News

Vistara expands global footprint with new routes to Bali and Doha

Vistara has commenced daily non-stop flights between Delhi and Bali, becoming the exclusive airline offering direct connectivity on this route. The inaugural flight took off from Indira Gandhi International Airport, Delhi, at 00:30 Hours (IST) on December 1, 2023, and landed at Denpasar International Airport, Bali (DPS) at 11:05 Hours (WITA). India’s premier full-service carrier, is making significant strides in global connectivity with the launch of direct services between Delhiand Bali, along with the introduction of Mumbai-Doha flights. Vistara has commenced daily non-stop flights between Delhi and Bali, becoming the exclusive airline offering direct connectivity on this route. The inaugural flight took off from Indira Gandhi International Airport, Delhi, at 00:30 Hours (IST) on December 1, 2023, and landed at Denpasar International Airport, Bali (DPS) at 11:05 Hours (WITA). Operated on Vistara’s A321LR aircraft, the service features a three-class seating configuration, including contemporary interiors, in-seat power/USB charging ports, advanced In-Flight Entertainment (IFE) system, live TV, and onboard Wi-Fi for an enhanced in-flight experience. The increased connectivity is expected to facilitate both leisure and corporate travel, solidifying the airline's commitment to serving diverse customer needs. Speaking about this significant expansion, Vinod Kannan, Chief Executive Officer, Vistara, said, "Bali is one of the most coveted holiday destinations for Indian travellers, and we are excited to be the only the airline currently offering direct connectivity between Delhi and Bali.With this launch, Vistara aims to cater to the growing demand for seamless travel options, emphasising the strong commercial and cultural ties between India and Indonesia." Mumbai to Doha direct flights Vistara has also announced its 50th destination with the addition of Doha, Qatar, to its expansive network. Starting December 15, 2023, the airline will operate direct flights four times a week between Mumbai and Doha, utilising its A321neo aircraft. This move underscores Vistara's commitment to enhancing its presence in the Gulf region and expanding its network offerings from the Mumbai hub. Kannan commented on the Mumbai-Doha route, stating, "We are thrilled to introduce direct flights between Mumbai and Doha, further solidifying our presence in the Gulf region. This move aligns with our strategy to cater to the growing economic significance of Doha and enhance our network from Mumbai. We hope our customers appreciate the option to fly with India’s best airline on this route." For the Delhi-Bali route, the daily flights operate with the following schedule: Delhi – Bali (UK 145) at 00:30 hrs, Arrival at 11:05 hrs Bali – Delhi (UK 146) at 12:10 hrs, Arrival at 17:45 hrs For the Mumbai-Doha route, flights operate four times a week: Mumbai – Doha (UK 285) at 18:45 hrs, Arrival at 20:30 hrs Doha – Mumbai (UK 286) at 21:45 hrs, Arrival at 4:05 hrs (+1).

Read more

Tourist arrival picks up in Kullu-Manali region, hotel industry hopes for 'fantastic' season

After suffering huge losses due to disasters in monsoon, Himachal Pradesh's Kullu-Manali region sees spike in tourists amid snowfall ahead of winter holidays The hotel industry in Kullu and Manali region of Himachal Pradesh is bracing up for year-end tourism and hoping for a "fantastic" season as tourist arrival has started picking up after restoration of roads and snowfall. The occupancy at present is between 40-50 per cent, which is likely to increase due to snowfall and the hotel industry is expecting 100 per cent occupancy during Christmas-New year week,| president of the Federation of Himachal Hotels and Restaurant Associations (FOHHRA) Gajender Thakur told PTI on Saturday. Hoteliers, especially in Manali, have planned several events in the last week of the year to welcome tourists, he said. Following moderate snowfall in Lahaul valley and the adjoining high altitude areas, roads to Keylong and Sissu have been blocked and the police have urged people to exercise caution before visiting these areas. Snowfall in higher areas of Kullu and Lahaul and Spiti during the ensuing winter would be a boon for the hotel and allied industry in Manali and Kullu. Meanwhile, weather remained cloudy and icy winds swept the region, in spite of dry weather prediction till December 8 and higher hills and tribal areas reeled under severe cold wave conditions. The North Portal and South Portal of Atal Rohtang tunnel received 23 cm, and 10 cm of snow while Sissu and Koksar recorded 20 cm and 17 cm snow followed by Keylong 5 cm and Gondla 4 cm, while Kothi received 7 mm of rainfall followed by Shimla 6 mm and Manali 3 mm. The minimum temperatures dropped further and Keylong was the coldest with a low of minus 4.1 degree, followed by Sumdo minus 2.6 degree, Kalpa minis 0.8 degree, Reckongpeo 2.2 degree, Narkanda 2.5 degree and Manali 2.9 degree. The local meteorological station has predicted dry weather in the state for next eight days and a further drop in temperature.

Read more

AirAsia adds over 1.5 million seats for flights between India & Malaysia in 2024

The significant increase in capacity comes in response to the anticipated surge in the travel demand following the Malaysian government’s announcement of 30-day visa-free entry travelers from India into Malaysia starting December 1, 2023. This enables Indian travelers to explore other ASEAN nations that are also visa-free affordably. AirAsia announced a significant service increase between Malaysia and India, totaling an impressive 69 weekly flights starting in the first quarter of 2024, with up to 1.5 million seats per year. The significant increase in capacity comes in response to the anticipated surge in travel demand following the Malaysian government’s announcement of a 30-day visa-free entry for travellers from India into Malaysia starting 1 December 2023. The announcement also coincides with the recent announcement by the governments of Thailand and Vietnam of a visa-free entry initiative for visitors from India to these countries. This enables Indian travellers to explore other ASEAN nations affordably via AirAsia’s Fly-Thru service with a one-stop in Kuala Lumpur and connect to Bangkok, Phuket, Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh, Sydney, Melbourne, Perth and more seamlessly. Capital A CEO Tony Fernandes, said, “This is a huge, much-anticipated news not only for AirAsia but for the country, and we truly thank the Malaysian government, particularly Prime Minister Dato’ Seri Anwar Ibrahim, for this forward-thinking initiative. AirAsia has been at the forefront of trying to make visiting Malaysia from India easier. The 30- day visa-free entry for the citizens of India will surely provide a welcome boost for Malaysia’s tourism and its economy ahead of the upcoming peak travel season while boosting economic bonds between these great nations. As a vital player in the aviation sector, we stand ready to add capacity to support the demand for affordable and accessible air travel in the region.” Manoj Dharmani added, “We see this as an opportunity not only to enhance regional connectivity between two of our largest markets but also to act as a catalyst for significant economic growth. In the first quarter next year, AirAsia will be operating a total of 69 flights weekly to Kuala Lumpur from nine destinations in India from Bengaluru, Kolkata, Kochi, Hyderabad, Chennai, Tiruchirappalli, NewDelhi, Amritsar and Trivandrum - a new destination commencing February 2024.” Following the recent changes to AirAsia’s operations in the country, the airline remains committed to serving the Indian market by connecting millions of Indian travellers to international destinations from India with an extensive network of 130 destinations across Asia and the Asia Pacific.

Read more

Noida plans 28 km road skirting eway to link two airports

According to an initial plan, the new route will originate near the Kalindi Kunj barrage in and extend towards the Yamuna-Pushta road - which runs parallel to the Noida express and along the river's floodplains. From Sector 152, this route will lead to the Yamuna Expressway in Greater Noida's Pari Chowk and eventually to the airport in Jewar. The Noida Authority is planning to construct a 28 km road that will ease travel on Noida Expressway. Officials said the new route would skirt the Noida-Greater Noida expressway, which is expected to see a massive surge in traffic once the Noida airport becomes functional next year. According to an initial plan, the new route will originate near the Kalindi Kunj barrage in Delhi and extend towards the Yamuna-Pushta road -which runs parallel to the Noida expressway and along the river's floodplains. From Sector 152, this route will lead to the Yamuna Expressway in Greater Noida's Pari Chowk and eventually to the airport in Jewar. Lokesh M - the Noida Authority CEO - held a detailed discussion on the project with officials on Friday and decided to form a committee to conduct a feasibility study of the alternative route. Headed by additional CEO Sanjay Khatri, the committee will collaborate with the irrigation department - which maintains the Yamuna-Pushta (Bandh) road - and the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI). The CEO said the Noida Authority would urge NHAI to oversee the construction of this new road as it would traverse different cities. Once ready, the detailed project report would be sent to the UP government to decide on the funding pattern. "But first, we will present the committee's report to the NHAI The committee, according to officials, will conduct surveys to determine the stretches that should be elevated, the land availability and the development of sectors falling along the alignment. Lokesh M said the new route was being planned keeping in mind the increase in traffic volume on the Noida expressway over the next few years. "Traffic will, no doubt, increase substantially once the airport is up and running. The 25km expressway already faces traffic snarls during rush hours. So, there is an urgent need for a plan to unclog the stretch," he added. The move coincides with a few other mobility plans aimed at decongesting the Noida expressway. Delhi Metro has come out with a route to connect Sector 142 in Noida with the Botanical Garden station. This route - which will also run parallel to the Noida expressway - will help commute between the two airports, with Botanical Garden serving

Read more

Shravanabelagola and Lakkundi in Karnataka proposed for UNESCO World Heritage list

Two prime monuments in Karnataka have been proposed for the prestigious UNESCO World Heritage list. The one is Shravanabelagola in Hassan and the other is Lakkundi in Gadag districts. These have been chosen by the State Department of Archaeology Museums and Heritage (DAMH). About Shravanabelagola Shravanabelagola is one of the prime Jain pilgrimage sites in Karnataka noted for the statue of Gomateshwaraa. It is counted among the tallest free-standing monolithic statues in the world! Not many must be aware of the fact that the statue was carved from a single stone and consecrated in 981 CE. The humongous statue is visible from a distance of about 30 km but to get a clear and close view, people need to climb some 700 steps. The place is set some 150 km away from Bengaluru. Reaching Shravanabelagola is easy and the nearest airport is about 87 km in Mysuru. There is also a railway station in Shravanabelagola that offers daily train services connecting to Bengaluru. Lakkundi, or Lokkigundi was one of the capitals of the Hoysala Empire some thousands of years ago! Today, one can see over 50 ruins of ancient temples throughout the village. These belong from the periods of the Chalukyas, Kalachuris, and Suena. Another interesting feature here are the 100 stepwells, which are also known as kalyani. Lakkundi is a lesser-known destination situated some 375 km from Bengaluru. The nearest airport is in Hubballi which is around 70 km. Another is the Sambre Airport at Belgaum which is nearly 128 km away.

Read more

More visa-free travel for Indians is good for Goa, too

All Asian economies that rely on tourism for jobs and incomes are pinning their hopes on their proximity to the world’s two most-populous nations. Visa-free entry is a carrot to exp the USD 28 billion that 27 million Indians spent overseas in 2019. Those numbers had swe eightfold and sixfold, respectively, in the two decades before the pandemic. Prashant Yadav scouts for locations for the well-heeled. As the India head of a destination management multinational, his job used to be mostly about introducing global clients to exotic vacation spots in his own country. Nowadays, he spends nearly all of his time on taking rich compatriots abroad — for leisure, conferences, and, of course, big, fat, Indian weddings. No surprise, then, that Malaysia’s recent scrapping of visa requirements for Indians and Chinese citizens visiting for 30 days or less has made Yadav a happy man. The move follows similar decisions by Sri Lanka and Thailand. Yadav will soon organize a wedding with 250 Indian guests on the Vietnamese resort island of Phu Quoc, which doesn’t require visas for short stays. All Asian economies that rely on tourism for jobs and incomes are pinning their hopes on their proximity to the world’s two most-populous nations. The recovery in Chinese visitors’ global expenditure to its preCovid-19 level of USD 277 billion is taking longer than expected. Hence, the overture to the only other country with more than a billion people. Visa-free entry is a carrot to expand the USD 28 billion that 27 million Indians spent overseas in 2019. Those numbers had swelled eightfold and sixfold, respectively, in the two decades before the pandemic. Easier and cheaper access to vacation venues in the region will no doubt expand choices for outbound Indian travelers. It may also benefit inbound traffic and domestic Indian tourism if some of the peak-season pressure on local hotspots — like Goa in December — gets diverted to rival destinations outside the country. The hospitality industry in India has its hands full with domestic tourists. Families that would take one holiday a year two decades ago are nowadays going on six shorter ones, making full use of new highways and increased middle-class car ownership. After the pandemic, it has also become professionally acceptable to mix vacation time with WFH — work from hotel. Above all, a narrow group of people has acquired enormous wealth. With the stock market hitting a record USD 4 trillion in value, this affluent class helped push the number of visits within the country last year to 1.7 billion, 2 1/2 times the previous year’s figure. The 2019 high of 2.3 billion trips will be surpassed very soon. That’s not all good news. To have to fight for business would create some much-needed breathing room for Indian hospitality players. “Assets are looking tired now because if I’m doing very high occupancy through the year, where is the opportunity to spruce things up?” says Yadav, a former hotelier in New Delhi and Mumbai before he switched to advising clients at Liberty International Tourism Group. “It would be good for Goa if it had to work a little harder to compete against Langkawi, Hoi An or Krabi.” Overseas destinations have by now gotten a good idea of how lucrative it can be to land a splashy Indian wedding. Sure, if live Bollywood entertainment is involved, a big chunk of the USD 1 million to USD 10 million budget typically goes back to India. But rents for a fleet of 250 Mercedes E-class sedans? That stays in the local economy. Some Eastern European countries now have their ambassadors in India actively scoping out opportunities, offering to help with visas and access to historical sites. For rich Indian hosts, a foreign venue for a wedding is a no-brainer. In New Delhi and Mumbai, five-star hotel tariffs around saya dates — auspicious for marriage according to the Hindu calendar — could easily exceed USD 1,000 a night. One can negotiate a comparable room at an overseas location for a quarter of that amount. Even in flower arrangements and food and drinks, Southeast Asia offers better value for money. This needs a course correction because India — thanks to legendary hoteliers like Prithvi Raj Singh Oberoi who died last month at age 94 — is known for its top-notch hospitality. However, leaving aside the rush of activity during New Delhi’s recently concluded G20 presidency, tourism hasn’t gotten the attention it deserves. The highly successful “Incredible India” campaign is now more than 20 years old. Safety concerns, particularly for women traveling alone, have given India a bad rap. Between January and April, more than 3 million foreigners came to the country, a 166% jump over the previous year. But those numbers include business travelers, non-resident Indians visiting family, and Bangladeshi citizens coming for medical consultations or procedures. So-called “paying files” in a continent-sized geography stretching from the Himalayan peaks in the north to the Indian Ocean in the south don’t even match up to Dubai, which has 40% more hotel rooms than all of India. Behind the apathy, there’s abundant demand. It used to be that Goa hotels would fill rooms one year in advance with Russian tour groups at deep discounts. Now they don’t need to. Plenty of domestic travelers are queuing up to book one week ahead. While that’s a testament to rising prosperity, surely it’s also a signal to build new capacity? “We have failed to develop another Goa,” says Yadav. “We haven’t taken advantage of our massive coastline.” Investment needs to accelerate. Indian Hotels Co., the nation’s largest hospitality company by market value, invested 3.3 billion rupees (USD 40 million) on greenfield projects and renovation in the 12 months that ended on March 31. This is more than double the previous year’s outlay on capital expenditure, but unchanged from just prior to the Covid-19 outbreak before adjusting for inflation. If local chains like Indian Hotels, the operator of the Taj brand, take the lead, their foreign rivals will be bound to follow suit. More Indian states should formally recognize tourism as an industry to bring down funding costs for projects. That’s the only way to stay competitive when countries in the neighborhood are scrambling for the same Indian tourism dollar. The jostling getting a little more hectic with visa-free entry will be good foreveryone.

Read more