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Main Story
Historic
move towards sub-agent recognition
The Travel Agents Federation of India's (TAFI) management
committee has cleared a proposal to induct non-IATA agents
as allied members in what is being viewed as a historic initiative
in the Indian travel trade towards sub-agent recognition.
Aviation
IndiGo
launches operations
IndiGo, India's newest low-fare domestic carrier, promoted
by InterGlobe Enterprises and Rakesh Gangwal, has announced
the launch of its revenue operations. It took its first flight
on August 4, 2006 from Delhi to Guwahati to Imphal with a
brand new Airbus A320 aircraft.
BA
India opts for commercial makeover
British Airways India has gone in for a commercial organisational
makeover and has done away with its traditional set-up of
commercial managers for different parts of India.
Virgin
Atlantic records 250% growth in last fiscal
Virgin Atlantic is having a happy time in India following
a 250 per cent growth in its sixth fiscal of operations. After
the introduction of its first-class suites in its business
class cabin, the airline is now setting its sights on the
South Indian market.
Trade Bytes
CIBT
to introduce organised travel documentation to Indian market
Aworld major in travel documentation and expediting, CIBT
is poised to enter the Indian market later this year and will
initially focus on the screening and submission of visa applications.
LPTI
sets up ICE division to tap MICE market
Le Passage To India (LPTI) recently set up its Integrated
Conference and Event Management (ICE) division, which will
be based in Mumbai.
Kuoni
Holidays to augment PSA base to push African Holidays
Kuoni Holidays is looking to augment preferred agent base
to bolster sales reach for its premium African Holidays brand
that it recently launched in India.
Visa
issuance a big deterrent for growth of India tourism
Tour operators across the country have been facing a problem
recently in procuring a visa for their inbound clients.
Ashwini
Kakkar acquires majority stake in Mercury Travels
Ashwini Kakkar, erstwhile managing director of Thomas Cook
India and director on the Worldwide Board of Thomas Cook has
bought 74.9 per cent stake in Mercury Travels from Oberoi
Group of Hotels (part of East India Hotels).
Lifestyle
Holidays appointed PSA for Cosmos, Globus
Lifestyle Holidays, a division of Bulls & Bears, has been
recently appointed as a Preferred Sales Agent (PSA) for Cosmos
and Globus Vacations.
Thomas
Cook eyes 1,000-strong network by 2010
Thomas Cook India Ltd (TCIL) is targeting a 1,000-strong network
by 2010 through a tripartite strategy, part of which included
the recent buyout of LKP Forex.
Select
Vacations introduces travel shops in India
Having acquired Select Vacations early this year, Le Passage
to India Tours has introduced the concept of travel shops
in India.
Newstrack
Maharashtra
to undertake extensive fort upgradation
With an aim to improve Mumbai as a tourist destination, the
state government has proposed a series of activities, which
also finds mention in the draft report of the state's tourism
policy.
Macroview
TAFI
poised for historic move to service fee
TAFI is poised to moot a historic move towards the service
fee concept for its members as well as those of TAAI, post
the two key events - the first meeting of its newly elected
management committee and the forthcoming TAAI elections.
UFTAA
reduces membership fee
In an effort to encourage local participation at the 40th
UFTAA World Congress to be held in New Delhi from September
15-19, 2006, the association's organising committee has slashed
its registration fee from Rs 15,000 to Rs 5,000.
India
to debut as INTO conference host in ‘07
India will be the venue for the 12th International National
Trusts Organisation (INTO) conference that will be held in
the capital in December 2007.
Events
Galileo
- Express TravelWorld Awards 2006 announces ‘Special
Category’ awards
The fourth edition of the Galileo-Express TravelWorld Awards
(erstwhile Galileo-Express Travel & Tourism Awards) scheduled
to be held in New Delhi towards the end of this year has introduced
two special category awards this year.
Travel
World 2007: A unique networking opportunity
The third edition of Travel World, the premier B2B travel
exhibition from the Business Publications Division, Indian
Express Group will be held from February 1 to 3, 2007 at the
World Trade Centre in Mumbai.
Inbound
‘Chhattisgarh
is pursuing the PPP method’
The state of Chhattisgarh is making a lot of noise on the
tourism front. Brij Mohan Agarwal, minister for tourism, Chhattisgarh
and chairman of its tourism board, speaks to Express TravelWorld
on its initiatives to leverage its rich bio-diversity in order
to attract more tourism
Plan
for tourism projects in Damodar Valley region
In a move which will have a long-term impact on the arrival
of tourists to the states of Jharkhand and West Bengal, Damodar
Valley Corporation (DVC), a central government undertaking
has invited Expression of Interest (EoI) from organisations/consultants
to 'prepare a master plan for development of tourism projects
in the Damodar Valley region'.
HP
Tourism to focus on value over volume
With Himachal Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation's (HPTDC)
new tourism policy came a new direction and focus for tourism.
The state is focused on providing visitors quality holidays
instead of focusing on volumes.
‘Tourism
policies need to be enforced by law’
Orissa is going through a re-branding initiative and is considering
a tourism policy and land banks. Manoj Kumar Sarangi, director
and additional secretary, Orissa Tourism, speaks to Vyas Sivanand
about the changing scenario of tourism in the state and the
initiatives taken up by the state government
Sikkim
seeks scientific development of tourism
With a view to develop tourism in a scientific manner in the
state, Sikkim Tourism has decided to do so in collaboration
with national and international agencies that specialise in
the infrastructure development sector, particularly tourism.
Uplink
And
now GDS, airlines go in for co-promotions
After airlines and tourism boards, GDS providers are now partnering
with airlines to co-promote each other. Abacus and Sri Lankan
Airlines recently came together to educate travel agents on
how they could reduce distribution costs.
Makemytrip.com
to roll out offline strategy
Online travel major makemytrip.com is looking to roll out
an offline strategy to complement as well as overhaul its
current portal.
‘Online
bookings are growing in non-metro cities’
Yatra's founder and executive director Dhruv Shringi
tells Bhisham Mansukhani, he believes his travel retail
website is perfectly placed to tap the growing trend of Internet
users relying on this interface to plan and book their travel.
Channel Chat
Sub-agents
cite communication void with TAAI
Sub-agents have called on TAAI to build closer ties with the
community on the eve of TAAI's annual convention.
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