Travel in city Mumbai

Whether you want a fly and flop romantic beach break, or more of an active adventure, India is the honeymoon destination that truly has it all. There’s no better place to fall in love all over again than on the laidback beaches of Kerala, among the chaos of Rajasthan’s colourful towns and cities, or at sunset overlooking the ancient city of Hampi. Here’s why a honeymoon in India is the perfect place for post-wedding bliss.

India's airlines have already received 999 hoax bomb threats this year, Murlidhar Mohol, India's deputy civil aviation minister, said on Thursday.

India is firmly in the sights of a rapidly expanding Saudi low-cost airline. Flyadeal has ambitious plans to more than double the size of its fleet during the next four years. This will see it transform from a largely domestic airline to one with much greater international connectivity.

The Indian hospitality sector recorded 10.8% year-on-year growth in revenue per available room (RevPAR) in the July-September quarter this year, according to real estate services firm JLL. The surge was driven by a rise in average daily rates (ADR) of hotels, as the occupancy levels remained similar to the year before. 

Low-cost carrier Air India Express is focused on the all-economy side of the business and on serving the smaller cities, said Managing Director Aloke Singh at the Skift Global Forum East Wednesday. The airline has recently merged with AIX Connect as part of the Air India group’s exercise to consolidate its four airlines into two: A full-service airline (Air India) and a low-cost carrier (Air India Express). 

The upcoming Indian wedding season will be driving a surge in travel, according to online travel company Ixigo. “Flight bookings to major metro hubs and top leisure destinations like Delhi, Mumbai, Srinagar, Jaipur and Goa are seeing a strong 70-80% year-on-year increase,” said Ixigo’s Group CEO Aloke Bajpai.

United Airlines has brought back its popular discount for college-aged travelers — offering generous savings on select flights to Europe and India with no blackout dates.

Last week Coldplay announced an additional India show in Ahmedabad on January 25. Following the announcement, online travel agency Agoda said it witnessed a 47% surge in domestic searches for accommodation in Ahmedabad for that period compared to the previous week’s average. International searches spiked by 18%.

As a British Sikh, India has always felt like a second home to me. My dad and both sets of grandparents were born there, so there's a deep familial connection to the country. Growing up, I had the best holidays with my family who live in a rural village in Punjab, and I was always eager to see more of what India had to offer. I’d always wished I’d taken a gap year to travel, so I decided to do the next best thing: I took a sabbatical from work to solo travel through India, a journey that would change my life.

India’s hotel market is witnessing a noticeable shift toward chain-affiliated properties thanks to a thriving travel sector and demand for reliable accommodation options.

Thailand has extended its visa waiver for Indians “until further notice” the Tourism Authority of Thailand said this week, leading many to infer that this could be a permanent arrangement. Travelers will be able to stay for 60 days in Thailand during their visit, with the option to extend their stay by 30 days. 

Budget carrier IndiGo’s first aircraft with the business class configuration has been unveiled. The plane will fly on the Delhi-Mumbai route starting November 14. The new aircraft sports the words “IndiGo means Business” on its body. The company has named its business class program “IndiGoStretch.” 

One of the perks of my job as a Boeing 787 pilot for British Airways is the opportunity to explore the cities I fly to around the world. The challenge is to make the most of my frequent short layovers — typically 24 or 48 hours — and to balance favorite hangouts and precious downtime with new adventures.

Earlier this month, Thomas Cook India’s company – SOTC Travel – unveiled a series of 6 regional film campaigns around travel. The campaign was launched to mark its 75th anniversary and to reinforce the company’s focus on regional markets in India. 

Indian Hotels Company (IHCL), the parent brand behind Taj Hotels, is looking at airport properties as an important growth area. In its latest move, IHCL has invested INR 500 million ($6 million) into its subsidiary, Zarrenstar Hospitality, through a rights issue.

Budget carrier IndiGo on Friday reported a loss of INR 9.9 billion ($118 million) in the most recent quarter – a reversal after seven straight profitable reports for India’s largest airline. 

Goa’s Department of Tourism has launched a slew of adventure tourism activities, such as paramotoring and shooting range experiences along with white water rafting, bungee jumping, and scuba diving. This, it said, is meant to cater to the growing demand for unique experiences among travelers. 

Indians spent over $2 billion on international travel in August, data from the Indian central bank shows – the highest amount in the past 12 months. Travel held the lion’s share in total overseas spending during the month: close to 63% of $3.2 billion.

Indian hospitality chain The Leela has announced the launch of Arq by The Leela – its collection of “ultra-luxury villas.” The collection has been launched at the Leela Palace Udaipur and is being positioned as a “hyper-personalized Palace within a Palace” by the hotel chain. The hotel chain will introduce more Arq by The Leela collections across its portfolio.

Riyadh Air CEO Tony Douglas is confident that the startup — which is positioning itself as Saudi Arabia's elite answer to the big Gulf carriers — will take to the skies next year.

In this episode of the Skift India Travel Podcast, Asia Editor Peden Doma Bhutia is joined by Saniya Zanpure, research analyst at Skift, to explore India’s inbound tourism landscape. Last month, the Indian government announced initiatives aimed at boosting tourism, including offering 100,000 free visas. Despite surging outbound travel, inbound recovery has been slower, making these measures critical. Catch them discuss factors behind this disparity, such as safety concerns, visa issues, and infrastructure challenges, as well as untapped opportunities to enhance India’s appeal.    

Online travel agency MakeMyTrip and ICICI Bank have partnered to launch a premium co-branded travel credit card.