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In a first, Indian Haj pilgrims ride high-speed trains to Makkah from Jeddah

For the first time in history, Indian Haj pilgrims on their journey will experience a new level of comfort. Instead of the traditional bus journey from Jeddah airport to Makkah, the pilgrims will now board high-speed trains, which will also reduce the travel time in half. Arrangements for this groundbreaking change were made through collaborative efforts between the Indian consulate general in Jeddah and Saudi authorities. Nearly 32,000 Indian pilgrims will benefit from this high-speed train service, which leverages the high-speed capabilities of the Harmain Train, reaching speeds of up to 300 kmph. The Indian embassy took to the social media site, X and announced that the first group of pilgrims arrived at Jeddah airport and embarked on their journey to Mecca via the high-speed Haramain Train. Leading this inaugural experience were Indian ambassador Suhel Ajaz Khan and consul general Mohammed Shahid Alam, alongside officials from the Saudi Arabian Railways and ministries of Haj and transport. “This is not only a milestone for Indian pilgrims but also a pioneering effort by Saudi authorities to transport Hajis directly from Jeddah airport to Makkah by train,” said Khan. Every year, Indian authorities try to enhance the Haj pilgrimage experience, aiming to make it more comfortable and streamlined. In 2024, a total of 175,000 pilgrims from India are expected to perform the Haj, with 140,000 of them facilitated by the Haj committee of India. The Haj pilgrimage is of utmost importance for millions of Muslims across the globe, representing one of the five pillars of Islam. Every year, Muslims from all over embark on this sacred journey to the holy city of Mecca in Saudi Arabia. During the annual pilgrimage, known as Haj, pilgrims perform a series of spiritual rituals which includes circling the Kaaba, drinking from the Zamzam well, and standing vigil on the plains of Mount Arafat. The Haj serves as a symbol of unity, equality, and spiritual renewal, as Muslims from diverse backgrounds come together in worship and devotion. Beyond its religious significance, the Hajj fosters a sense of community and solidarity among believers, reinforcing the bonds that transcend cultural and national boundaries.

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Summer travel up 40% this year; hospitality, travel services providers see buoyant demand

As Indian travellers pack their bags to escape the scorching heat, there has been a 40 per cent on-year increase in summer travel this year, with hospitality and travel services providers noticing buoyant demand. Although the ongoing general elections have had a minor impact on corporate and Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions (MICE) business, hotels are finding increased retail business with beach destinations still fighting it out with hill stations for the favoured holiday site. "Those in the Northern part of the country head to the hills to escape the heat. There is also movement from the cities to nearby tourist or leisure destinations. Industry sources estimate a 30 to 40 per cent increase in the summer travel this year as compared to last year," Hotel Association of India, President and Radisson Hotel Group Chairman-South Asia, KB Kachru told PTI. MakeMyTrip Co-Founder & Group CEO Rajesh Magow said, "Summer is always one of the biggest quarters of the year in terms of travel intent, and this year too, the buoyancy in the sector continues. We are observing a healthy growth in searches over those recorded last year at this time." According to MakeMyTrip's summer travel trends, the family travel segment has grown by 20 per cent this year, as compared to the summer of 2023, while solo travel grew by 10 per cent over last year's numbers. In terms of most booked holiday packages this summer, destinations with cool mountain terrains are the top picks with Himachal Pradesh, Kashmir, Goa, Kerala and the North East emerging as most sought after places. "While elections might have a minor impact on corporate and MICE business, retail business has increased by 20 per cent compared to the same time last year at the group level," Royal Orchid Hotels Ltd Chairman and Managing Director, Chander K Baljee said. The major locations benefiting from increased occupancy are hill hotels, resorts, and other leisure destinations, he added. Baljee further said, "Mashobra's (in Himachal Pradesh) retail business has increased almost five-fold with slight price rationalisation, and Mussoorie's retail occupancy has doubled. Goa witnessed a 50 per cent increase in retail occupancy compared to last year." On the other hand, hospitality and travel-tech firm OYO said as per its bookings for May and June 2024, beach destinations are seeing a higher preference among travellers compared to mountains this summer. "Beaches account for 53 per cent of the total leisure bookings, demonstrating a strong inclination towards coastal vacations even during the hot summer months. On the other hand, mountain destinations, which make up 47 per cent of the bookings, are also drawing considerable interest, particularly as we move into June," a spokesperson of OYO said. Goa continues to be the most popular beach destination, followed by Varkala, Pondicherry, and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. However, the spokesperson said, "The early trends for June indicate that mountains will take over beaches. Among these, Nainital tops the list, followed by Rishikesh, Manali, Mussoorie, and Darjeeling. This indicates a growing trend of travellers seeking the serene and cool environment of the mountains as the summer progresses." Interestingly, Kachru said, "Air travel has seen immense growth because of the campaign of the Election Commission to celebrate the festival of democracy and a large number of citizens are travelling to cast their precious vote in their home towns."

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UAE awards Golden Visa to renowned actor Rajnikanth; know what privilege it offers

Renowned actor Rajinikanth has been honored with the prestigious UAE Golden Visa by the Department of Culture and Tourism in the UAE. Taking to social media, the superstar expressed his gratitude towards the Abu Dhabi Government and MA Yusuff Ali, the chairman and managing director of Lulu Group, for their instrumental roles in securing this accolade. In a widely circulated video, Rajinikanth shared, "I am deeply honored to receive the esteemed UAE Golden Visa from the Abu Dhabi government. My sincere thanks to the Abu Dhabi government, as well as to my dear friend Mr. Yusuff Ali, CMD of Lulu Group, for facilitating this visa and for their unwavering support." During his recent visit to the UAE, Rajinikanth met with MA Yusuff Ali and other key executives of Lulu Group. The actor and the entrepreneur were even seen sharing a ride in a Rolls Royce, sparking speculation about potential collaborations between the superstar and the Lulu Group owner. Here’s all that you need to know about this prestigious visa. What is the Golden Visa? It’s actually a long-term residence visa that is granted to individuals from other countries to study, work, or reside in the UAE, accompanied by exclusive benefits. Some of the key highlights about the Golden Visa are: - The benefits encompass a six-month entry visa with multiple entries, along with a renewable residence visa valid for either 5 or 10 years, thereby eliminating the requirement for a sponsor. - Golden visa holders have the flexibility to uphold visa validity by residing outside the UAE for over six months, as well as sponsoring family members and domestic helpers, ensuring their accommodation in the event of the primary holder's passing until the visa expiration. - Golden Visa prerequisites differ depending on the residency category, such as investor, entrepreneur, etc. - Public investment investors must demonstrate a deposit or capital of AED 2 million, furnish evidence of annual tax payments amounting to at least AED 250,000, and maintain full ownership of the invested capital. - Real estate investors must possess properties valued at a minimum of 2 million dirhams or acquire property via an approved loan from designated local banks. - Entrepreneurs must present economically innovative projects endorsed by authorities, auditors, and business incubators. - Exceptional talents, including doctors, scientists, and inventors, must fulfill specific criteria and secure approval letters from pertinent authorities. - Exceptional talents, such as doctors and scientists, may receive a 10-year Golden Visa upon approval from the Ministry of Health and Prevention and Emirates Council of Scientists, respectively. - Inventors require a recommendation letter from the Ministry of Economy, while individuals excelling in culture and arts must obtain an approval letter from the Department of Culture and Arts in their respective emirate.

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JetBlue and British Airways May Be Partnering Up to Expand Their Networks — What That'll Mean for Travelers

JetBlue and British Airways have submitted a codeshare agreement with the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT), hoping to make travel easier for fliers across the Atlantic. “We are always looking for new ways to offer our customers more choice when traveling,” JetBlue shared in a statement with Travel + Leisure. “With the new codeshare, customers will be able to seamlessly book a single ticket for travel on both airlines, providing an expanded network of destinations across Europe and the U.S.” The codeshare partnership, filed on Wednesday, proposes both airlines leverage their unique route networks and fly to nearly 100 destinations across the U.S. and Europe. This would allow travelers to fly from 75 domestic airports in JetBlue’s network, such as Charleston and Syracuse, and cover 17 cities British Airways serves, including Copenhagen and Lisbon. etBlue’s hubs are heavily focused on the Northeast, as its transatlantic flights depart from New York and Boston. Since JetBlue launched its first-ever routes to London in 2021, it now offers flights to Amsterdam, Paris, Dublin, and, most recently, Edinburgh. The news of the codeshare agreement comes as JetBlue recently announced it would cut back daily transatlantic frequencies during the slower winter season. If approved, this agreement would benefit JetBlue to maintain capacity on the routes by flying codeshare passengers year-round. The past year has been marked by JetBlue’s unsuccessful tie-ups with American Airlines and Spirit Airlines — and on separate occasions. The Northeast Alliance between JetBlue and American, which had added more flights out of New York and Boston, was dissolved last summer due to antitrust violations. Then, in January, a federal judge blocked JetBlue's proposed merger with Spirit, which was proposed to make the fifth-largest airline in the country.

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Kashmir on road to become 'Valley of hope' for startups: Ex-NITI Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant

India’s G20 Sherpa Amitabh Kant has lauded the significant changes witnessed in Jammu and Kashmir after the scrapping of Article 370 in 2019. Kant, the former CEO of NITI Aayog, has said that Kashmir has the potential of becoming the 'Valley of hope' for startups, especially after recent ‘radical’ transformation on the ground. “I have been coming here for a long time, and I have seen the period of stone pelting, hartals, and violence. And I see a very radical transformation (post 370) on the ground here," Kant, who visited the Valley, told local daily Greater Kashmir. On August 5, 2019, Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government abrogated the Article 370, which granted special status to J&K, was abrogated, and the erstwhile state was divided into two Union Territories- Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh. “I discussed this with the Lieutenant Governor. He is very keen that we constantly do unique things in Kashmir. And I suggested to him, we should get the top CEOs and do a CEOs retreat on resilience and reinvention in Kashmir. We should also do a very major meet of all start-ups, the top start-ups and amplify the start-up movement in Kashmir because Kashmir is the ‘Valley of Hope’ for all start-ups," said Kant who met L-G Manoj Sinha on May 21. Kant appreciated L-G Sinha's administration for ensuring free, fair, and safe elections. This remark comes days after Srinagar and Baramulla seats of Jammu and Kashmir witnessed record voter turnout in the Lok Sabha Elections 2024. Kant also highlighted the potential for film tourism in the Valley. "This panoramic view: the snow, the mountains, and the greens – all this you will not get anywhere else in the world. So, I would appeal not merely to Bollywood but to the film industry of Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, and Kerala too. All of these are very big industries. They should all come and shoot in Kashmir. This is a big opportunity."

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UAE visa update: Travellers need to have INR 68,000; only visa and return tickets not enough

The UAE offers a Visit Visa for individuals wishing to visit the country, which serves multiple purposes such as visiting relatives, travel, exploring job opportunities, and more. Now, as per the latest news reports, immigration authorities have intensified inspections and screenings at UAE airports to detect individuals arriving on a visit visa with the intention of seeking employment. If reports are to go by, several passengers from Kottayam and Idukki districts in Kerala were detained at the airport due to inadequate travel documentation. These inspections commenced at Kochi and Kozhikode airports in Kerala. Following the detention of passengers in the UAE, the scrutiny process has become more rigorous. At Cochin International Airport alone, over 20 passengers were barred from boarding flights recently. Similarly, up to five individuals are denied travel daily at Calicut International Airport. Consequently, approximately 30 passengers in Kozhikode had to cancel their travel plans. Reportedly, airlines are also strictly enforcing regulations requiring tourist visa holders to possess hotel reservation documents and 5,000 dirhams (approximately INR 1.3 lakh) for expenses. Many passengers arriving with only a visa and air tickets were unable to board flights and were refused travel even after providing visa details, contact information, and addresses of relatives or friends in the UAE. Those whose trips were canceled received no refunds or opportunities to reschedule and endured lengthy waits at the airport before returning home. An airline official informed that they received directives regarding hotel booking documents and a 5,000 dirhams buffer, in addition to visas and return tickets. Guidelines stipulate that airlines will be held accountable for passengers lacking proper documentation upon arrival in the UAE, with fines of 5,000 dirhams per passenger imposed. These stringent measures, a first for airports, require passengers to carry or have access to 3,000 dirhams (approximately INR 68,000) for a one-month visa and 5,000 dirhams for a longer stay, with credit cards meeting these limits also accepted. Immigration authorities in Dubai have issued guidelines for visitors on tourist visas: 1) Airport officials will have to inquire about the purpose of the visit, accommodation arrangements, and available funds for expenses. Inadequate responses may result in passengers being detained. 2) Visitors on tourist visas are prohibited from engaging in employment, with travel and recruitment agencies forbidden from promising job opportunities. 3) Visitors on employment visas must complete visa procedures upon entry, enabling them to work legally. 4) Visitors engaging in tourist activities should provide information on their hotel accommodation, return tickets, and available funds. 5) Visitors visiting friends or relatives may be asked for copies of their hosts' visas and passports, along with contact details and accommodation information.

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