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India sees a major boom in religious tourism

As opposing to what the name signifies, pilgrimage tourism is not limited to religion any longer. Gen Z and millenials seek out mindfulness, peaceful holidays and spiritualism through it.India is well-known as a land of multiple dialects, religions, and gastronomy. In the development of country’s economy and politics, in India, religion has always played a pivotal role. But, at present, let’s limit ourselves to tourism. Numerous experts preach on the fact that social media, exclusive cultural experiences, easy accessibility, and additional factors have worked behind the increase in spiritual or religious tourism in India. Mosques, temples, monasteries, gurudwaras and various other places of worship and of different faiths attract millions of pilgrims every year. Starting right from the holy ghats of Varanasi, Ajmer Sharif Dargah, Bodh Gaya to the Golden Temple, pilgrimage tourism perks up to the state finances and tourism boards. In 2022, the number of domestic tourists pouring into these pilgrimage places was around 1,433 million and 6.64 million international tourists. The numbers stood at 677 million and 1.05 million in 2021. Over 60 per cent of the tourism of India is related to religious and spiritual outings. In 2022, the pilgrimage tourism earned ₹ 1,34,543 crore.

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Air travellers rejoice! Air India offers discounts on India-US ticket fare | Check offer period, travel dates and more

Tata Group-owned Air India on October 1 launched its Fly Air India Sale, a promotional offer in which potential economy and premium economy flyers may snap up discounted fares for travel between India and the US. The airfares on the India-US route are priced as low as Rs 4,999 for one-way travel and Rs 52,999 for round-trip, according to the air carrier. Meanwhile, premium economy fares on the route are priced starting at Rs 79,999 for one-way and Rs 1,09,999 for return travel, said Air India. Air India offers premium economy on which US routes? Currently, Tata Group-owned Air India offers premium economy travel experience on the following routes: Bengaluru-San Francisco Mumbai-San Francisco Mumbai-New York The Fly Air India Sale starts on October 1, 2023 and ends on October 5, 2023. The promotional offer is valid on tickets booked for travel between the dates of October 1, 2023 and October 15, 2023. How many flights does Air India operate on the India-US route? Air India operates nearly 47 non-stop flights on the India-US route. The flights start from Mumbai, Bengaluru and New Delhi in India. They are scheduled for the following five destinations from these Indian cities: New York Newark, New Jersey Washington DC Chicago San Francisco Does the promotion also apply to one-stop flights? Yes, travellers may book one-stop flights during the sale period. A one-stop flight connects the following cities to the US via New Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru: Ahmedabad Amritsar Chennai Kochi Kolkata How to book discounted tickets during Air India sale? To book discounted tickets during the Air India sale, travellers may log on to the airline’s website at www.airindia.com or download their app from the Apple App Store or the Play Store on Android phones. To be sure, the seats on offer are limited and available on a first come first serve basis. Fares are likely to vary based on currency exchange rate fluctuations. This is not an exhaustive list. Visit the official Air India page for detailed terms and conditions.

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Undeterred by increasing airfares, people head out this festive season

Travelling for vacations and especially to meet family during the festive season has become so important for people after Covid lockdowns that despite high fares, they are ready to shell out any amount of money to make their trips successful. Abhilash Prasad Singh, who travelled to his home in Prayagraj with his family for Diwali in 2022, plans to make the same trip again this year. A resident of Aundh, Singh said meeting family members, at least once a year, was important in the post-pandemic world. "The pandemic taught me that visiting family and being close to them is crucial. What if another similar episode happens and travel stops?" he told TOI. The festive season has begun and will continue till the year-end. Despite airfares being almost two to three times higher as last year, travelling is on people's schedules. Nilesh Bhansali, managing director of Devam Tours and Travels and director of Travel Agents Association of Pune, told TOI, "The number of flights and connectivity to new destinations has increased this year. We expected the airfares to drop and thought it will play an important part in planning trips. However, that hasn't happened - and despite high fares, people are travelling more." Supriya Nath, who will go to Kolkata for Durga Puja, said she booked tickets around a month ago. "I paid almost Rs45,000 to and fro for two people. Last year, the same leg cost me Rs33,000 during the pujas. I have used my credit cards and will pay monthly EMIs for the whole year. I don't want to be in a situation when another pandemiclike event strikes suddenly, and I can't see my family for years again," the Koregaon Park resident said. Nishant Ray, who will go home to Delhi during Diwali, said he never realised that seeing his parents would become so important. "I didn't go in 2019 and couldn't go in 2020 and 2021 due to the pandemic. It was then that I realised how important it is to visit them.

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Travel Boom: India spends 2X of pre-pandemic level on Airbnb with Goa leading the charge

Indians are not done with revenge spending it seems. And they are travelling like there is no tomorrow. Research done by Oxford Economics has found that Indians spent a total of $815 mn on stays at Airbnb in the financial year gone by. Not just this, the platform for homestay has contributed over $920 million to India’s Gross Domestic Product and supported over 85,000 Indian jobs over 12 months ending March 2023. The GDP contribution and jobs supported in India has more than doubled since 2019, the year before the COVID-19 pandemic struck resulting in lockdowns and international border restrictions. The report also highlighted the powerful multiplier effect Airbnb guest spending has within local communities. In 2022-23, Airbnb guests spent a total of $815 million in India in areas like purchases on transportation, restaurants, retail stores, and retail stores. The spending has more than doubled from 2019 levels. In India, Airbnb’s presence was the highest in Goa, where Airbnb guests spending amounted to almost $190 million, this was followed by Bangalore and Delhi, Mumbai and Manali. It details the significant contribution made by Airbnb guests to domestic tourism across the nation. In 2022-23, domestic Airbnb guest spending totalled $670 million, and accounted for approximately 82% of total Airbnb guest spend in India, around a three-fold increase from 2019. The report also explores two profound changes in travel behaviour since the pandemic: the dispersal of tourism away from urban areas, and long-term stays driven by the emergence of flexible work arrangements. James Lambert, Director for Economic Consulting in Asia for Oxford Economics said, Airbnb has clearly played a major role in the resilience and rebirth of the Indian travel and tourism sector in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic. “Airbnb has been at the heart of some of the trends reshaping the nation’s travel and tourism industry, including the shift in travel away from cities and towards more rural communities, and the increase in demand for long-stay trips, exemplified by the live and work anywhere phenomenon, Lambert said. Amanpreet Bajaj, Airbnb’s General Manager for India, Southeast Asia, Hong Kong and Taiwan said, “Travel is now more dispersed, and so the economic benefits are being shared across more destinations, enabling a valuable economic contribution to rural and regional areas. This dispersal is being driven by Hosts on Airbnb and in turn creating economic opportunities for various communities. The report explores the twelve months to March 2023 — representing a year since travel restrictions started to be removed across India.

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Beating Air India, ANA & Air China, Singapore Airlines Is Asia’s Leading Airline 2023!

The World Travel Awards release nominees and winners for various categories. This includes tourism destinations, airlines, airports, beaches and more. In fact, they also have winners for different destinations. Recently, they announced the winner for Asia’s Leading Airline 2023 and Singapore Airlines won it. There were other nominees of this category that included airlines from other Asian countries. One of them was Air China, it is a flag carrier of China and one of the “Big Three” airlines. Another one is Air India, the flag carrier of India. Other airlines were ANA (All Nippon Airways), Cathay Pacific, China Airlines, Hainan Airlines, Japan Airlines, Korean Air, Malaysia Airlines, Royal Brunei Airlines, SriLankan Airlines, Thai Airways and Vietnam Airlines. What Is The World Travel Awards? In order to recognise, honour, and celebrate achievement in all significant areas of the travel, tourist, and hospitality industries, the World Travel Awards were founded in 1993. This brand is now acknowledged on a global scale as the pinnacle of business performance. They travel the world every year with their Grand Tour, which consists of a number of regional gala events to honour excellence on each continent and an annual Grand Final when the victors compete against each other. The major decision-makers, leaders, influencers, and journalists of the travel industry attend the World Travel Awards gala ceremonies, which are considered landmark events in the travel calendar. On social media, the programme, its winners, and its sponsors are featured on a variety of platforms with new content posted every day.

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Saudia enters a new era, unveils new brand identity and livery

Saudia, the national flag carrier of Saudi Arabia, revealed its new brand identity and livery during a milestone event in Jeddah, in the presence of Royal Highnesses, Excellencies and leaders from both the public and private sectors, as well as prominent media correspondents and aviation experts. This new identity is in line with a wider strategic digital transformation plan aimed at strengthening the airline’s support for the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 to bring the world to Saudi Arabia. The rebrand marks the beginning of a new era for Saudia, introducing innovative concepts in terms of customer services with a strong focus on digital aspects and enhancing the guest experience by celebrating Saudi culture. This transformation reinforces Saudia’s national identity as it reimagines all products and services to engage all five senses. Guests can anticipate an authentic Saudi experience during their journey, showcasing the very best of Saudi Arabia and its rich culture. This includes a distinctive fragrance and sonic identity, locally inspired cuisine, all crafted by skilled Saudi craftsmen. This new identity mirrors Saudi Arabia’s welcoming spirit, leaving guests with a deep sense of the country’s warmth and hospitality while promoting a deeper appreciation of Saudi culture for both nationals and visitors. The rebrand also encompasses new uniforms for cabin crew and ground staff. The new brand color identity, comprised of green, blue, and sand, represents Saudia’s aim to expand its fleet and destinations, connecting the world to Saudi Arabia, emphasising the Kingdom’s authenticity and deep-rooted values. In parallel to the rebrand, Saudia has also undertaken a huge digital transformation, entirely enhancing the customer digital experience. Saudia leads among international airlines in operating generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) as a virtual assistant, named “SAUDIA”, being one of the first of its kind in the region. Saudia will enable guests to complete the entire transaction through this efficient process by the end of the year. The ambitious, long-planned digital transformation, fully improves customer experience but also allows more streamlined operations and processes while ensuring the highest levels of protection of guests’ personal data, through strong partnerships with global leading companies. His Excellency Engr. Ibrahim Al-Omar, Director General of Saudia Group, said, “We are experiencing a new era and a very exciting time for Saudia. Our airline has evolved from a Douglas DC-3 aircraft in 1945, to a 140 aircraft modern fleet serving over 100 destinations, becoming one of the largest airlines in the region. The name and logo of Saudia are integral parts of the Kingdom’s aviation history and development, and our people share a special emotional connection with the brand. We have incorporated this rich heritage into our new identity, adding elements that reflect our visionary approach, poised to captivate the world.” Saudia is not only rolling out a fully integrated digital program and revamping its look, it is also effectively and quickly helping advance Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030, collaborating with all industry stakeholders to achieve the targets of the National Aviation Strategy. The strategy aims to turn Saudi Arabia into a leader in the global industry, by enhancing the customer experience, improving safety and working towards a more sustainable future, in line with Saudia’s expansion goals to bring around 330 million visitors to the Kingdom by 2030.

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