About India Outbound Magazine

India Outbound is India’s only B2B travel media platform, that encompasses a print magazine, a website, an online TV channel and dynamic social media platforms, entirely dedicated to the promotion of foreign destinations and products in India. India Outbound is a niche platform not just for tourism destinations and products to promote themselves to the Indian travel industry, but also for decision makers to build/change their strategy in a context where the Indian outbound market is not only growing but changing with new dynamics. These trends, India Outbound analyse and predict them.

OTOAI delegation representation on TCS of the Finance Bill 2020

The OTOAI (Outbound Tour Operators Association of India) delegation comprising of Riaz Munshi, president, Shravan Bhalla, general secretary, Guldeep Singh Sahni, former president and Raghuvinder Singh, active member met with Rupinder Brar, addl director general, Ministry of Tourism, government of India, New Delhi and presented the second detailed Representation on TCS.

The representation was in connection to the withdrawal of provisions of TCS imposed on tour operators under Section 206C (1G) (b) of Income Tax Act, 1962 in Budget 2020 where they explained the distress caused by the new rule. They detailed about the effect of the TCS on the tourism market which is also getting affected due to the COVID-19 outbreak, presented the disadvantages faced by local operators and also how it affects employment in tourism industry.

The representation was very well received by Brar and she has assured that OTOAI’s Representation will be forwarded to Ministry of Finance, government of India with Tourism Ministry’s recommendations.

More travel events and shows get postponed or cancelled due to COVID-19

As World Health Organisation (WHO) declares coronavirus as a global pandemic, many nations are adopting preventive measures against the same. Many countries have suspended issuance of visas, visa-on-arrival services and even international flights as preventive measure. These have affected the global travel industry as not only tourism has been hampered but many global trade shows are getting cancelled or postponed for the same. Earlier, events like ITB Berlin, OTOAI Annual Convention, PATA Annual Summit and ITB India were either cancelled or postponed.

This week, Reed Travel Exhibitions has announced that it has postponed Arabian Travel Market (ATM) to June 28– July 1, 2020, from April 19-22, 2020. It will take place at the Dubai World Trade Centre in Dubai, U.A.E.

"We at Arabian Travel Market want to express our concern for everyone impacted by coronavirus. Like all of you, we have carefully monitored the global health crisis related to COVID-19 outbreak. Our top priority is the health and safety of everyone involved in Arabian Travel Market; employees, partners, customers and exhibitors," the press release said.

Another exhibition, IMEX Frankfurt which was due to take place on May 12-14, 2020, was also called off on March 11 as the owner and founder of IMEX, Ray Bloom issued a statement for the same. He cited two concerns in his statement- one, being the ban on events with over 1,000 people called by the German health minister and the other being the health of all exhibitors and buyers.

Disney closes all theme parks due to COVID-19 outbreak

In a statement on March 12, Disney said there have been no reported cases of COVID-19 at Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, California. But the company announced plans to close Disneyland Park and Disney California adventure beginning the morning of March 14 through the end of the month as a precautionary measure.

The announcement of closure of the theme parks at Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Florida, and the Disneyland Paris Resort followed a few hours later. These parks will close beginning at the close of business on March 15. Disney Cruise Line will suspend all new departures beginning March 14. The three hotels at Disneyland will remain open till March 16 to allow the current guests enough time to make travel arrangements. The hotels at Walt Disney World and Disneyland Paris will stay open until further notice while the retail and dining complexes at all locations will remain open.

Flexible rebooking options introduced by Lufthansa Group airlines

The Lufthansa Group airlines Lufthansa, SWISS, Austrian Airlines, Brussels Airlines and Air Dolomiti are introducing more flexible rebooking options. The new extensive waiver policy for rebooking applies to both existing and future bookings worldwide.

Effective from March 6 and until March 31, 2020, the Lufthansa Group airlines will waive the rebooking fees for all newly booked flights worldwide and offer a one-time rebooking – regardless of condition of the original booking fare purchased.

Passengers can in future rebook to a new travel date until December 31, 2020 without rebooking fees. This new waiver policy for existing bookings will apply worldwide for tickets purchased before March 5 with a travel date up to April 30, 2020.

The rules for this waiver implies that the departure and destination airports must be identical. If the original fare is no longer available, the corresponding difference must be paid and the rebooking must be done before the original travel date. With this new waiver policy, the Lufthansa Group Airlines are responding to the wish of many customers to help make their travel plans more flexible under the exceptional circumstances caused by the spread of the coronavirus.

Kuwait puts travel restrictions for travellers

As per the decision issued by the health authorities in the State of Kuwait, all incoming flights to and from Kuwait International Airport are temporarily suspended for the countries namely- Bangladesh, Philippines, India, Sri Lanka, Syria, Lebanon and Egypt starting from March 6, 2020.

It includes prohibition of all arrivals in the State of Kuwait from any nationality who have a valid residency or previous entry visa, as well as those from other airports who were present in the countries mentioned above during the past two weeks. Also the citizens of the State of Kuwait coming from these countries are allowed entry, provided that the necessary quarantine procedures are applied to them. The cabinet authorised Ministry of Interior has also suspended the issuance of all visas except those used by diplomatic delegations.

Scoot provides free date change to new bookings made

In view of the growing scale of the COVID-19 outbreak, Scoot is extending a one-time free date change to all new bookings made between March 10, 2020 – May 14, 2020 (both dates inclusive) on its website and mobile app, to give their customers the confidence to plan ahead for their travels. For bookings made during this period, the one-time free date change can be utilised up to four hours before scheduled flight departure time, for travel up till March 27, 2021.

This free date change was previously extended to customers with existing bookings who were seeking to change their travel plans. Since then, they have introduced this service for customers that still wish to plan ahead for their travels but would appreciate some flexibility around their travel dates given that the situation remains fluid.

Airbnb announces USD one million fund for most unique home ideas

Airbnb is searching for the world’s wildest home ideas – and has launched a USD one million fund to make them a reality. The Unique Airbnb Fund is the company’s first-ever USD one million program designed to find and help finance the most unconventional and unusual livable spaces on the planet. Ten recipients of the Unique Airbnb Fund will be selected by an expert panel of design and style innovators, including Emmy, Tony and GRAMMY Award-winning actor Billy Porter, Airbnb superhost Kristie Wolfe, of the famed Big Idaho Potato Hotel, and global and cutting-edge architecture firm MVRDV.

Starting March 11, design enthusiasts can submit their proposals at airbnb.com/uniquefund where all submissions will be scored against criteria based on creativity, feasibility, sustainability and social good.

"The only thing better than pushing the boundaries of style, is empowering others to do the same,” says style icon, Billy Porter. “I'm thrilled to join Airbnb in this global search for the most outrageous, spectacular home ideas ever. I can't wait to see these concepts developed by design lovers from around the world first-hand."

“The Unique Airbnb Fund is a great initiative that makes hospitality exciting. It will empower people to create new spaces with daring, imaginative and fantastic architecture,” says MVRDV partner Fokke Moerel. “Personal wunderkammers will be created for guests to appreciate and be inspired by.”

Growth of over 30 pc demand in outdoor-adventure travel, says Thomas Cook India

Thomas Cook (India) Ltd, the integrated travel services company, has observed a strong appetite with over 30 pc in demand for outdoor-adventure travel from Indian consumers. With biking trips in India emerging as a significant new trend, Thomas Cook India has introduced a portfolio of Bike Trips across spectacular routes within India and Bhutan, starting at INR 22,999 for journeys ranging between 6-13 days.

Adventure Tourism is a USD five trillion business globally with Nielsen revealing an impressive 85 pc contribution by domestic tourists to the overall India adventure travel market and a growth surge of 400 pc (ATOAI report).

Rajeev Kale, president and country head – Leisure Travel, MICE, Thomas Cook (India) Ltd said, “India’s travel mantra is increasing about off-beat, Instagram worthy experiences. And at Thomas Cook India we’ve observed an over 30 pc growth in demand for outdoor-adventure travel, with motorbike trips being a significant new trend. In order to leverage this opportunity, we’ve launched our unique Bike Trips starting at an attractive price of INR 22,999 from 6-13 days across spectacular terrains from Himachal to Ladakh to Bhutan.

Cheval Collection of London appoints TRAC as India representative

Cheval Collection, luxury apartment residences in London, has appointed TRAC to enhance trade and media outreach for the hospitality group in India. TRAC Representations will be responsible for building and developing relations with key hospitality entities and trade partners to grow and strengthen the presence of Cheval in India.

Cheval Collection is the luxury hospitality company with serviced apartment residences across London. With iconic views from modern penthouses, guests can indulge in the city's cosmopolitan culture. They will also have instant access to chic districts and world-famous parks from a selection of private stately apartments.

Confirming the appointment, George Westwell, CEO of Cheval Collection, said, "Our partnership with TRAC Representations is a crucial part of our strategy to boost awareness and build relationships in the vibrant and fast-expanding Indian market. TRAC's reputation and existing network are key to helping Cheval Collection welcome even more Indian guests to our London Residences."

Rajeev Nangia, COO, TRAC Representations said, "Cheval Collection are the pioneers in luxury apartment residences, and we are elated to be appointed as the representative in India. As one of London's leading luxury accommodation providers, Cheval has an unprecedented footprint in hi-end hospitality and fully understands the requirement of their customers. We look forward to strengthening the presence of Cheval in India through our gamut of services and achieving tangible results that meet and exceed brand expectations."

India Outbound is a publication of Media India Group