India's Sarovar Hotels Has a New Playbook

As the merger of Air India and Vistara airlines picks up steam, the process of merging their loyalty programs has also begun.

Travel distribution platform TBO Tek made a strong debut on the Indian stock market on Wednesday. Its shares were listed at 50% premium over its IPO issue price on the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) in the morning and at 55% premium on the National Stock Exchange (NSE). 

The merging of Air India and Vistara seems ahead of schedule, according to reports in Indian media that cite Air India CEO Campbell Wilson’s comments at a town hall meeting with the employees.

In theory, Pimalai Resort and Spa in Thailand’s Krabi province checks all the boxes for Indian tourists. But the majority of the travelers limit their visit to Bangkok and Phuket, owner Charintip Tiyaphorn told Skift. 

As the local saying goes, Fiji is a place “where happiness comes naturally.” Travel buyers and journalists at this past week’s annual Fiji Tourism Exchange event learned details of how much happiness has been coming here in the past year. Visitor numbers for 2024 are already up 11% compared to 2023, and the nearly one million visitors last year reached a new record for the island nation, representing nearly $1.5 billion U.S. Dollars in revenue to the country.

India may be famous for its fragrant, spice-infused chai, but in Bengaluru (Bangalore) and elsewhere across South India, another hot caffeinated drink reigns supreme.

Air India’s low-cost subsidiary Air India Express canceled 85 flights on Thursday amid mass sick leave by cabin crew. The cancellations affected almost one-quarter of its entire flying program. In a statement, the airline said that it would operate 283 flights on Thursday. 

India is a key source market for the neighboring countries of Nepal, Bhutan, and Sri Lanka. In February, India was the biggest source market for Nepal, accounting for more than 25% of foreign tourist arrivals in the country.

Indian airlines will account for half of the country’s international passenger traffic by the 2027-28 financial year, according to a report by credit rating agency CRISIL Ratings. That’s up from 43% this fiscal year, with India’s international passenger traffic at around 70 million.

India is actively promoting itself as the next big wedding destination. At the first “Wed in India” Expo ongoing in Jaipur till Wednesday, tourism ministry official Manisha Saxena said that the rapid infrastructure development across India is aiding destination weddings. 

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On a leafy stretch near Kolkata's Southern Avenue, the three-level designer store Bombaim is a hive of activity. Young locals breeze through its centuries-old doors, trying on silks and gowns, admiring the space's bones. Large windows allow ample sunlight to stream through, illuminating the mulmul curtains that fall from the ceilings. Outside, lush tejpatta, or bay leaf, trees grow. The Art Deco grills and the city's signature khorkhoris, or louvered windows, reflect the store's previous life as a turn-of-the-century residence. Bombaim's owner, Richa Kanoi, made a point of preserving its historic splendor. “The launch was more about celebrating the space than the clothes,” she says.