The Tourism Authority of Thailand on Thursday hosted a group of more than 8,000 incentive visitors from India. The delegation is part of the authority’s goal of receiving at least 1.7 million Indian visitors this year, it said in a statement.
01.04.2024 - 16:41 / cntraveler.com
“My wife, Victoria, and I went on a Buddhist pilgrimage this past winter. We wanted to go to Bodh Gaya, in Northeast India, to see the Mahabodhi Temple, where Buddha originally sat under the Bodhi tree and attained enlightenment. It was New Year's Day, and we got to the temple right when it opened at 5 a.m. A lot of people spend time making circumambulations, where you walk clockwise around the temple. We did that and meditated within the temple complex. I only practice Tibetan Buddhism, so it was interesting and moving to be around Buddhists from other traditions and countries—from places like Thailand, Vietnam, Korea, Japan, and China. You hear everyone doing different chants and prayers all day long. It's humbling being there. I felt grateful to be connected to this tradition that has been passed down since the time of the Buddha more than 2,500 years ago, from teacher to student, in this unbroken line. We sat near the Bodhi tree, a descendant of the original tree that the Buddha sat under. A lot of people like the idea of having a leaf from it, but the leaves are quite high up, so you have to wait for them to fall. That wasn't something we were pursuing, but once in a while you'll see a leaf drop, and someone will run over and grab it. Some people sell them. At one point, a Thai monk walked up to us and handed Victoria a leaf. It was so random, out of nowhere—and I was wearing a face mask, so I doubt it was because he was a fan of The Sopranos. I offered him money, but he just smiled and walked away. It was so moving, his generosity.” —as told to Megan Spurrell
Michael Imperioli stars as Peter Stockmann in An Enemy of the People at the Circle in the Square Theatre, with performances through June 2024. He and Victoria recently opened Scarlet, a cocktail bar on Manhattan's Upper West Side.
This article appeared in the April 2024 issue of Condé Nast Traveler. Subscribe to the magazine here.
The Tourism Authority of Thailand on Thursday hosted a group of more than 8,000 incentive visitors from India. The delegation is part of the authority’s goal of receiving at least 1.7 million Indian visitors this year, it said in a statement.
Hyatt Hotels definitely has its eyes on India and the focus specifically is on domestic Indian leisure travelers. “The leisure travel market is primarily driven by Indians traveling within India and discovering the country,” said CEO Mark Hoplamazian during his recent visit to the country.
The domestic air passenger traffic in India during the 2023-24 financial year is estimated to stand at 154 million, according to credit rating agency ICRA. This figure surpasses the pre-Covid figure of 142 million domestic air passengers recorded in the 2019-20 financial year. The agency further stated that domestic air passenger traffic witnessed a 13% increase from last year.
“Ninety percent of the success of hotel companies is linked to two things – demography and emerging middle class,” Accor chairman and CEO Sébastien Bazin said at the recent hospitality conference, HICSA 2024. This is especially true for India, he said, which has accounted for 25% of the emerging middle class in the past 10 years.
Online travel agency MakeMyTrip has announced a new exclusive charter service between Mumbai and Bhutan. This service is a part of its holiday packages and the exclusive charter will depart once a week.
The Goa tourism department has partnered with the organizers of the Ironman 70.3 India race to promote sports tourism. According to Goa tourism director Suneel Anchipaka, the aim of the agreement is to promote Goa as the premier destination for sports tourism.
Online travel platform Agoda has signed an agreement with Goa Tourism to promote the coastal state. The collaboration aims to highlight various experiences that the state can offer to different travelers.
Dubai Business Events, part of the Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism and the city’s official convention bureau, on Monday will announce its first-ever recognition program for Indian intermediaries for meetings, incentives, conferences and events business.
French hospitality company Accor signed a record 11 hotels in India last year and opened six properties, it said in a statement released on Thursday.
How do you turn a net negative into a positive? That’s the challenge faced by Air India’s Chief Marketing Officer, Sunil Suresh.
Virgin Atlantic is best known for linking Britain with the United States, but there’s another market that is increasingly important for the carrier.
We've previously covered how Air India is refreshing its identity. It started by making a massive aircraft order. Then it rolled out a new aircraft livery for its fleet and started installing refreshed seats on its wide-body aircraft. More recently, Air India continued its makeover with a new website and crew uniforms.