CAPA Aviation & Tourism Investor Summit 2005: June 21-22 In Mumbai
The Centre for Asia Pacific Aviation (CAPA) will hold its annual Indian Subcontinent and Middle East Aviation and Tourism Investor Summit 2005 in Mumbai at the Grand Hyatt on June 21-22, 2005. In an exclusive with Express Travel & Tourism, Kapil Kaul, CEO - Indian Subcontinent & Middle East, CAPA revealed, "Gauging the growth, it is seen that as the economies of the Indian subcontinent and Middle East are expanding, rising income levels and increasing trade links are expected to generate a dramatic increase in both domestic and international passenger traffic. Further, the countries in these regions definitely have the potential to attract far higher levels of traffic."

WTTC Annual Summit To Focus On ‘Realising The Potential’ Of Tourism
The Indian Capital will soon witness the much-awaited World Travel & Tourism Council's Annual Summit from April 8-10, 2005. In a recent visit to Mumbai, Jean-Claude Baumgarten, president, WTTC in an exclusive to Express Travel & Tourism talked about the Summit and its impact on Indian tourism.

Developing Land Banks Could Be The Answer: Misra
The new secretary tourism, A K Misra, who took charge on March 1, 2005 had urban development under his purview in the Planning Commission and is concerned about the lack of infrastructure, entry point hassles and unplanned urban development.

TAs Oppose Airline Commission Cut
The travel agents fraternity is putting up a united front against the commission cut move by Air-India and other airlines. Agents have been slapped with an announcement that the commission will be reduced from seven to five per cent. Six months ago, a similar move by European Airlines led by Lufthansa, saw airlines buckling under the pressure of agent unity and revoking the decision unconditionally. However, this time around, agents and airlines seem to be on an even keel because Air-India is party to it. Realising that the battle will be tough, associations are not ruling out taking legal action. Talking to Express Travel & Tourism on the sidelines of the conference, Praveen Chugh of TAFI said, "We are not ruling out legal action if the negotiations with airlines fail." Conceded Kavi Kohli, treasurer, TAAI, "We will suspend selling tickets first and negotiate to solve the issue amicably. If this fails, then we will have no option but to take legal action."

Interglobe Launches ITQ
Foreseeing the changing trends and requirements of the Indian travel industry, Interglobe Enterprises Limited has launched a new company called Interglobe Technology Quotient ( ITQ) to provide end-to-end technology consulting to the travel industry. ITQ, according to Raja Natesan, president and CEO, will play the role of operational technology consultant and converged solutions provider.