PATA India Chapter and WWF India jointly organised the Bagha Mitra Awards, recognising the work done at the grass-root level by custodians of wildlife, environment and nature. TT BUREAU The awards ceremony, held on December 19, was attended by environmentalists, special interest groups, and governments which promote sustainable tourism, wildlife …

The portal aims to enable each association member to become a consolidatorthat will help them tide over the challenging market conditions. HAZEL JAIN In an effort to safeguard the interests of its members from the current challenging market conditions and present them with a new revenue model, the IATA Agents …

Mumbai seems to have caught the eye of the Garuda. After commencing flights between Mumbai and Jakarta with a pit stop in Bangkok, the airline now wants a direct non-stop to cut down the turnaround time, reveals M. Arif Wibowo, President and CEO, Garuda Indonesia. HAZEL JAIN FROM INDONESIA Q) …

Vinod Advani, Tourism Trade Ambassador, South Australia, says the new flight connections to Adelaide via China Southern Airlines would boost tourist numbers. TT BUREAU Adelaide, the capital of South Australia, is the gateway to one of the most sought after attractions in the region — Kangaroo Island. Vinod Advani, Tourism …

The German National Tourist Office (India) conducted its annual four city roadshow to introduce its theme – Palaces, Parks and Gardens for 2017. TT BUREAU Eight German partners ranging from German state tourist boards, airlines, hotels and cruise lines participated in the roadshows, conducting B2B meetings with the Indian travel …

According to Sheetal Munshaw, Director-India, Atout France, a Yash Raj film shot entirely in France will showcase various facets of the country and encourage more Indians to travel there. TT BUREAU Atout France in collaboration with Yash Raj Films celebrated the upcoming movie Befikre which is the first Bollywood movie …

Makiko Matsuda Healy, Senior VP, Global Tourism Development, NYC & Company, says India is the 2nd highest growth rate market for NYC. TT BUREAU New York received 290,000 Indian visitors in 2015. This year it has received 370,000 Indian visitors which is almost a double digit growth. Matsuda Healy says, …

The Government of Tunisia is keen on tapping the tremendous potential of India outbound market and is pulling out all stops to attract more tourists from the country. TT BUREAU Tunisia has become one of the major outbound tourism destinations for India and looking at better relations with India. Abdellatif …

The United Federation of Travel Agents’ Associations (UFTAA) saw members from over 25 countries gather under one roof in Istanbul for its Golden Jubilee Congress. TRAVTALK spoke to the attendees to understand the challenges of the industry and how UFTAA plans to overcome them. NISHA VERMA FROM ISTANBUL I am …

The Singapore Tourism Board has chosen to reach its target audience via the traditional route of films, banking not just on Bollywood but also regional films to work their magic on Indian travellers. TT Bureau It did wonders for Switzerland and Spain and now Singapore Tourism Board (STB) is hoping …