Booking.com announced the launch of its Travel Sustainable Badge, a credible, globally relevant sustainability measure that will provide information to all over the world, looking to make more sustainable travel choices. The badge is available to any kind of property that has implemented a combination of sustainable practices that meet the requisite impact threshold for their destination. Designed to be applicable to a wide range of property types, from apartments, B&Bs, and holiday homes to hotels, resorts, and even treehouses, and adaptable to local realities and considerations, the initiative is a first of its kind in the industry, the release…
Author: Prasenjit Chakraborty
IndiGo, one of Asia’s biggest budget carriers, is mulling charging passengers for checked-in luggage as the airline prepares for a potentially fierce price war in India’s cutthroat air travel market, which is showing signs of recovery following the worst of Covid. IndiGo, operated by InterGlobe Aviation Ltd., didn’t implement the so-called unbundling of fares in February — just before a deadly wave of the pandemic hit the South Asian nation — even as India’s Directorate General of Civil Aviation ruled that carriers can start offering zero baggage and no check-in baggage fares. Regulatory caps on fares and capacity related to…
Akasa Air, the Indian low-cost airline backed by billionaire investor Rakesh Jhunjhunwala, placed an order for 72 Boeing 737 MAX jets. “Akasa Air’s order includes two variants from the 737 MAX family, including the 737-8 and the high-capacity 737-8-200,” the joint statement by Akasa Air and Boeing mentioned. The move might help the US planemaker regain lost ground in one of the world’s most promising markets. “We are delighted to partner with Boeing for our first airplane order and thank them for their trust and confidence in Akasa Air’s business plan and leadership team,” the airline’s CEO, Vinay Dube, said,…
Kerala introduced a ‘responsible tourism’ (RT) classification for hotels and resorts, giving a thrust to environmental protection and ecological restoration through tourism. Launching the RT classification software and online application portal for standardisation schemes, tourism minister PA Mohamed Riyas said this initiative, based on sustainable management, socio-cultural, economic and environmental responsibility, is a model for the entire country. Hotels and resorts have been classified into RT Diamond, RT Gold and RT Silver categories, based on their scores on the specified environmental parameters, the minister said. “Properties earning more than 80% score in environmental responsibility criteria will receive the RT Green…
Global Destinations, one of India’s leading names in the travel representation arena, has become a member of Global Travel Representation Alliance (GTRA). GTRA officially launched in March 2019. GTRA believes in working together to set the highest standards in travel representation to create strong brand awareness and more importantly, increase financial return for its partners’. Its global reach include members from UK & Ireland, USA, Europe, Australia & New Zealand, Middle East, Russia and now adding on India to their member list. With an eye to expand horizons while accelerating towards the goal of sustainable and inclusive Global Tourism, this…
India began allowing fully vaccinated foreign tourists to enter the country on regular commercial flights, in the latest easing of coronavirus restrictions as infections fall and vaccinations rise. Tourists entering India must be fully vaccinated, follow all Covid-19 protocols and test negative for the virus within 72 hours of their flight, according to the health ministry. Many will also need to undergo a post-arrival Covid-19 test at the airport. However, travellers from countries which have agreements with India for mutual recognition of vaccination certificates, such as the U.S., U.K. and many European nations, can leave the airport without undergoing a…
According to a TOI report, India-US nonstop connectivity has got a boost with American Airlines resuming flights to the country after almost a decade. American’s New York-Delhi inaugural landed at the capital’s IGI Airport on Saturday night. This flight was supposed to start October-end but was deferred by a couple of weeks for the November 8 US reopening for international travellers. Similarly, American’s Bengaluru-Seattle that was to start from January 4, 2022, has been deferred by a few months to March-end as corporate travel is yet to pick up and is expected to show signs of revival by then. The…
Uttar Pradesh’s Dudhwa National Park will open for tourists from today, said a senior official. However, those wishing to visit the rhino area in south Sunaripur range will have to wait for a few days more as the rhino area is still swampy and not fit for elephant movements. “As per government directives, the Dudhwa National Park would now be opened for tourists from November 15. However, due to heavy water-logging still prevailing in Sathiyana, the area would not be allowed for tourist activities till further instructions,” said Sanjay Kumar Pathak, Field Director, Dudhwa Tiger Reserve (DTR). The park was…
Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) launches India Working Group on November 10. To mark the launch , the GSTC held a public webinar on the same day titled “Unpacking Sustainable Tourism in India through the lens of the GSTC Criteria.” Keynote talk was given by Arvind Singh, Secretary, Ministry of Tourism, Government of India, addressing the move of the tourism industry towards more sustainable practices. CB Ramkumar, Board Member & South Asia Director, GSTC, provided an overview of the GSTC Criteria and its relevancy to India. Randy Durband, CEO, GSTC, elaborated with insights on important global trends related to sustainable…
Dubai World Central is set to reopen to passengers in May 2022, two years after the coronavirus pandemic forced the city to suspend operations at its second airport. “We’ve got to do some work on the runway at Dubai International Airport and with the reduction in capacity we’ll start to move operations back to DWC,” said Paul Griffiths, Chief Executive Officer, DWC. “But it’s really determined by the recovery of traffic overall,” he said. Dubai World Central will see airlines including Wizz Air, some FlyDubai operations and a few Russian airlines return, though Emirates will operate passenger flights solely out…
