, dating back to over a century ago, to celebrate the accession to the throne of the King of Thailand. “On the fourth of May, a time to celebrate not only by the Thais but from the world, His Majesty King Maha Vajiralongkorn will be officially crowned as King Rama the tenth of the Chakri dynasty, according to traditions governing the monarchy,” said Weerasak Kowsurat, Minister of Tourism and Sports, Thailand. The earliest ... Read more